Musical fete
Hareesh Bal
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Concerts by eminent musicians marked the 30th anniversary celebrations of Poornathrayeesa Sangeeta Sabha.
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Voice of experience: T.K. Govinda Rao
The 30th anniversary celebrations of Poornathrayeesa Sangeeta Sabha at Kalikotta Palace, Thripunithura, featured concerts by eminent musicians.
The opening concert featured Durgaprasad on the Chitraveena and Chennai Balasai on the flute in a memorable jugalbandi. The concert, which started with `Viriboni,' the Bhairavi Adatala varnam, moved on to a dainty Reethigowla in `Janani ninnuvina' and the main exposition in Keeravani.
The next concert by Changanacherry C.P. Madhavan Namboodiri started with `Varanamukha' in Hamsadhwani, which was embellished with dazzling swaras. `Ramabhakti samrajyam' in raga Sudha Bangala set the right pace for the succeeding pieces.
An elaboration of Kalyani was sung with long passages and with brigas and akara usages ending in the upper shadjam. An orderly neraval for `Alarmel mangai manala' was ensued by swaras. T.H. Subramaniam, on the violin, reproduced the phrases with precision.
A brief sketch of Reethigowla and the chowka kala kriti of Shyama Sastri, `Janani ninuvina,' were presented with melodious chittaswaras. Except for `Ravichandrabudha neene,' Madhavan Nambudiri did away with interim pieces. A detailed alaapana of Keeravani was supplemented with briga-laden sancharas. Salem K. Srinivasan on the mridangam and Ilanjimel Susheel Kumar on the ghatam made a remarkable impact. A virutham `Vydehi sahitham' in Behag and Ahir Bhairav was complemented by the composition of Sadashiva Brahmendra, `Pibare Ramarasam,' closing gracefully with Karpagame in Madhyamavati.
The third day saw the musical presentation of Narayanatheertha's `Sreekrishnaleela- tharangini' by the music department of School of Drama and Fine Arts, Calicut University. The kriti, set to music by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, presents the episodes of Krishna's life from avatharam to Rukmini Swayaram in 24 geethams set to 24 ragas.
Maestro honoured
Veteran musician T.K. Govinda Rao was honoured with the title `Sangeeta Sampoorna' on the final day. The concert of Govinda Rao had select compositions of the Trinity and Swati Tirunal. If `Mahaganapathim' in Nattai was embellished with chitta and manodharma swaras, `O jagadamba' in raga Ananda Bhairavi was sung at a slow pace.
The maestro presented only single kalai-crisp swaras. Govinda Rao did full justice to the bhakti rasa in the piece `Entha bhagyamu' in Saranga raga. `Ihaparam tarum perumai' by Papanasam Sivan in Kamas was rendered after quoting the quintessence of the raga in phrases. In a brief Bilahari, he vocalist sang a different charanam `tumburu naradulu' rather than the oft-sung `tamasa guna rahita.' Simhendramadhyamam is a raga that can cause pain and soothe you at once.
The myriad shades of the raga were sung and the range was never a problem for the veteran. In a two-kattai sruti his voice soared till the panchamam effortlessly. `Rama Rama guna seema' had manodharma swaras in various permutations, structured between pauses. `Innu daya bharathe' of Purandaradasa in Kalyanavasantham was sung after a brief virutham. This was followed by a kavadichinthu.
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