The city music lovers were enthralled to witness the classical French music here on Thursday at Ravindra Bhavan. The classical Baroque music as 'Pain and Pleasure at the court of Versailles' was presented before the Bhopalites, by Ensemble Amarillis, an European orchestra.
The concert was held under the event Bonjour India, Festival of France jointly organized by Alliance Francaise de Bhopal, Ind-French Cultural Centre in collaboration with Ustad Alauddin Khan Sangeet Evam Kala Academy, Madhya Pradesh Department of Culture.
Further, Francois Richier, Ambassador of France to India, the Consul General of France in Mumbai, Jean-Raphael Peytregnet and the Minister for Culture, laxmikant Sharma, were present as guests of honour on this occasion.
While talking to The Pioneer, the harpsichord player Violaine Cochard said, "All the composers of this programme have contributed to the revival of French music and played important roles at the court of Versailles." The original composer of the music is lully who created the French tragedy and was the favorite composer of King louis XIV.
This concert staged two heroic mythological figures queen Didon and Orpheus. The concert portrayed their painful departure at the court of Versailles. Narrating the story of queen Didon, the concert was like a mini opera that tells the various moods of the queen. Her confusion and pain, then her desire for vengeance and finally her renunciation in choosing suicide when Orpheus leaves her alone were described here.
The concert was played in two parts. The first was taken from the music of Atys and the second part presented two different extracts of mini opera. The Ensemble Amarillis brought instruments like recorders, violin, harpsichord and cello which made the audience to listen the concert with rapt attention. The concert was the mixture of vocal and instrumental music playing the contrast of feelings as sad and romantic.