Italian musicians relive Pandit Ravi Shankar's masterpiece in Kochi

Kochi, July 19 Half a century after music maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar composed the iconic L'Aube enchantee ('The Enchanted Dawn') as a two-instrument score in Raaga Todi, Tommaso Benciolini and Lorenzo Bernardi, two young musicians from Italy, performed the 11-minute composition during a flute-and-guitar concert here on Saturday.

Flautist Benciolini blew out softly the morning melody while Bernardi plucked the strings of his guitar to further enhance the pathos of the classical notes tuned by the legendary sitarist in 1976.

The piece won special applause at the gathering in Mattancherry, where the visiting duo presented a 75-minute performance, jointly organised by the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) and the Italian Cultural Institute, as part of the lead-up to the upcoming Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

At the Indian Chamber of Commerce building, Benciolini and Bernardi tuned on an electronic tanpura ahead of playing L'Aube enchantee that evolved out of a meeting Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) had with French flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal and his compatriot Alexandre Lagoya (guitarist) in the mid-1970s.

"Of late, nine months ago, as we knew of this India trip coming, Lorenzo and I did some research, wanting to present an item for the audiences in this country," said 34-year-old Tommaso, adding that they have been playing the piece in all venues of late.

L'Aube enchantee begins with a brief alaap sketching the scale of the poignant Todi, largely developed by Mian Tansen, who sang in the court of Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th century.

As Benciolini and Bernardi rolled out the piece, which was a part of the trans-continental 'East Meets West' album conceived by Ravi Shankar, the audience listened in rapt attention, only to explode in loud cheers at the end of the performance.

The pair next contrasted the dawn raga with 'Nightfall', a contemporary composition known for its simplicity.

Tuned in a minor scale that partly corresponds with the Indian classical raga Keeravani, the piece known for its minimalist brilliance is composed by Italian Roberto Di Marino.

This came after a three-movement sonatina composed by New York-based Marco Beltrami known for his association with Hollywood and TV scores in America.

"This carries a lot of inner dialogue," Bernardi said.

The concert began with an Italian overture that used to typically open the operas during the Enlightenment period.

The longest among the pieces the duo performed was a 22-minute centrepiece by 20th-century Argentine Tango composer Astor Piazolla of Italian descent.

The sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, titled 'For the Time Being', will be a 110-day show opening on December 12.

Curated by artist Nikhil Chopra with HH Art Spaces, an artist-led organisation based out of Goa, the biennale will conclude on March 31, 2026.

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