Shadows, light and symphonies: Kim Barbier illuminates Kolkata with Western classical elegance

As the crisp evening air gave a slight shiver, the daylight dwindled with flocks of birds flying back home, and the smell of fall engulfed the city.

- PRIYANJALI DAS

The 118-year-old walls of the Victorian edifice in the centuries-old enduring charming city of Calcutta witnessed Beethoven's, Chopin's and Debussy's masterful symphonies that took the audience on a journey that embodied expressions from intimate gentleness to coruscating passion.

The city, on 11 November was testimony to the 3rd Edition of Western Classical Music Concert presented by Alliance Française du Bengale and Victoria Memorial Hall in association with the Consulate General of France in Kolkata, at Victoria Memorial Hall.

An event that has drawn more than 5,000 spectators in its first two editions, this musicale has made a prominent place among Kolkata's musical scene and culture calendar. Nicolas Facino, director of Alliance Française du Bengale said, "In the heart of Kolkata, India's cultural capital, the Western Classical Music Festival returns like an unbroken melody, a testament to music's boundless language. This third edition, vibrant with three orchestras, a mesmerising piano recital by Kim Barbier, and a harmonious trio, transcends borders and speaks to the soul-a celebration of art that echoes far beyond the stage."