Lonavla music retreat: The key takeaways
The Hindu
A musical getaway
Listen, discuss, exchange and interact in sylvan surroundings — both the performer and listener gained enough at the retreat.
It is not often that one gets to totally immerse oneself in music — for 48 hours. At the recently held music retreat at Lonavla, the attendees cut themselves off from the outside world to be connected only to music. Conceived by Pune based Mukund Athavale, this was the eighth edition. The sylvan surroundings made it easier to not step out for two days. Even the artistes were required to stay back after their performance.
In Mukund Athavale’s words: “Unless you get to hear good music, you are not fully engaged, and unless an artiste gets a receptive audience, he too may not be fully engaged. The idea was to create an environment for a meaningful interaction between both.”
According to Kalapini Komkali, who presented one of her finest concerts at the retreat, “It’s a good idea. Otherwise, we hardly get to hear other musicians or exchange musical thoughts. The close interaction between artistes and rasikas and the informal ambience were the other pluses. Also, it was a sensible decision to restrict the duration of the performances to an hour. Since the audience is almost held captive, shorter concerts would keep them charged.”
The performances would begin with the first rays of the morning sun casting its mild glow. The concerts would go on till midnight with short breaks for breakfast, lunch and dinner and some rest. The all-day session also gave listeners an opportunity to hear raags that are sung at specific time of the day.
The early morning concert of raag Vibhas by Bharati Pratap sounded like a prayer. “Beautiful surroundings with musicians seated in front, and discerning listeners for an audience...you couldn’t ask for a better maahaul (ambience),” she said.
As a listener from Hyderabad put it “when barriers come down, it’s only about the listening experience. Just imagine, a piece composed by Faiyaz Khan of Agra maybe about 100 years ago is being sung by Bharati Pratap, a Kannada, in Maharashtra.”
Dick Van Dyke becomes the oldest Daytime Emmy winner at age 98 for guest role on ‘Days of Our Lives’
The actor was honoured on Friday night as guest performer in a daytime drama series for his part as amnesiac Timothy Robicheaux on Peacock’s ‘Days of Our Lives’