Absolutely traditional
Sanjay Subramaniam... fulfilling recital. — Pic. by R. Ragu.
SANJAY SUBRAMANIAM has a coveted place in the top tier of this generation of musicians, mainly because he clings like a limpet to traditional moorings of classical Carnatic music, not allowing his concentration to be diverted by quality-wise lesser outputs for mere exhibitionist effect. His concert at the Narada Gana Sabha auditorium in memory of Ambujam Krishna, a worthy composer of the 20th century, was fulfilling in terms of musical substance and exemplification of the dignified attributes of classical South Indian music.
Varadarajan on the violin and Arun Prakash on the mridangam were the accompanists.
Beginning with a moving rendition of "Kolam Kaana Vareer" in Nattakuranji with a flourish of imaginative kalpanaswaras for a couple of take-off points in the pallavi, the programme moved on to "Iniagilum Ninai Maname" in Poorvikalyani, that found instant audience appreciation.
Atana was developed impressively with inputs of rakti prayogas as a prelude to the kriti, "Tyagaraja Swami Padhambujam." Hamir Kalyani, a perennial charmer, elaborated with sensitivity to the melodic nuances of the raga, provided enjoyable listening time. "Ninainivuguruvai" was aesthetically embellished with madhyama and dhurita kala swara passages.
Varadarajan, who has fine-tuned his artistic abilities to quite an extent, revealed that he is no shrinking violet when it comes to picking up the gauntlet. His Hamir Kalyani delineation merited plaudits. A galloping "Mari Emi Kavalanu" in Kannada with an athletic chittaswaram, kept the rasikas in a foot-tapping mood.
The expansion of Bhairavi punctuated with the honoured, ever-pleasing sancharas in the different sthayis, was the crème de la crème of the concert. "Anjal Enru Nee," a composition filled to the brim with the regal splendour of the raga, the neraval and the rhythmically precise swara divisions and sub-divisions, paved the platform for the percussion interlude.
Arun Prakash is so familiar with Sanjay's music that he diligently accompanied the main artiste like the little lamb of Mary, and displayed consummate laya expertise in his tani avartanam. However, he was not too happy about the mridanga nadham — may be due to the vagaries of amplification. The micro fly in the otherwise macro vidwath of Sanjay is his propensity, time and again, for unnatural oral articulation, resulting in the ever-welcome `akaram' giving way to other extraneous sounds and the lyrical clarity becoming hazy.
BY A CORRESPONDENT
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