Love is, exactly, three many-splendoured things

Love is, exactly, three many-splendoured things

Here is a fact to humble every writer: not everything can be expressed in words in a manner that will do complete justice. The pen might be mightier than certain sharp implements, and equal to the wrath of some acerbic tongues I know. But what happens when the pen encounters voices such as those of Andy Vanlalremtluanga, Carlton Braganza and Mark Lazaro

I’d promised Carlton almost a month back that I would write about the 3 Tenors Valentines Show, and this is the only reason I haven’t pulled it off till now. The pen is sometimes forced to whimper and accept defeat.

A table full of women at a Valentine’s show, featuring some of the best voices around, is a circus full of emotions and exclamations and sighs. And I am proud that I remember that evening through the eyes of that table full. The high-decibel screaming that accompanied Mark on Too Much Love Will Kill You, Bed Of Roses and I Will Do Anything For Love. How his voice soared and dipped and emoted on Nessun Doma, a superlative superlative duet that he performed with Carlton. How even poetry and emotion paled before that last crescendo. I wonder how it feels to have a gift like Mark’s; to be able to share the euphoria of it every time he sings.

I claimed I was only present that night to listen to Andy sing Oh Darling. Even if that was true, I would not have been disappointed. Andy has this ability that many small-built people have. The ability to tear the voice from inside and fling it out through fingers and fists and eyes, projected from what have got to be springs on the soles of the feet. Andy showed off this capacity beautifully with Love Hurts and, especially, Maybe This Time.

But my beloved memory of that evening is Carlton Braganza. On an ordinary evening, Carlton spends too much time on stage jumping and screaming and egging on crows, for any of us to know what he’s capable of. But the jester is always the most intelligent and accomplished man, as Shakespeare showed us time and again. The things Carlton can do with his voice are, unfortunately, not things a plebian like me can talk about. Suffice to say, Carlton is a different man when he sings opera. With Mark by his side, aiding and abetting the tears in my eyes, I will probably never forget O Sole Mio.

However, the high point of the evening was Carlton’s La Donna Mobile, which I shamelessly refer to as The Mobile Song, every time I gush. All I can say, is woman may be flighty and fickle, Mr. Braganza, but one song out of you and she’ll come crashing down to swear her allegiance.

Here is a fact to annoy every reader: a writer may claim to have nothing to say, but will go ahead and writer volumes anyway. I hope I have done some marginal justice to the delayed promise of this piece. And, for the benefit of those who missed the show, I hope you guys do it again.

This time, hats off!

Anoopa Anand

Click here http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=opusbangalore to check out the videos taken that night

and here for pictures:http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=40751&id=671540659&op=6