Instep reports from (an exclusive) night of classical French music, which celebrated the concept of music without borders.
Part of a cultural initiative started by the Government of France and its cultural centers in Pakistan, popular French brass band, the Vitrail Quintet performed at the Alliance Française de Karachi on Wednesday night.
Performing under the initiative ‘Classical Music Without Borders,’ the Vitrail Quintet – who take their name from a brass piece by George Delerue, ‘Stained Glass’ – were part of an international concert series that takes place in the city on behalf of the French diplomatic presence in the metropolis that will go on for the remaining part of the year.
The collection will feature musicians from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, U.S.A. and beyond.
For the initiative’s latest concert, the night was headlined mainly by the Vitrail Quintet’s key musicians – Jean Baptiste Arnold & Rémy Dintrich on Trompettes, Gérard Tremlet on Cor (Horn), Jean-Luc Sauvage on the Trombone, and Arc Lefèvre on Tuba - who are renowned by connoisseurs of classical European music.
They celebrated four centuries of French music via the music of renowned classic musicians of the French nation.
Largely, the evening – which was complemented by the open-air veranda of the French cultural center and light drizzle, continued into the night as the musicians played a myriad of sets, ranging from classics by Claude Debussy to more contemporary pieces of work such as George Barboteu’s ‘Chansonneries.’
Amongst a large collection of pieces, classics such as Jean-Philliple Rameau’s ‘Allemande’ and Joseph Reynaud’s ‘Merle et Pinson (Blackbird and Chaffinch),’ were thoroughly appreciated by the crowd.
The quintet also chose to dedicate a performance – apart from the sixteen musical pieces they played - to the French capital as they played to the rhythm of Edith Piaf’s ‘Hymne á l’amour.’ Subsequently, on the request of an encore from the buzzing audience, the quintet went on to perform three more pieces, which kept the mood serene and calm.
At the culmination of the concert, the musicians received a standing ovation.
Instep caught up with Gérard Tremblet to ask him about his experience in Karachi until now.
“I find Karachi to be a remarkable city,” he said. “It is very welcoming and the people are wonderful. We are happy to have gotten an amazing response.”
Since the concert, the musicians have been taken on a cultural trip to heritage sites in Sindh, and will be given a tour of the metropolis as well, after which they will end their visit to Pakistan.
However, there is an expectation the musicians may have another performance for a private audience in the city before their departure.
Since the creation of the Vitrail Quintet, the musicians have performed a plethora of concerts and master classes in France, Tunisia, Poland, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Vietnam, Slovakia, Greece, Bulgaria, and Saudi Arabia.
