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Journalism of Courage
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This is an archive article published on July 16, 2010
Master Strokes
For Stephen Kovacevich,his last performance in Mumbai is clearly marked by one memory. I had picked some very difficult compositions,both to hear and play, says the renowned pianist.
For Stephen Kovacevich,his last performance in Mumbai is clearly marked by one memory. I had picked some very difficult compositions,both to hear and play, says the renowned pianist,So when I walked onto the stage and saw a number of children in the audience,I was taken aback. I warned them that a lot of what I was going to play would be difficult to comprehend and connect with. So saying,he took his place behind the Steinwey and played. Later,when he went backstage,he found a young fan waiting for him. I never found out her name,but she must have been about nine or ten years old. And I was astonished to find that she was weeping.
The 69-year-old musician is in the city and is slated to perform at the National Centre for Performing Arts tonight. This is his third time in the citythe first time he says was over 30 years ago and the memory of that performance is too vague to recount. But the reaction of his young audience to his second performance here is what brought him back again. The only other emotional equivalent of it,he says,was when he later went on a tiger safari and saw one the striped felines a few feet away from him. I felt 15 per cent fear,and 85 per cent awe at the magnificence, he says,smiling.
The deep connection that the young girl felt for the music that Kovacevich played that evening has come,for him,to represent the emotional nature of India and its culture. Which is why,when asked whether he thinks Indians can ever do as well as other Asian musicians on the global stage,his answer is an empathic yes. I dont claim to know India very well,but in my experience,Indians are extremely sensitive people who respond deeply to music. Take China,which has a million pianists. But what good is that if the music doesnt mean anything special to them? Besides,he says,Indians already have a strong indigenous tradition of music. So its understandable if western classical music hasnt yet made the kind of strides in India as it has in other Asian countries like Japan and China.
In fact,the pianist says,his most interesting concerts have been played in surprising places and not,as one would imagine,in the traditional meccas of classical music. However,astonishingly hes not yet played in St. Petersburg. Im yet to be invited, he says with a laugh. In places like Vienna,which take themselves so seriously,you dont find a good audience. They already know how the music will go and theyre quick to judge. For a concert to be memorable,it is important for the musician and the audience to be able to surprise each other. In fact,I find that some of the best audiences are a complete goulash of cultures,like in New York,where people come from everywhere, he states.
Kovacevich,who is known for his matchless rendition of Beethoven,will be playing two piano sonatas by him and by Austrian composer Franz Schubert. Apart from the concert,hell also be conducting Master Classes for piano students on July 19 and 20. Im very excited about the classes. In fact,Im hoping that Ill be able to come here once a year for a week to conduct workshops. Someday,he hopes to bring together Indian and international musicians for a chamber music festival in Mumbai. He wont reveal whos on his wishlist to perform there.
I dare not say, he smiles.
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