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Reminiscing on his childhood, he described it as a wonderful infusion of the works of European greats as diverse as Wagner and Eugene O’Neill. As an adult, Lakshman mentioned that he now realises to what extent he has imbibed his family’s love for culture and the arts both personally and vocationally.
His formal musical education, at both Juilliard Pre-College and the colloquially termed “FAME” school (now the La Guardia School of Performing Arts), were instrumental in creating a network of people in the business.
The individuals accepted into these esteemed schools already had a certain amount of talent or family connection. So what the schools really did was hone and polish existing raw talent, as students graduate with incredible technical abilities.
Moving on to other forms of expression, Lakshman made a critical commentary on fusion – terming it “the cross-breeding between two forms of expression”. He said that to be able to toggle between two creative forms isn’t always necessary just because there is a sense of boredom with each form individually, and the end result often ends up sounding gimmicky.
Lakshman added that people try to cater to a wider audience by mashing things up, but he far prefers going deeper into a pure stream of art, as he doesn’t see fusion expanding in any meaningful way.
On a superficial level, there’s plenty to appreciate in fusion, although therein lies the difference between art and entertainment, while that he does think the coming together of different cultures is important for internationalisation.
Although he plays the violin and trombone himself, Lakshman claimed that the instrument he was most partial to whilst composing was the French horn. He added that he considers it one of the most soulful instruments in current usage, and he would have loved to have learnt to play it.
The violin too holds a certain sway over him, for the organic nature of its inception and sound – as every part of the instrument was alive at some point. He described its expressive capability as being on par with the human voice, with its ability to switch between expressing horror and devastatingly sweet sentiment. In the right hands, it can be devastating.
Lakshman stated that the piano, on the other hand, despite its versatility is also a fairly difficult instrument to get right as it is percussive. The connection is via a team of hammers, whereas with a violin the connection is direct – there is very little disconnect between the artist and the instrument.
To obtain the same level of subtlety with the piano requires amazing control and touch, to bypass all the mechanisms and reach a certain level of expression. He referred to the violin as any composer’s go-to instrument, almost the cavalry of the orchestra.
Asked whether he enjoyed large orchestral performances or smaller, even solo pieces, Lakshman said that it is the end result that is key as it is entirely possible to be blown away by either one person or a hundred and fourteen. He added that numbers were less important than content or skill, having thoroughly enjoyed being part of a 100-piece orchestra as well as a trio.
In terms of expectation, Lakshman stated: “Boredom and mediocrity are, to me, unacceptable. I expect a certain intensity as a conductor and an audience member, and find innocuous theatre or music unbearable. While Mahler or Bruckner symphonies require a large melee of instruments, and attending a performance feels like sitting in the midst of a monumental earthquake, sitting a few rows away from a solo performer playing something soulful and tailored for them can be as personal as a tooth extraction. Both can be incredibly potent, and their intensities both have the power to deeply affect. In the Sri Lankan context, however, a smaller ensemble is more viable as we don’t have a large enough pool of players.”
Discussing the emotive and cathartic impacts of the minor and major keys in music – the so-called “light and dark,” Lakshman stated that both have an important role to play in moving a person’s emotional barometer. Positive, major tone-based experiences such as the last 29 bars of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony are empowering for the human spirit against all adversity, and require a fair amount of skill to compose or perform with the adequate amount of joie de vivre.
Predominantly minor-toned pieces however, appear to be easier for composers to create. Lakshman rationalised this as being because artists have a penchant for the melancholy, and are more acutely aware of the human condition and the grim realities of life. He also explained music’s role as an element that deeply affects individuals; how hearing an effervescent waltz at a low point can uplift the spirit whilst a requiem can be prime material to wallow in grief or sadness.
Speaking about his dual role as a composer and a conductor, he explained that in his capacity with the Chamber Music Society, he acts purely as a conduit between the composer and the audience. Any sort of personal affectation of the piece is essentially tainting it. The key role is to execute to the best of your understanding and musical intuition what the composer possibly intended, like a chef creating a very famous recipe.
The creative process as a film composer on the other hand is heavily dependent on the visuals. Lakshman explained that he feels that the artist or performer’s role in society is that of an elegant form of distraction from the day-to-day ordeal. He added that the best a performer can hope to do is make the audience emancipate itself for an hour or so by being totally immersed. The value of a good piece of art or performance could be gauged not only by its ability to affect the audience, but also its longevity – will it fade out as the wave of popularity recedes or will it endure as a classic?
Lakshman added that his proponence of the Nouvelle Vogue movement in South Asian art house cinema was driven by the films themselves. He mentioned Directors such as Prasanna Vithanage and Vimukthi Jayasundera, who had given him a screening of their films after which they had long discussions as to whether they should stick to a traditional Sri Lankan score, or another entirely different yet meaningful musical direction. Adding that his knowledge of traditional Sri Lankan music was limited, the deviation was almost accidental. The term was in fact coined by a film critic who detected a distinct yet not deliberate change in the way that these particular Sri Lankan films sounded.
The conversation wrapped up with a bit of introspection, as we discussed the distinction between the artist as an individual and their work or output. Lakshman admitted that both of his primary occupations – film composing and conducting – both require a colossal removal of ego for the output to be satisfactory. Film composers are often unsung heroes of productions, as they thematically set the tone of the film and accentuate the cathartic process, yet are generally non-entities to the general movie-going public. However, the film composers are always a part of the core production team and instrumental in the flow of the movie.
Discussing his upcoming concert with the Chamber Music Society of Colombo, he said it would feature Johann Christian Bach’s Piano Concerto in E flat major, W C59 (Op. 7 no. 5) – one of the first-ever works written for that particular combination of instruments, which then served as the inspiration for Mozart’s undisputed masterpiece, Piano Quartet in a stormy G minor. Both works are written for the very potent combinations of piano with two violins and a cello for the Bach, and one violin, one viola and cello for the Mozart. They were selected for the intricacies of their score, as well as the beauty of the juxtaposition of Bach’s clarity and Mozart’s perfection.
‘The Piano Quartet’ on Monday
The Chamber Music Society of Colombo and the Goethe Institute will present Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s piano quartet in G minor and Johann Christian Bach’s piano concerto (quartet version) in E flat major on Monday, 30 September 2013 at 7:30 pm at the Goethe Institute, Colombo 7.
Musicians performing are Soundarie David Rodrigo, piano; Lakshman Joseph de Saram, violin; Othman Hassan Majid, violin; Avanti Perera, viola; and Peter O’Reilly, cello. In association with Rikskonsertene (Concerts Norway) and the Embassy of Norway and Premier Sponsor Fairway Holdings Ltd. Tickets at the Goethe Institute.
