Stringing the right notes

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM :  Abha A M opened with Paganini's Caprice 24, and placed a solemn spell upon the crowd. How can you not when you are performing one of the most difficult and finest pieces ever written. The high-speed scales, the pizzicatos and arpeggios and the n number of techniques infused into the masterpiece were executed seamlessly.

The plus one student had learned the piece which is notorious for being taxing, all by herself. It took months for her to learn the piece, but it was all worth it. The piece has earned her last year's coveted first place in State level Kalolsavam and this year, an entry into the State School Kalolsavam. "At the state level, I hope to play the Flight of the Bumblebee. I have to start learning it," she says. 

For the past three years, Abha has been bagging the top place at the violin competition (Western) in the State School Kalolsavam. She opened this year's Revenue District Kalolsavam competing in the Higher Secondary category for violin (Western) with two classic pieces - Niccolo Paganini's Caprice 24 and Mozart's Symphony 25. And this time too she won the first place, for the fourth time in a row, and will be representing the district in the State School Kalolsavam.  

Abha has been learning violin for the past nine years. She was initiated into violin by Chidambaranath, her instructor. But now, at 78, he could not teach her Paganini's work. "Paganini is known as the devil's violinist. I wanted to learn the difficult pieces. Once I got the music sheets, I started practicing on my own. After learning, I would play it before my violin teacher.

That is how I learned. There are a lot of techniques involved. I would refer the internet and watch the performances by Jascha Heifetz," says Abha. Of all the instruments, Abha feels violin is the most versatile one and that draws her to it. A student of Cotton Hill Girls Higher Secondary School, finding enough time to dedicate for practice is what troubles her.

"So I take the violin to school and practice during intervals," she smiles. "You see, I hope to be like Albert Einstein. To be a great scientist and a violinist at the same time," she adds. "The aim is to be able to play all the caprices. I know I haven't perfected the Caprice No 24. I have to learn a lot to play it with perfection," she said.