Bach for Mumbai The city is in for a treat as three high-calibre musicians prepare to perform a special Bach piece and other classical delights

Bach for Mumbai

The city is in for a treat as three high-calibre musicians prepare to perform a special Bach piece and other classical delights

The first classical concert of the new year at NCPA is the Chamber Music Concert with the Sitkovetsky-Caussé-Demarquette Trio. Violinist and conductor Dmitry Sitkovetsky, will come together with violinist Gérard Caussé and celloist Henri Demarquette to present to Mumbai audiences some musical treats. The first day they will play Beethoven’s Serenade Op. 8 and special transciptions of Bach (arrranged by Sitkovetsky), while day two of the concert will see them perform Mozart’s Duo No. 1 for Violin and Viola and Ravel’s Duo for Violin and Cello and finish with Mendelssohn’s Octet Op. 20 with members of The Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI). “I loved my first trip to India in 2011 and met some wonderful people then. This time I come with two great colleagues — Gérard and Henri — to play my own transcriptions of Bach and lots of other beautiful pieces of music,” says Dmitry. The transcriptions of Bach’s Goldberg Variations for string trio and also Bach’s 15 Sinfonias for string trio are going to be performed for the first time in India. “I am looking forward to be with those wonderful musicians and friends — I know Gerard for more than 30 years, and he was the original violist of my first Bach Goldberg Variations recording in 1984. Henri is the youngest member of the trio, but I’ve played and conducted him on number of occasions in the last few years,” he adds. Gérard too is excited about his first performance in India and more so to share stage space again with his musical counterparts. “I am looking forward to performing all the pieces especially the Bach Goldberg which I premiered with Dmitry and Mischa Maisky. But I am also particularly excited to play the Mendelssohn Octet with members of the SOI,” he says. For Henri, this is his third time performing in India since the Arties Festival in 2008 and his performance with Olivier Charlier and Jean-Philippe Collard after that. He is looking forward to performing the Bach Goldberg Variations which have never been heard in India before. varsha.naik@dnaindia.net