Soulful recital
G. JAYAKUMAR
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B.V. Balasai's flute recital enthralled rasikas.
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Photo: S. Mahinsha
MELLIFLUOUS RENDITION: B.V. Balasai performing at the Chembai Music Festival.
When B.V. Balasai poured out his soul into his flute, what came forth carried his listeners to another world. A world full of love, devotion and tranquillity, that was in perfect harmony with nature.
It was Balasai's maiden flute recital in the capital city on the fourth day of the Chembai Music Festival observed in connection with the 109th birth anniversary celebrations of the late Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar. The Sri Chembai Memorial Trust, Thiruvananthapuram organised the festival.
Main composition
The main composition of the evening was a very popular Thyagaraja kriti `Yethavoo Neelakadale... ' in Kalyani set to Adi talam. He began with an elaborate ragavistaram, which often had traces of the famous Dr. N. Ramani's bani, yet its distinctive style enthralled the audience.
His portrayal of Kalyani was impeccable with remarkable measure of nuanced phrases. This was followed by a thaniavarthanam on the mridangam by Trivandrum Vaidyanathan and on the ghatam by Trivandrum Karthikeyan.
Balasai began his flute recital with Chalamelara in Nattakurinji set to Adi talam. This was followed by a composition of Muthuswamy Dikshitar's `Sidhivinayakam... ' in Shanmughapriya depicting bhakti rasa in its vibrant mood in Roopaka talam.
Evocative music
Besides, rendering Swati Tirunal's `Krupaya palaya... ' in Charukeshi, Balasai came up with a Thyagaraja composition `Neevada nee... ' in Saranga set to Khandchappu talam in an exuberant mood. Then, `Mamavathu Shree Saraswathi... ' in Hindolam, a kriti by Mysore Vasudeva Acharya, was recited.
Other pieces included the Swati Tirunal composition `Visveswara Darsana Karo... ' in Sindhubhairavi set to Roopaka talam, and a Thyagaraja kriti in Kannada. T.H. Subramany accompanied on the violin and ably supported the flautist.
The two-and-a-half hour concert concluded with a thillana of Madurai T. Srinivasan in Sumarasaranjini, a rare raga in Adi talam.
Through his unique style of presentation and creativity, Balasai has been able to carve out a niche for himself in the field of wind instruments.
Except for the mridangam thaniavarthanam, which seemed unduly long given its slow pace, the concert was impressive.
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