Bharatnatyam on Baroque Music

It began as a western classical Baroque music performance and concluded with a fusion between Bharatnatyam and traditional Swiss dance. When the audience headed to Kamani Auditorium on Wednesday for this cultural event,organised by Indian Council of Cultural Relations in collaboration with Istituto Italiano di Cultura and the Embassy of Switzerland in New Delhi,little did they anticipate that the evening would bring together the two diverse cultures. But Daniela Dolci,director of Musica Fiorita,a 21-year-old Baroque music ensemble from Switzerland,had other plans. “Indian and European cultures aren’t too different. It is not the same,but it is definitely similar,” said Dolci.

For the aficionados of authentic Baroque music,Dolci presented a rendition of the Italian dance music piece,Lettera Amorosa. The love story written by a renowned Venitian composer was narrated through dance and music. So in the beginning,under the bright lights,the six musicians on stage,dressed in black,glittered like gems. But the lights were soon dimmed and that is when the flautist began her piece. As the tunes of the piano and the strains of the cello joined her,two Baroque dancers appeared on stage,swirling and pirouetting to the Baroque guitar,theorba and harpsichord. Slow at first,the rhythm changed when the drums began to beat. The sound of the ghungroos took over when the Bharatnatyam dancers made an entry and within minutes the unique jugalbandi began. The request for an encore was fulfilled and the group packed its bags for Kolkata,from where they head to Mumbai.