Romancing the rain with Malhar
ANJANA RAJAN
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Ustad Nishat Khan's choice of Miyan Malhar augured a rasa-filled experience and the audience was not disappointed.
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VIRTUOSO: Ustad Nishat Khan performing at The Hindu Friday Review November Fest. Photo: K. V. Srinivasan.
Ustad Nishat Khan's sitar recital at The Hindu Friday Review November Fest provided some dramatic moments, for which the ustad can claim only part of the credit.
The weather gods that have been drenching the city over the week became even more enthusiastic, and with streets turning into rivers at peak traffic time, it was no wonder there were few people at Kamaraj auditorium at show time. However, delaying the start of the programme by some 20 minutes allowed a good number of music lovers to fill the hall.
Logistical hassles aside, what Indian artiste will admit to not being spellbound by the rain? Naturally enough, the renowned sitar exponent chose to begin his concert with a raga from the Malhar family, melodies associated with the romance of the rains. The keyed-up audience applauded at the very announcement that he would render the raga Miyan Malhar, auguring well for a rasa-filled experience, which requires as much receptivity on the part of the listeners as skill on the part of the performer.
Indeed, after a prolonged tuning process, the way Nishat took the very first meend quite swept the listeners off their feet, and they were applauding again. Nishat left no one in doubt that he belongs to the gharana that revels in the gayaki ang, which introduces vocal fluidity into instrumental practice. His redoubtable skills were on display throughout the performance. Not only are his meends - producing oscillating arrays of notes by pulling on the main playing string at a single point - incredible, his speed and virtuosity are thrilling.
Blending of ragas
After playing an extended alap, followed by jod and jhala and a gat in Teen tala, Nishat took up another raga of the family, the sweet Gaud Malhar, which is considered older than Miyan Malhar and created by blending the ragas Gaud and Shuddha Malhar with shades of Bilawal. He also sang part of the bandish, an old composition, "Maan na kariye... "
Ustad Sabir Khan on the tabla provided matching tonal and rhythmic support. Besides his mathematical unassailability, the Kolkata-based veteran delighted with his reproductions of the sitar's gamaks on his tuneful drum.
Extended playing on the right drum (tabla) and then joining with the baayan (left) added piquant tonal variations.
Later the duo was joined by Trichur R. Mohan on the mridangam, who kept scintillating pace with a rendition of Hamsadhwani, a Carnatic raga that has become popular in the Hindustani genre, in which the chosen composition was a tarana.
A ragamalika that started and ended with the (Hindustani) raga Bhairavi, with nuggets of Jog Kauns, Jog, Bahar, Darbari Kanhra and others, brought the concert to a close.
There were some avoidable drawbacks to the recital, like the ustad's theatrical mannerisms and showmanship that detract from the serenity of classical music.
His insistence on raising his mike volume marred listening pleasure as the sound system began to howl in protest.
His constant shifting of the mike stands did nothing to ameliorate the situation.
A tanpura inaudible to the public was surprising in a musician from such an illustrious family, the Imdadkhani gharana that has practically created the sitar and its technique.
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