Melodious treat for rasikas
JAYARAMAN V
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Ravikiran mesmerised his listeners with his skill and talent.
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A meandering Hamsaanandi merged with the serene ambience and the elaboration attained unsurpassed grace, especially when RaviKiran traversed the lower notes.
MUSIC-MAKERS: Ravikiran on the gottuvadyam and Umayalpuram Sivaraman on the mridangam.
Legend has it that Ravana designed a string instrument from his bones to propitiate Lord Siva and it came to be known as Gottuvadyam, which is also known as Chithra Veena or Mahaa Naataka Veena.
The Chithra Veena
Since it is devoid of waxy ledges and frets as in the case of the veena, Chithra Veena needs a lot of expertise on the part of the performer, lest the tiny cylindrical piece of stick used to play on it should get slippery during a raga alapana.
The strings lying close to the surface of the instrument rob it of the beauty inherent with the ordinary veena but it is amply compensated by the magnified vibration.
In ancient dance-dramas like `Geya Naataka,' this instrument had a vital role to play according to the late Sangeetha Bhushanam Cherthala Sivaraman Nair. This stringed instrument produces gamakas of all types, which are similar to those emanating from a vocalist.
Solo status
The instrument was given the status of a solo instrument by Srinivasa Rao and his son, Thiruvidamaruthoor Sakhaa Rama Rao (one of the mentors of Semmangudi), created wonders with it, according to musicologist V. Raghavan.
Kodakanalloor Subbaiyya Bhagavathar, Budalloor Krishnamoorthy Sasthrikal, Mannanrgudi Savithri Ammal, and K.S. Narayana Iyengar widened the scope of Chithra Veena. When this instrument was on the verge of extinction, Iyengar's grandson, Ravikiran, a prodigy who could distinguish several ragas at a tender age, started playing it.
Under the tutelage of his grandfather, he soon became a talented artiste, with his father Narasimhan, keeping a strict eye on him. Krishnamoorthy Sasthrikal who used to frequent his household also gave him valuable tips on the tenets of concert discipline.
Flow of music
Ravikiran recently performed at the Bhaktha Meera Temple in Vyttila, in connection with Sreekrishna Jayanthy. His mastery over the Chithra Veena swayed an audience comprising leading Carnatic musicians and music buffs alike.
He began with a varnam (`Saam Dayajooda') in Kedaragoula, by Thiruvottriyoor Thiyagaiyer. Hamsadhwani had some charming phrases, which emancipated it from being a mere formality.
His rendition of Raghunayaka, which is said to have been composed by Thyagaraja in a mood of self-dedication, conveyed the mood of the piece.
Kalpana swaras flowed unhindered and the crystal-clear notes gave it the feel of a vocal concert. It is not often that Kannada is depicted in detail, with the right focus on its jeeva swaras.
It was tied on to Kalayaami Nanda, set to Misrachaappu by Maharaja Swati Thirunal.
A meandering Hamsaanandi merged with the serene ambience and the elaboration attained unsurpassed grace, especially when Ravikiran traversed the lower notes.
`Paavana Guru' by Lalitha Dasar, one of the Chembai masterpieces assumed a new colour when the maestro invoked pristine melody and devotion.
Oothukadu Venkata Subbaiyer, who lived in the 18th century was a devotee of Narthanakrishna and he composed many melodious kritis to propitiate his deity.
He did not bother to have disciples, and his creations were propagated by a neighbouring nadaswaram player, namely Tanjore Rudra Pasupathy who is said to have learned them on the sly.
`Balasarasa' in Keeravani, one of the Saptharathnam by Subbaiyer, was enchantingly explored vocally by Ravikiran to the pleasant surprise of the audience.
Umayalpuram Sivaraman bewitched the audience with his pharan, koruva and mohara, along with the pulsating left-hand bass and his second `thani' in a very complex pattern that was awe-inspiring.
Radhakrishnan on the ghatom was in top form.
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