Candlelight Concerts Review: Is the visually stunning concert worth your time? The answer is a big yes!

It had been on our Instagram feeds for weeks on end. Each time we scrolled, almost all of us could see jet-black musical instruments nestled in a sea of glowing candles.

Candlelight Concerts held its final show of Western classical music titled ‘From Mozart to Chopin’ in New Delhi on the 12th of July.

It promised an unforgettable musical journey into the works of the greats like Schubert and Brahms.But did it live up to its name and hype?

Let’s explore!

Western Classical Music for Dummies

Like most of the packed audience at the Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts, this writer raised his hand when the pianist Vashu Tangri asked if it was our first classical concert.

We were all beginners in the world of classical music. Johannes Brahms, Franz Schubert, and Ludwig Van Beethoven were just names we had heard or read in passing. Their compositions were just background scores or elevator music for us.

In short, we were all waiting to either be amazed or to doze off.

Watch | Candlelight concerts take over New Delhi

Ambience: Gimmicky or Enthralling?

Faux yet flickering candles were dutifully placed right from the venue’s entrance, curving along the stairs and finally leading the crowd into the famous hall where the biggest names in the world have performed their art.

As promised, there was a sea of candles surrounding a jet-black grand piano.

The candles also served as dividers between the three differing zones for the concert and were breath-taking.

They were even better than the edited photos on Instagram. Each one was a different height and flickered differently, giving an eerie glow to the entire hall. Even in the absence of artificial lighting, the stage was aflame, and the people were awash in the soft glow of the candlelight.

It truly set the stage (pardon the pun) for what was to follow.

Vashu Tangri’s Music

After a brief introduction to the show, the concert began. Pianist Vashu Tangri took his audience on a musical journey through the ages.

With a courteous bow, he began weaving music, such that this writer could hear people whispering “Close your eyes” to their friends.

Closing one’s eyes truly helped, as the music created symphonies for the mind’s eye.

The context offered by Tangri, in between the songs, was required to understand the historical context behind each composition.

From 400-year-old verses to ones created for unattainable love, the storytelling was as enthralling as the music.

Ironically, the music was so sublime that the candles were not even required. They added a nice touch, but even a bare room with just the music would have been perfect.

Acquired Taste

Like fine wine, classical music is an acquired taste. The writer initially felt that the absence of any sort of lyrics was different and wondered if he would be bored in the 65-minute concert.

But the music and the lack of lyrics grow on you. It allows your mind to take over and create scenarios of one’s own, such that the hour flew by in a jiffy.

For example, rather poetically, this writer’s mind imagined two ballerinas dancing around Tangri and his piano. The ballet was set to the tune of his playing, fast when the music crescendoed and still when it went silent.

The concert has a Bollywood and a ‘tribute to Coldplay’ version as well, but the original Western classical is sure to be a class apart.

After all, centuries-old compositions are bound to be better than the latest film music, right?

Worth Your Time?

Candlelight concerts are worth your time and money. Even if you are not a concert person and do not blend into the tuxedoed and high-heeled crowd that it attracts, you are bound to have a good time.

But only if you forget your worries, shut off the outside world, and just let the music flow through you.