November 24, 2008	Monday	Ziqa'ad 25, 1429

KARACHI: To pay homage to the beautiful music composed by the masters of the past, a piano recital was arranged recently at the Goethe-Institut, in collaboration with the German consulate general. German pianist Ms Ursula Monter, who had come to Karachi to perform, chose to play German composers Beethoven, Brahms and Schumann.

The first segment performed by Ms Monter consisted of Six Bagatelles, or short, light pieces, by Ludwig Van Beethoven. This, one of the master’s later works, was very extreme and not easy to understand. His works, focusing on nature, were brought to life by the fluid finger movements of the pianist, capturing the fiery and soft moments dexterously.

The second segment consisted of Johannes Brahms’ four piano pieces. His first piece, Adagio, was soft and slow and as the other pieces followed, the playful, melodious mood built up to a lively, loud mood, specially in the last piece known as the Rhapsodie: Allegro Risoluto.

The last portion of the recital was of Robert Schumann, whose four short pieces are dedicated to love and hence express very passionate feelings. He dedicated these pieces to his wife and one could actually feel the emotions of the composer through the music, played so ably by the musician. The performance of this piece was soft and lilting at one moment and then all fired up the next.

At the end of the segment, the demand of ‘encore’ brought Ursula Monter to play once more, presenting a beautiful short piece of Schumann.

Ms Monter has studied at the conservatories of Cologne, Amsterdam, and Bloomington (USA). She has achieved the highest artistic degree in Germany and won many music contests. The mastery of her movements over the piano was obvious throughout the recital.