An enchanting music recital on a bleak day

Islamabad
I was unable to pick even a single word, yet I felt soothed, relaxed, excited, entrapped and liberated. All this I experienced over a short period of less than one hour. And the reason was an absolutely enchanting performance by the French duo of Ms Juliette de Massy and Mr Bogdan Nesterenkov.
The event was a recital, titled ‘Over the Mountains, from Bach to Piazzolla,’ jointly organised by the embassies of France and Germany, in which the Germans played the hosts as they arranged the performance in the small auditorium on the embassy premises Monday evening.
It indeed was a sad day for Pakistan as the country was jolted by one of the worst earthquakes of its history, a 7.5 magnitude tremble on Richter scale. The atmosphere in the auditorium was sort of somber. The guests, all of whom had gone through a frightening whole one minute of anxiety and trauma as the earth shook violently under their feet, were visibly confused as to how to act and express themselves at the function.
But the French ambassador, Ms Martine Dorance, eased the tension and anxiety as she spoke softly, expressing her sorrow over the natural calamity.
“As it feels so good to see such a good gathering of music lovers here this evening, our hearts are with the victims of this earthquake,” the French envoy said somberly, thus making the fathering feel at ease.
The rest was left to the two artistes who took the audience along on a journey of song and music, offering so much to feel and explore. The moment Ms Juliette strained her throat chords for the classical high pitched voice and Mr Bogdan pressed the buttons while pumping the accordion, the audience seemed to be caught in the spell.
She was running down the hills, swirling around in the fields, floating on the prairie, fluttered on the streams and climbed the rocks, throwing challenges and flirting with nature. And all along this journey she was backed, coaxed and encouraged by music flowing out of fingers of Mr Bogdan as the man and the machine seemed to have become one.
And the first segment opened the floodgates. The unbelievably high-pitched melodious voice of Ms Juliette and the matching music pouring out of Mr Bogdan’s accordion enveloped the audience in the auditorium like the fragrance of wild flowers carried by breeze.
Next she is brimming with joy and swells like ocean waves, lapping lullabies at times and becoming furious and soaring as if in quest to touch the skies. The next she was a lost and forlorn young lady, hurt and cold, craving for warmth, the warmth of love and passion.
The singer and the musician competed and complimented each other and won well earned rounds of appreciation at the end of each part.
Mr Bagdan occupied the stage for a solo and he was impressive indeed. Very impressive! He sounded jaunty, carefree, keen and enthusiastic, out to explore the world around him. The more he seemed to be moving down the road, the more excited and jubilant he appeared to be becoming.
There was tragedy, heartache, dreams, desire to turn back time, promises of love, screams of anguish and distress, hope and craving all in the songs and music. And finally the duo decided to end on a haughty note by singing a song, which clearly appeared to be liked by most in the audience.
There was a big round of applause and the two had to return to the stage to take a second bow, clutching at the beautiful bouquets presented to them.
Earlier in the day, German Press Counsellor Mr Damtid Tidten and the French Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs Martine Herlem-Hamidi hosted a lunch for the Ms Juliette de Massy and Mr Bogdan Nesterenko at a local restaurant where they were joined by a select group of journalists. And it was there that they experienced the earthquake.
“It was the first time in my life that I experienced an earthquake. I am happy that we survived together,” Ms Juliette de Massy said while talking briefly to the audience from the stage.