Hooked on classical music

Sonia Wickremasinghe will perform at the Russian Cultural Centre next Wednesday (12). It will be her first solo piano concert since she returned to Sri Lanka with a Masters Degree in music from the Gnesin Academy in Russia.

Her performance will include popular works by the great composers. Sonia plans to open with Bach's Prelude and Fuge followed by Schumann (Arabesque) and Beethoven (Pathetique). After the interval she will play Scenes From Childhood by Schumann, Impromptu No.4 by Schubert, Tchaikovsky's 'May' from Seasons of the Year and Rachmaninov's Prelude.

"I chose the Russian Cultural Centre because of the small size of the hall," Sonia said. She confessed that she has yet to overcome her stage shyness. "I am very, very nervous," she said. "And so I'd rather play for a small audience at the beginning."

Sonia hopes to take her music out of Colombo- possibly to Kandy and Galle. She has also planned a second solo concert for early next year.

Sonia, daughter of Tanya and Suren Wickremasinghe, well known architects, completed her five years of studies in Russia in the Academy's centenary year.

The Gnesin Academy is famed for producing many world famous musicians like the boy-wonder Svethlanov. One of Sonia's own peers is recording her music on compact disc.

When Sonia flew to Russia for an year between her Advanced Levels and University to learn music and be with her Russian grandmother, she never planned to get ''hooked on classical music." She could not enter the Academy immediately because her "standard was too low then," she says.

After seven months of private lessons, Sonia gained admittance to the Academy and continued from there on for five years, giving up a position at the Bristol University to study Economics and Maths.

"I never regretted giving up Maths for music," Sonia says, although in certain dark moods she would wonder why she ever chose to qualify in music.

She says she loves all the composers of the Romantic Period, especially Mozart. But for this concert she is not playing any of his work, because, "I want to do a special concert with more Mozart."

Sonia plans to go back to the Academy to do further short-term studies. "But now, for at least one year I plan to stay in Sri Lanka." She plans to set up her own studio here in Sri Lanka and teach piano music to selected students. "It's just an idea at the moment. I haven't seriously started to plan it out."

The show will begin at 7 PM on Wednesday. Tickets are priced at Rs.300. Proceeds will go towards the Ladies' College Centenary Building Programme.

Styles of different generations

Swanee Jayawardena, Chira Gunasekera and Niloo Gunasekera, three artists of different generations, will exhibit their paintings together at the Lionel Wendt Gallery from November 12 -14.The preview will be opened at 5.30 p.m. on November 12, by Shaun Donnelly, the United States Ambassador in Sri Lanka.

Swanee Jayawardena needs no introduction as an artist. Sixty-eight years old, Swanee Jayawardena has been painting since she was a child of five years, and has several exhibitions to her credit. She was a member of the reputed "43 Group" and gained recognition exhibiting her work regularly at their exhibitions." What I try to represent most in my work is the Sri Lankan light and shade," she said. " Even as a child I loved to watch the changing light and shade."

Ms. Jayawardena was the fine arts teacher for many years at Bishop's College, Colombo, where she inspired and encouraged the artistic talents of her pupil Chira Gunasekera. "I am happy to exhibit my paintings with Swanee Jayawardena, who was my guru," says Chira. "She never imposes her style on her students. She makes you feel you are born an artist."

Mother and daughter, Chira and Niloo Gunasekera have spent much of their lives on tea plantations both in Sri Lanka and South Africa and this is reflected in their paintings. Chira's favourite subject is the tea plucker. She has exhibited her paintings in South Africa along with other artists. As a child artist, Chira has also displayed her paintings with the "43 Group" many years ago.

Niloo, who was reluctant to talk about her paintings, simply said she paints because she enjoys it. Her work is mostly of wild life, landscapes and flowers. She spent some years studying in Japan where she followed some classes by a Japanese artist. She has exhibited her work at the Louis Trichardt Gallery in South Africa along with her mother and other artists. Niloo is also a talented photographer. It is ten years since mother and daughter last exhibited their work in Sri Lanka.

The three artists together are displaying a collection of over 60 paintings which manifest their different styles of painting.

Book Shelf - By Dee Cee

Delving into history

It's not very often that historical novels based on Sri Lankan history appear in English. Kat Bitha is a story set in two periods of Sri Lanka's history -5th century AD and 10th century with Sihigiri (Sigiriya) as the backdrop.

Kat Bitha sounds an unusual title for a book. Author Daya Dissanayake prefers it to 'Mirror Wall' , the English translation given to the world famous wall with Sigiri graffiti.

The book is a narration of two visitors from the south to Sihigiri where they are taken on a guided tour. The history of the relevant period is discussed along with what is seen on the mirror wall.

As the author suggests, "I do not expect the reader to judge Kasyapa based on this story or to accept either of the versions I have given here about Sihigiri. It is my wish that this book would encourage the reader to learn more about Sihigiri, about Dhatusena, Kasyapa and Moggallana so that some day what happened would be understood.

An exhaustive research

The earliest period of Sri Lankan history forms the theme of an exhaustive study by researcher Gamini Maitriwardena which has been published under a fairly long title Devanampiya Uttiya Raja Dawasa Mihindu Ma Himiyo Vedama Kalaha. As the title indicates, it refers to the visit of Mihindu Maha Thera. According to the author, his is an attempt to solve a problem which had bothered historians since 1837 when G Turnour, the civil servant pointed out a discrepancy in the chronology saying that "there is a ground for suspecting that sectarian zeal or the impostures of superstition have led to the assignment of the same date for landing of Wijaya with the cardinal Buddhist event -the death of Gotama".

He claims he has succeeded in presenting a contrary view to that stated in the Mahavamsa relating to Mahindagamanaya (visit of Mihinda) through statements made in the Mahavamsa itself.He hopes that his work, running to 462 pages, will be of some help in this task.

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