Agility meets imagination
GARIMELLA SUBRAMANIAM
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The sitar and the mandolin overcame tonal variations in a melodious union.
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UNUSUAL CLASSICAL FUSION: U. P. Raju on the mandolin and Pt. Janardhan Mitta on the sitar. Photo: R. Shivaji Rao.
An unusual pair made the jugalbandi something of a speciality at the Music Academy's mini hall on Saturday last. And if the sitar-mandolin duo sponsored by Sarvani Sangeeta Sabha wasn't enough of a novelty, a ragam tanam pallavi found its way into the genre of classical fusion.
The sitar and the mandolin are both string instruments. But the similarity does not extend much further. Veteran Janardan Mitta creates melody and resonance entirely with finger movements. U. P. Raju gives himself the added advantage of plectrums to generate pace and sensation. Mitta is rooted in the Maihar gharana that attaches pre-eminence to replicating the human voice on the sitar — the gayaki ang.
Interpretation
On the contrary, Raju's style on the mandolin is one that allows free reign to the artiste's imagination, even though much of his music is an interpretation of compositions laden with lyrics.
The opening navaragamalika varnam set the tone for the two-hour performance on that damp evening. In dazzling style thereafter, young Raju explored Nagasvaravali, using its core phrases to create maximum effect on the mind. Mahavaidyanada Iyar's "Sri Sankaraguruvaram" was neatly packed into ten minutes without injury to dexterity or detail.
N. Ramakrishnan on the mridangam and Chandrajit on the tabla joined in early on to set the concert on a brisk tempo.
When Puryakalyan was wrapped up, Mitta's judicious use of time as much as the soulful tune he presented were uppermost on the mind.
The ragam tanam pallavi was in Simhendra madhyam and the veteran and the young master gave a sense of the coming together of their respective instruments, despite their obvious tonal variations.
The sounds of the sitar and the mandolin intermingled nicely even if not to a point of being indistinguishable. Given their different playing techniques, the moment of real challenge was always going to be when the artistes took up the dhrut.
Mitta's remarkable agility of action stood out, even as Raju's rapid strides were noteworthy. Likewise, in the bhajan in Sindubhairavi, the two displayed competence and character worthy of seasoned artistes.
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