Arts

The moonlight on Sitar

Pradeepanjali XIII Concert of innovative music :
 

by Indeewara Thilakarathne and Ranga Chandrarathne

The latest Pradeepanjali concert was recently held at Ananda College auditorium. The Concert was presented by the Ananda College's Old Boys Association with the objective of promoting high quality innovative fusion music among the wider audience in Sri Lanka.

Pradeep Ratnayake's fusion music is more popular in the world scene than in Sri Lanka as he had conducted Pradeepanjali at prestigious venues such as Kennedy Centre. One of the striking features of the Pradeepanjali concert series is that each concert is significantly different from the previous one with the addition of innovative pieces of music.

Pradeepanjali XII was also unique on account of variety of fusion. A singular characteristic of the concert was that Pradeep played the first Movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata on Sitar together with Eshantha Pieris on piano.

Perhaps, this was the first time in the world that classical piece of music by Beethoven was played on Sitar, an instrument never thought capable of transformation to such a degree. Sitar is considered as an instrument deeply rooted in traditional Raggic Indian music. It, in fact, is a potent symbol of Indian classical music.

Pradeep's singular feat in his innovative music is that his innate ability to transcend traditional barriers and norms that have confined Sitar to that particular milieu for ages.

It is here pertinent to trace the brief history of the Moonlight Sonata and its position in Western classical music. Beethoven composed the Moonlight Sonata in the summer of 1801 in Hungary, on an estate owned by the Brunswick family. It was published in 1802 and was dedicated to Beethoven's pupil and passion, 17-year-old Countess Giulietta Gucciardi.

The Moonlight Sonata is one of the most popular piano sonatas from Beethoven's creations and it was named 'The Moonlight Sonata' by poet Ludwig Rellstab in 1832. He had this inspiration on a moon lit night on the banks of the Lucerna River.

Given the background against which the Sonata was composed, it is certainly a magnificent feast to play it on Sitar, a feat no other musician would have thought feasible of.

As homage to the great tradition which produced Pradeep, the concert commenced with Indian Raga Yaman and proceeded on to Kuveni. Kuveni is based on Sri Lankan folk melody of the Kuveni asna. An important feature of this piece is that Sitar and violin is backed by Sri Lankan percussion instruments which have been used to bring about a melancholy tone of the tragic tale of Kuveni.

Another innovative item of the concert was Flight based Ukusa vannama. Here the ensemble was used to mimic the powerful movement of the bird and it is also one of the best creations by Pradeep.

Wine-Coloured Moon, though a regular piece of the concert, is a creation where diverse traditions of music forge to convey the essentialities of the atmosphere in a soothing moon-lit night. Piano, bass guitar and the acoustic drums are used in rock music to create the beauty of a moonlit night.

Spring, a season of merriment is re-created by the tone poem with Sitar and violin. Here the maestro has captured the joy and the exuberance associated with the season. It is the time of prosperity with blossoming flowers, pervading their fragrance in the air. Perhaps, Sitar and violin would have been the most appropriate instruments to re-create the atmosphere of calm, joy and sublime happiness of the season.

One of the outstanding pieces of the concert was Rag Jog where Sitar was accompanied by piano which though not possible to render complex notations of a Raga, deeply Rooted in the Indian classical music.

As usual, the last piece of the concert was 'Wind'. The musician as skilful painter manipulated the intrinsic properties of the sound to re-create wind, flowing with gusto.

This piece was an epitome of mastery in fusion and the union of percussion instruments led by the Sitar. However, otherwise excellent, concert was marred by the incoherent sound system which played havoc at the commencement of the concert.

This would have robbed the musician's composure attuned for a magnificent concert. Ravibandu Vidyapathi's ever unfolding long sleeves of a rather glittering Kurtha and Jananatha Warakagoda's actor-like performance cast away the somewhat, gloomy mood on the part of performers and helped bring back the concert on to the right rack.

For young Warakagoda, the Kularatne Hall would have brought nostalgic memories of his school days at Ananda College.

Comic duo kicks it in Paris with 'Rush Hour 3'

by Ruwini Jayawardana

The action adventure with a comic strand highlights the silver screen again as Brett Ratner's 'Rush Hour 3' releases worldwide. The film based in Paris sees Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan reunite to deliver the third instalment of the blockbuster Rush Hour franchise. This time they are concerned in a battle with a wing of the Chinese organised crime family, the Triads.

The comic combination of Tucker and Chan first formed in 1998 for the first instalment of the 'Rush Hour' series gained immense response. It shot to the top of the box - office grabbing 141 million dollars in its first round. The second film of the series was made in 2003 and gained 206 million.

Tucker stars as LAPD Detective James Carter and Chan takes on as Chinese Chief inspector Lee. Three years has flown by since the end of 'Rush Hour 2'. Carter is no longer a detective but a traffic guard on the streets of Los Angeles. Lee is the body guard of Ambassador Han. A rift lies between the two allies due to an incident which took place on their last adventure.

Ambassador Han got shot during the World Criminal Court Discussions and Lee follows the assassin eventually to discover that he is godbrother Kenji. Lee hesitates to shoot him and Carter shows up driving towards the two and thereby letting Kenji escape.

Back at hospital they discover that the bullet had missed Han's heart and he will recover. Soo Yung, Han's daughter sets forth another task before Carter and Lee. She makes them promise to capture the assassins behind the incident thereby launching them on one of the most breath taking adventures yet.

Join Carter and Lee as they pursue the villains and enjoy the humour so typical of them as the film unfolds before you on the silver screen. 'Rush Hour 3' is a New Line Cinema production is now screening at Liberty cinema and islandwide.