Felicitations to Lalgudi
T. N. Seshan presenting a memento to Lalgudi Jayaraman. Nalli Kuppuswamy Chetty is to his left. —Pic. by R. Ragu.
LALGUDI G. JAYARAMAN'S 75th birthday was celebrated by the Lalgudi Music Circle and the Sri Krishna Sabha at the Nalli Gana Vihar on October 4.
The large number of friends and admirers present on the occasion was a pointer to the public's palpable respect and affection for the great Vidwan.
T. N. Seshan, former Chief Election Commissioner, who presided over the function, R. Thiagarajan, Convener, Lalgudi Music Circle, N. Ramanathan, retired professor of music, University of Madras, Nalli Kuppuswami Chetty and R. Venugopal spoke in glowing terms, tracing the maestro's amazing accomplishments, and his monumental, multi-dimensional contribution to Carnatic Music.
N. Ramanathan's audio demonstrations of Lalgudi's superb mastery in the genre of solfa improvisations, received much appreciation.
A silver lamp from V. Shankar, Shanmukhananda Fine Arts, Mumbai, and Prasadams from the Kanchi Math were presented to Jayaraman on the occasion.
The function began auspiciously with nagaswaram music by P. K. M. Ravi and invocation by Saswathi Prabhu.
Kosmic Music's three-cassette album with excerpts of Lalgudi's live concert at the Sri Krishna Gana Sabha in December 1984 was released by Venugopal, and the first volume was received by R. Appaswamy.
Lalgudi G. J. R. Krishnan read out his father's acceptance speech.
Kousalya Sivakumar was the competent compeer.
Concert to cherish
The violin trio concert by Lalgudi Jayaraman, Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi, accompanied by Srimushnam Raja Rao on the mridangm and V.Suresh on the ghatam, was music to savour and cherish. Begada developed by the senior Vidwan, came aesthetically and fluently.
Vijayalakshmi's sweet Dhanyasi, Papanasam Sivan's ``Balakrishnan Pada malar," and the precise kalpana swaras as is customary to the Lalgudi tradition, were of champagne quality. Lalgudi Gopala Iyer's ``Thamadham Thagadhayya" in Mohanakalyani gave a fair indication of how the artistes pay reverent attention to all aspects of any kriti, whether heavy classical or the lighter forms, in terms of raga bhava, laya perfection, sound modulation in accordance with the emotional substance, and even the lyrics with the excellence of their ``sahitya vil."
Krishnan's graphic description of Karaharapriya highlighting the raga's innate splendour and grace with many refined prayogas, indicated that in this much populated contemporary field of really talented violinists, he holds a place of his own. ``Srinivasa thava charanam," and the impromptu swara sequences were classic examples.
The percussionists who provided immaculate accompanying support throughout the concert, excelled themselves in the tani avartanam dotted with imaginative laya expressions, praiseworthy in concept and precision.
The semi classical segment comprising a Bharatiar song, ``Enna thavam" in Kapi and the Lalgudi Tillana in Kalyanavasantham, unequivocally glorified the sublimity of Carnatic music.
BY A CORRESPONDENT
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