Mumbai's date with chamber music

Artistes perform at Arties Festival 2014 at Tata Theatre, NCPA

The arties Festival returns every March and November, as a collaborative effort of NCPA and cellist Gauthier Herrmann, to bring fine Chamber music to the city. This year, the 16th edition will take place at NCPA, starting today, and feature half-French half-Brazilian Mezzo-Soprano, Yete Queiroz, who is a familiar face in the French concert circuit.

This is the artiste's first visit to India. "It's my first trip, and I have no idea how the audience will respond; perhaps, that's why I am even more excited about the performance. My trip till now has been fantastic with the sights and sounds India has to offer," shares Queiroz.

The idea of the Arties Chamber Orchestra is to perform special arrangements for a chamber group of huge orchestral works, which are not possible to perform without having the resource of a big orchestra and several rehearsals. Such music was arranged for special performances at the Society for Private Musical Performances in Vienna, which was founded by Arnold Schoenberg.

Artistes perform at Arties Festival 2014 at Tata Theatre, NCPA

NCPA chairman Khushroo N Suntook, says, "In the last eight years, the Arties Festival has evolved into a festival that our audiences look forward to for quality concerts in chamber music. The star element of this edition is Yete Queiroz, whose voice emits a spectacular tone and is a perfect fit to this year's chamber orchestra."

Yete Queiroz

The festival begins with Brahms' four-movement chamber piece, Trio Op. 40, written for the natural horn, violin and piano. The evening presents Sibelius' signature composition, Valse triste Op. 44 No. 1. Concluding performance includes Mahler's romantic song cycle, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen along with songs by George Gershwin, Kurt Weill and Carl Loewe.

Till: November 5, 7 pm onwards
At: Experimental Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point
Call: 22824567
Cost: Rs 300 onwards