Some evenings do not end when the lights dim. They linger… in memory, in silence, in the soft ache of something beautiful passing by. On...
Some evenings do not end when the lights dim. They
linger… in memory, in silence, in the soft ache of something beautiful passing
by. One such historic evening unfolded at The Grand Theatre at Nita Mukesh
Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), where a full house gathered for Mahesh Kale
Live with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra - a landmark musical concert that
brought National Award-winning Hindustani classical vocalist Mahesh Kale
together with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra, marking a first-of-its-kind confluence
of Indian Classical music and a full Western symphonic orchestra.
The evening opened with Mahesh Kale seeking the
blessings of his late Guru Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, and the audience, before
beginning the concert with a meditative solo exposition in ‘Raag Jog’. As the
next presentation unfolded, the Budapest Scoring Orchestra gently entered, not
overpowering, but embracing the music’s emotional landscape with sensitivity
and restraint. What followed was a rare and seamless union, where Indian melody
and Western harmony listened to each other, responded to each other, and rose
together.
The programme journeyed through an expansive and
thoughtfully curated repertoire from pure classical forms arranged
symphonically to semi-classical gems, raga malas, abhangs and original
compositions by Mahesh Kale. The evening featured pieces such as ‘Lagi Kalejava
Katar’, ‘Chaap Tilak’, ‘He Suranno Chandra Vha’, ‘Janaki Nath’ and ‘Jheeni Re
Jheeni’, among others, each receiving full-bodied orchestral support while
retaining its Indian soul.
Based in San Francisco and widely regarded for his
ability to bridge tradition and contemporary audiences, Mahesh Kale has
consistently expanded the performance vocabulary of Indian Classical music
without compromising its core. This collaboration with the Budapest Scoring
Orchestra represents his most ambitious orchestral exploration yet. Speaking
about the collaboration, Kale shared, “The idea began with my music director
friend Rahul Ranade, who suggested an interesting collaboration between Indian
classical music and a Western symphony - something that hadn’t been done
before. With Kamlesh Bhadkamkar, an accomplished musician and arranger with a
strong command over symphonic scoring, joining the team, the project began to
take shape.”
What made the feat even more extraordinary was the
fact that Mahesh Kale and the Budapest Scoring Orchestra had met just three
days before the performance! Yet, the synchronicity on stage suggested years of
shared musical understanding. Based in Central Europe, the acclaimed Budapest
Scoring Orchestra brings together centuries of European musical heritage with
state-of-the-art analog and digital recording facilities. Speaking about the
collaboration, orchestra CEO Balint Sapzson noted, “This is our very first time
doing 100% Classical Indian music. This form of collaboration between Indian
classical music and Western symphony, I understand, is something new, and that
made it incredibly exciting for us!”
The music conductor of the Budapest Scoring
Orchestra George Gulyas-Nagy echoed this sentiment, highlighting the unspoken
musical bond that formed almost instantly. “We come from completely different
systems… rhythm, scales, structure, yet we understood each other without words.
Music truly is an international language. Mahesh Kale is not only immensely
talented, but also extremely professional, which made this collaboration
natural and effortless.”
As the evening drew to a close, Mahesh Kale
reflected softly, “Happy moments are fleeting.” And fleeting indeed was this
magical night... He concluded the concert with a moving gratitude song to Lord
Vitthal, followed by the song ‘Kanada Raja Pandharicha’, inviting the audience
to sing along. The audience then came forward to pay their respects, bridging
not just musical traditions, but cultures, geographies and hearts.
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