Requiem for a dream

A feisty choir of young musicians remembered Mozart.

There isn’t anything like ushering in a misty winter over an evening of Mozart’s best. And it is perhaps in these moments you still see the tradition of the European classical era very much alive and flourishing. This time around, in fact, a feisty choir of young musicians took the lead to prove that the legacy is indeed being safely passed on to the next generation.

“Mozart’s Requiem in Delhi” — under the banner of Alliance Francaise and Neemrana Music Foundation — saved the Requiem for the end, showcasing instead young musicians from the Mozart Children’s Choir of India. For all the times we may have felt dismayed at today’s kids, here was a bunch that sang a very different tune.

There was, for example, a truly impressive show of “The ABC Song” — a refreshing version of the alphabet song written by Mozart in three equal voices. The children’s choir, made up of about a 100 members, has found talent in the age group of 7-14 years.

The group also performed a surprisingly sound rendition of Maldonado’s “Mi Canto del Sur” and “The Rose” by Amanda Mc Broom. They were led by conductor Gabriella Boda-Rechner, who directs a handful of choirs across the city.

Next up for composer Gounod’s “Gallia”, Boda-Rechner brought on board Delhi Chamber Choir, with Soprano Aude Priya holding together the piece in her beautiful opera voice. But Delhi’s Kamani Auditorium truly lit up for the pièce de résistance — Requiem in D minor — and had Mozart been listening, he would have managed more than a smile.

Arguably his most powerful composition, Requiem was recreated on stage by Delhi Chamber Choir with able French conductor Yves Parmentier at the helm, who has led this masterpiece in concert several times.

Though Requiem was left unfinished by Mozart due to his illness and eventually his premature death, this work of genius has not yet met its match in over 200 years, and its effect on stage remains stunning. The 14-movement piece was performed with remarkable restraint, a perfect blend of highs and lows, giving the piece its haunting notes.

The choir was highlighted by a group of incredibly talented soloists, Soprano Sunanda Rao, Mezzo Soprano Shireen Sinclair, Tenor Prahbat Chandola and Bass Antoine Redon with Hungarian-Morrocan pianist Marouan Benabdallah at the piano. Encore, encore.