Kristine Clair, Sui Generis

(Kristin Clair and her element, kudos to Carem Lemence for this photo)

“It was another memorable night, an intimate affair that took place in a mere function room of the  “Orchid Garden Hotel”  which seated not more than 30 people waiting in baited breath to be entertained by a girl that emerged on the stage in a stunning Gold dress. Her face wore a smile that showed no sign of staggering genius, so innocent that one can hardly believe that a soul, though foreign to life’s highs and lows, possesses such pathos & whose tiny fingers shows no telltale signs to have mastered semibreves and demisemiquavers to perfection. What goes on around her head at this time, one can only surmise. A lingering melody she’s dying to perform tonight or perhaps a mere flight of fancy girls her age are prone to? If only we can invade her mind right now.  She is yet to deliver another performance, like her other performances, that will leave the crowd in complete awe.”   

                   Once again Kristine Clair Galano(now 10) has proven herself a violinist par excellence as she performs a selection of pieces by Johan Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, Fritz Kreisler & Pablo Sarasate on the eve of 14^th October, 2011 at the Orchid Garden Hotel. She has displayed a potential that brought people to tears and admiration at the tender age of 4, gave solo recitals on Suzuki Books 1 to 4 and received master classes under the tutelage of the world’s finest pedagogues and travelled to New Zealand and (recently) Beijing to hone her God-given talent. A violinist with an untiring heart for delivering music that seems to achieve a step closer to perfection every day. KayCee’s warm timbre on the violin filled the room, and augmented its poor furnishings which are hardly conducive to relay the sound of a ½ size violin. She has converted a heavily carpeted and draped function room into a concert-worthy space as her Scott Cao bursts into every virtuosic passage and heart rending themes with the bravado of an experienced performer. 

                    Her concert started with 2 Kreutzer Etudes (No. 2 & 9) which are stepping stones to every aspiring violinist as it requires considerable techniques:  a secured left hand, precise in every run on the lower and upper reaches of the violin and a disciplined right hand to deliver a very even sautille and detache, attentive to a range of dynamics being specified. Johannes Brahms’ F-A-E Sonata is a standard entry for every performing violinist. One measure of a gifted violinist is how he/she gives justice to a Brahms work. Known to be deeply romantic and technically challenging as it involves dense chords and requires maturity, intensity, drama, mastery on soaring and heart rending melodies that clutches on you like a profound moment, Brahms work is a defining entry for every musician. KayCee, with no magic but sheer talent, did not fall short in delivering Brahms’ oeuvre. It was intense, period. The 2^nd Movement of Bach’s E Major Concerto, a slow, singing and meditative piece of work, followed.  Fritz Kreisler’s Preludium and Allegro is perhaps KayCee’s shining moment to prove her virtuosic skills on the violin. The 2-pages Allegro Movement can leave an ill-equipped violinist panting and aching (eventually spoiling the music) as this piece is technically demanding. She, however, gave a solid performance and manages to smile amidst a whirlpool of notes on the 2^nd page. She proves her prowess on her instrument as she manages the triple stops with such ease and clarity. The piece ended with a thunderous applause. Not a single audience was faking a smile, they were sincere with their applause, spellbound. Pablo Sarasate’s playful yet insanely demanding piece, Caprice Basque, wraps up an evening of musical enchantment.  In this piece KayCee, with no shadow of doubt, is a true talent who deserves the world’s attention. She played every piece with conviction. At 10 years old she has achieved a sense of musicality and ease that of someone who’s devoted a great fraction of her life on the violin’s sensitive and delicate nuances of sound.  She has once again delivered a remarkable performance. But this won’t be her last achievement, just as I will not be the last person writing these words of her, con fuoco.