KARACHI: It was a special concert. Music lovers who turned up to listen to Italian pianist Alessandro Commellato at the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, on Saturday evening were treated to a brilliant recital of Ludwig van Beethoven’s compositions. It was such a good performance that one felt sad the auditorium was not packed to capacity. Still, the decent number of people that were there got to see and hear how an exceptional musician pays tribute to a master.

Commellato played three pieces: sonata no: 14 in C sharp minor op 27 (Quasi Una Fantasia), variations and fugue in E flat major op 33 (Eroica Variations) and sonata no: 23 in F minor op 57 (Appassionato). Sounds heavy, doesn’t it? No. At the hands of a worthy artist, it’s storytelling with the touch of a feather.

The first piece, which is also called ‘Moonlight Sonata’, had three movements. From the get-go, it was evident that the pianist was no ordinary individual. There was a poetic progression to the notes and Commellato made the audience not just hear the nighttime story in the movements but also visualise it.

The second piece had a somber feel to it. The musician’s command of the technical aspects of playing came to the fore in it because it required a flawless coordination of both hands without compromising on the context of the composition. And he was just too good.

The final item, like the first one, had three movements, which meant that it too had a trajectory played out with the help of delectable notes. Commellato was totally immersed in the act, making sure that the art of Beethoven is communicated to Karachi’s audiences in all its purity of form and content.

Commellato made the audience not just hear the nighttime story in the movements but also visualise it

Earlier, Italian Consul General in Karachi Anna Ruffino introduced to the audience both the pianist and the background to the compositions he was slated to play. The event was organised by the Italian consulate in Karachi in collaboration with the Arts Council.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2020