Kashmir’s famous Shalimar Garden reverberated with soulful music presented under the baton of world-famous maestro Zubin Mehta on Saturday in front of a select audience under tight security. The 17th Century Mughal Garden, overlooking the famed Dal lake with the majestic Zabarwan Mountains in the backdrop, was the ideal setting as musicians presented most popular western compositions in “peace concert” titled ‘Ehsaas-e-Kashmir’.
“I waited and dreamt for this moment. This is where it should be,” the 71-year-old India-born maestro said while leading the orchestra in Kashmir. The stage was established at the central terrace in front of a bedecked Dewan-e-Khas, true to the legacy of Mughals. The spellbound audience, mostly who’s who of the State and high-profile dignitaries including foreign diplomats, lawmakers, actors and bureaucrats remained captivated during the hour-and-a-half long performance under the shade of majestic chinars and colourful flowers all around. Mehta indirectly referred to the opposition to his concert by separatists and wished that every Kashmiri would participate in the concert when he holds it next time. “There are those we have hurt inadvertently. I promise next time we shall do this with everyone in a stadium, where everyone can come, so it won’t be a select few. When the music starts, very positive waves go from the stage and touch every place”, Mehta said.
Significantly, Kashmiri-origin musician Abhay Rustum Sopori led a team of local musicians to begin the orchestra with Haftrang (seven colours) as Zubin Mehta synchronised his team's notes with them. The audience was electrified at the conclusion also, when Mehta announced in Hindi that the orchestra will conclude with Kashmiri music performance.
Ehsaas-e-Kashmir, organised by German Embassy in New Delhi, was the first concert in Kashmir to present western classical music. The Bavarian State Orchestra under Mehta's baton and Nikolaus Bachler's direction played its full cast of works of ludwig Van Beethoven, Franz Joseph Haydn and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
The concert opened with the leonore Overture No 3 from 'Didelo'-the lone opera composed by Beethoven. The composition was appropriate in Kashmir context as it is a musical homage to and requests for freedom and justice, two ideas very dear to Beethoven. “It's dramatical as well as romantic musical style corresponds to the story the opera tells: love winning over political oppression”, an introductory brochure reads.
The concert concluded with Beethhoven's Symphony No 5 in C minor, one of the most popular compositions ion western classical music. The music develops along a motif called “per aspera ad astra”: through hardships to stars-an allusion to victory over evil forces. The solo trumpet player Andreas Ottal and soloist Julian Rachlin's performances were soothing and exclusively fantastic. German Ambassador Micheal Steiner, who is the main brain behind the controversial concert, said that the music joined two cities Munich and Srinagar which are more than seven thousand kilometres apart.
“Tonight we are here with you and the entire world is looking at Kashmir”, he said. “With the magic power of music, crossing physical, political and cultural borders, we wanted to reach the hearts of the Kashmiris. With a message of hope, encouragement and peace”, he said. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that his dream was fulfilled to see an orchestra in Kashmir's Mughal Gardens. He conceded that despite controversy and sleepless nights that the concert offered to the organisers, if he would be asked to hold such an event again, he would absolutely say yes to the proposal.
Omar said that politics is never far from what happens in Kashmir. “Tomorrow when the sun rises again it will rise on the land that has seen pain and suffering, a land that is yearning for peace”, he said, adding, “Today, this evening, for few hours let us lift our spirit and lighten our souls and allow ourselves to dream for a peaceful tomorrow.
Gul Panag, noted Bollywood actress conducted the proceedings. Talking to The Pioneer, Panag said that she was overwhelmed to be on the stage where the world’s best musicians were performing. “last time I came to Kashmir in 2008, I did not venture out of Badami Bagh cantonment. This time I was thrilled to see people enjoying music. I was good to see smiles on the faces of people”, she said.
Ambassador Steiner said that the idea of the concert was not to paint a rosy picture of Kashmir. We want to do more for the people of Kashmir. The reality of Kashmir is not rosy one. We want to show the world a complete picture of Kashmir”, he said. Union Minister Farooq Abdullah, former Defence Minister Jaswant Singh, diplomats of the European Union, J&K Ministers, selected legislators, bureaucrats and security officials comprised the audience, which was dominated by non-locals. The entire garden was under three-tier security with surveillance of CCTV cameras. The invitees were ferried from Nishat, 5 kilometres away from the venue in shuttle services as their vehicles were not allowed to proceed further.