BY NADIA D”SILVA
Hungarian pianist, Marouan Benabdallah’s piano recital at St Michael’s Church Taleigao left classical music enthusiasts in a state of utter rapture so much so that the applause continued resounding in the interiors of the quaint church long after the young pianist ceased running his fingers across the length of the gleaming instrument.
A performance that included the works of Bach and Mozart among others was a brilliant presentation in pure talent and a devotion to music born out of unswerving study and consistent practice.The finale, especially, which comprised of the ever popular and fantastically challenging Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 by composer Franz Liszt was an instant hit with the audience and was received by a standing ovation.
A career that started at the age of 4, Marouan Benabdallah has been gaining finesse in his chosen field of specialisation for the last 23 years. “But my career in the real sense of the word actually started in the year 2003,” pipes in the piano maestro.
Ask him about his experience playing for the Goan audience and you are not surprised by the answer considering the admiring crowd surrounding the young pianist congratulating him and bravos prevailing in the air. “The Goan audience is one of the best that I’ve come across in India. They are highly receptive and appreciate good music. I last played in Goa in 2008 and I have been looking forward to playing here ever since,”
Ask him what about the instrument stirs him so deeply and pat comes the reply, “The piano, at least to me, is a complete instrument in every way. You can play the entire orchestra on the piano. There are so many colours in the sound of the piano and you can produce so many effects on it, which is not possible on other instruments.”
Interestingly, the pianist shares a voracious interest in flying and advanced mathematics. Ask him how he manages to integrate such varied interests and he reveals, “I think it is my love for symmetry and structure that allow me to accommodate such widespread interests. Mathematics for example is a discipline whose end objective is to minimise contradictions while pursuing a methodical and structured procedure. Music also employs the same principles. There are many notes but in the end there has to be a defined structure. My discipline in mathematics helps me a great deal in my pursuits as a musician.” But what about flying? “Well I am still in training. Flying is a remarkable experience. The body of the aircraft is again an outstanding tribute to symmetry and never ceases to amaze me.”
Among his favourite composers, Benabdallah names Hungarian composer and pianist, BélaViktor János Bartók and Russian composer, pianist, and conductor Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff as his especial favourites. Besides classical music, Benabdallah also enjoys the soulful strains of jazz.
