OPERA
Gaetano Donizetti: L’Elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love)
(133 min; 2006; dvd; English subtitles)
From the Opera National de Paris with Heidi Grant Murphy (Adina); Paul Groves (Nemorino); Laurent Naouri (Belcore); Ambrogio Maestri (Dulcamara); Aleksandra Zamojska (Giannetta)

Orchestra and Chorus of the Opera National de Paris
Conductor: Edward Gardner
Stage Direction & Costumes: Laurent Pelly

A classic ‘rom com’ of an opera – both funny and touching. Naïve Nemorino is besotted with the beautiful land owner Adina. However, she torments him with her indifference and attaches herself instead to the experienced charmer Belcore. After hearing about the legend of Tristan and Isolde Nemorino, in desperation, wonders if a love potion may be the answer to his prayers. He seeks the help of the traveling quack Dr. Dulcamara, who gives him ‘The Elixir of Love’. Is this the reason for Nemorino’s sudden popularity with every girl in the village? Will he gain Adina’s love before it’s too late?

Curated & Introduced by Sunit Tandon

Wild Women: Seekers, Protagonists and Goddesses in Sacred Indian Poetry

 by Arundhati Subramanian (Penguin Ebury Press: March 2024)

In conversation with Amb. Pavan K. Varma, author and diplomat; Shri Ashok Vajpeyi, poet and essayist; Ms Alka Pande, author and Art Historian; Ms Anamika, poet and novelist; and Ms Arundhati Subramanian, poet, anthologist and author of the book

By Rishabh Jain, award-winning Indian pianist based in London, UK

Rishabh will present a concert featuring compositions by Indian composer Nipun Cheema, whose works are inspired by art, philosophy, and science fiction, juxtaposed with timeless classics from the Western repertoire, including Claude Debussy, Ludwig van Beethoven and the British composer Edwin York

Negotiating the New Normal: How India Must Grow in a Pandemic-Ridden World

By Saurav Jha (Hachette India: August 2022)

 Discussants: Shri V. Srinivas, Secretary, Dept. of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances and Dept. of Pension & Pensioners Welfare, Govt. of India; Ms. Sheela Bhatt, senior journalist and commentator; Prof. Santosh Mehrotra, economist and former Professor & Chair, Centre for Labour, Jawaharlal Nehru University; and Shri Saurav Jha, commentator on Geostrategic Affairs, Director, Delhi Defence Review and author of the book

Chair: Dr V.K Saraswat, Distinguished Scientist, Member, Niti Aayog & former Secretary, DDR & D and former chairman,DRDO

Moderator: Ms Ankita Mukherji, communicator, media consultant and former Deputy Executive Editor (New Desk), NDTV

BALLET
Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird & The Rite of Spring
(85 min; 2008; dvd)
From the Mariinsky Theatre

The Firebird with Ekatarina Kondaurova (The Firebird); Ilya Kuznetsov (Ivan Tsarevich); Marianna Pavlova (The Princess); Vladimir Ponomarev (Kashchei)

The Rite of Spring with Alexandra Iosifidi (The Chosen One); Elena Bazhenova (300-Year-Old Woman); Vladimir Ponomarev (The Wise Elder)

Mariinsky Orchestra and Ballet
Conductor: Valery Gergiev

The Firebird (1910), Stravinsky’s breakthrough masterpiece, was inspired by a Russian legend telling of the capture by Prince Ivan Tsarevich of a marvellous bird from a tree of golden apples in the enchanted garden of the evil and immortal Kashchei. The Firebird, in exchange for its freedom, gives Ivan one of its flaming feathers, telling him that one day it would be useful..

The Rite of Spring (1913) completed the break with the old style of music and choreography and caused a scandal at its premiere. It tells of a great pagan ritual in which wise elders are seated in a circle and are observing the dance before death of the girl whom they are offering as a sacrifice to the god of Spring.

The design and choreography of both ballets are rare re-constructions of the original productions by Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes

Curated by Samaresh Chatterji. Introduced by Sunit Tandon
 

Workshop conducted by Smt Bijoylaxmi Hota, noted Yoga expert, therapist, and author of Yoga for Busy People

Smt Hota will demonstrate and teach the correct way of practicing yogic chants 

Mantras are not ordinary sounds, but are power packed formulas for a fuller life. Research on the Maha mantra conducted in the Henry Ford Hospital Detroit, have shown that the effects of this mantra on the human system are the same as that of the medication for anxiety and schizophrenia. Dr. Howard Steingeril, an American scientist who collected, Mantras, Hymns and invocations from all over the world and tested their strength in his Physiology Laboratory, found that the Gayatri mantra produced 110000 positive sound waves per second – the maximum any sound can produce. These waves are said to fill up every cell in our body, energising them and making them healthier

Organised as part of the programmes to mark World Yoga Day 2024
 

‘The Comfort of Noise’ – The journey of a rock musician from the 1990’s, navigating the 2020’s amidst the din of technology 
An illustrated presentation by Chintan Kalra

Technology has transformed music production and consumption, while pushing our understanding of its intricacies. This presentation will explore the evolution of live music, the advancement of production tools, AI's influence in music, the immersive experience of spatial audio, and the impact of streaming platforms on music curation and discovery
 
Chintan Kalra is an eclectic artist whose musical endeavours, ranging from the experimental sounds of Kuru Circus & Orchestra to the meditative strums of the ukulele, are complemented by his ventures in multimedia technology and creative collaborations across various platforms.
 

To be conducted by Prof. Alka Tyagi, exponent of the Bihar School of Yoga, Munger 

With the rise in stress and reduced attention span due to modern-lifestyle, there is a rise in irritability, anger, impatience and other mental ailments. The practice of meditation, even if brief in duration, helps in maintaining positivity, focus, concentration and mental well-being.

Organised as part of the programmes to mark World Yoga Day 2024
 

Speaker: Dr. Lobsang Sangay, Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School and Senior Visiting Fellow, East Asian Legal Studies Program, Harvard Law School. Dr. Sangay was Kalon Tripa of the Tibetan Administration in India from 2011 to 2012, and Sikyong (President) of the Central Tibetan Administration where he served two terms 

Chair: Prof. Swati Chawla, Associate Professor, Jindal School of Liberal Arts & Humanities, O.P. Jindal University
 

CONCERT
Lang Lang Live at Carnegie Hall
(103 min; 2003; dvd)

The star Chinese pianist Lang Lang, featuring in his first DVD, a live recording of his sensational Carnegie Hall debut recital on November 7, 2003, featuring music by Schumann, Haydn, Schubert, Tan Dun, Chopin and Liszt.

Curated & Introduced by Sunit Tandon