Perhaps if we begin to market concerts aggressively as free, we can hope for a fuller audience than the one assembled at the Sandré Hall of the Calcutta School of Music last Sunday. Unperturbed by this sparseness of attendance, the Bangalore-based artists, Neecia Majolly (piano) and Jonas Olsson (baritone), presented an enthralling concert of “sacred and profane music”, as the two artists preferred to call it.

Majolly, a seasoned pianist, opened the night with an Intermezzo by Brahms, calling to attention the composer’s distinct harmonies and warm melodic lines, made more exquisite by Majolly’s sensitivity on the instrument. We have heard the popular Mozart K 330 being played differently before but this was a brilliant and informed rendition of his most popular piano work. The sonata was kept simple, clean, and devoid of unnecessary embellishments in rhythm or flow, just as it should be. Technical accuracy took centre stage in Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, as did superior control over specialized pedalling, which helped expose the mosaic palette of harmonic colour hidden in these pieces.

Chopin’s Ballade in G Minor, meant to be the triumphant finale, was, unfortunately, limited by the ‘refurbishment-seeking’ grand old Bösendorfer, which could barely cope with the breadth of tonal resonance that this piece demands, only fairly. However, Majolly who, like all good pianists, played the entire concert from memory, had no second thoughts about letting her unique interpretation of this romantic composer prevail.

The second-half of the concert featured Jonas Olsson — a young and gifted Swedish baritone who sang comfortably in four languages, including English and Swedish. He displayed a phenomenal vocal range, transcending into counter-tenor territory in a few passages, but appeared to indulge himself more creatively when he was in baritone gear. Wagner’s Song of the Evening Star was a stellar performance, and was marked by the effortless production of a well-toned pianissimo. Schubert’s Erlking was suitably dramatic while Mendelssohn’s On Wings of Song was caressingly delivered. Also included was Wilhelm Stenhammar, one of Sweden’s most respected composers from the Late Romantic era. Here Olsson wove together different styles into a uniformly soulful performance. His repertoire also included a set of Biblical songs by Dvorák. The brevity of each piece lent a charming note to this rich collection. Unsurprisingly, the piano was painfully out of tune, but Majolly’s natural flair as an accompanist made the evening memorable.

Students and teachers were conspicuous by their absence at the venue. This was rather disturbing, and is a perfect example of how learning takes place as a matter a choice. Certainly, these choices are reflected in our largely impoverished standards within a disparate community of Western classical music professionals.