Major fun, minor glitches

Woringer explains the method behind the unique idea. “They are brand new instruments and are well-matched, like brother and sister – the best to play duets on, great to perform on. And when we give concerts, we need to tune them only a wee bit”.

The pianists first arrived at Calcutta after concerts in the Far-East, and this is where they received their first shock. A mechanic accidentally dug a nail in the tyre, while trying to position the pianos. “And the tyre exploded. I was most embarrassed,” says Woringer, who had to fish out one of the precious spare tyres.

But what turned out to be more amusing was his discovery that the tyres, which he spent 15 days to procure in France, were easily available in Hyderabad. The duo moved from Calcutta to Pondicherry, Chennai, Trivandrum, Bangalore and then to Hyderabad. “Here we had a flat, and I was wondering what to do since I had no more tyres to spare, when a rickshaw-wallah took me to a garage, where I was offered every brand of tyres to replace mine. It was amazing,” recalls Woringer.

India’s diverse character threw up many surprises as they proceeded on the journey, starting with the climatic changes. “We had to get used to the climate. But I found Indians very friendly. Whenever we took a wrong turn, which was very often, we were shown the way,” he smiles.

Another feature that struck them was the contrast between the rural and urban life here. After performing at Trivandrum, they went to Bangalore via the Cardomom hills. Here they stumbled upon a humble farmer’s house and since it was late, stayed there. “It was a beautiful experience. The sweet scent from the tea plantations, the simple meal of eggs and chapatis and the serene ambience…” remembers Kastler, who compares that stay with their five-star accommodation in cities.

The duo had other close encounters with the Indian way of life as well. In Thanjavur, they came face-to-face with elephants for the first time when they visited the famous Thanjavur temple. An elephant fest was drawing in the crowds in the vicinity. And the food was another revelation. “I love daal, the curries, palak-paneer and Hyderabadi potatoes,” exults Woringer, who is slowly thinking vegetarian.

The husband-wife team find India an unbelievable place, including its classical music. “In Chennai, we saw a classical music performance and the variations of the notes are wonderful. But what interested me more was the rhythmic hand movements,” says Woringer, who thinks the structures of Western and Indian music are vastly different. At the concert in Pune, they played traditional Western pieces at the Film and Television Institute of India on January 20.

However, the bus drivers on the highway drive them “crazy, they don’t know to drive. And the roads can be improved too. Why do Indians throw garbage everywhere?” they ask.

Well, they now proceed to Ahmedabad and then New Delhi. From there it is destination Pakistan, Iran and Turkey before hitting home in April. It’s been a long journey which commenced on November 21 last year and they are enjoying every bit, missing only their 18-year-old daughter, Ariane, studying in Paris.