Voice modulation at its best
S. SIVAKUMAR
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O. S. Arun manipulated his voice admirably to present phrases with lingering kaarvais and polished brigas.
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GREAT COMBINATION: Arun with the accompanists Vikku Vinayakram (left) and Haridwaramangalam Palanivel (right). Mullaivasal Chandramowli is seen in the background. Photo: S. Thanthoni.
O. S. Arun's concert for Bhairavi Gana Sabha may not have passed the litmus test of a Carnatic music concert but had its elements of exploration, daring innovation and some lessons on voice modulation. Arun began with a Mallari in Nattai, usually rendered on the nagaswaram, announcing the "purappadu" of the deity, composed in 1964 by Palanivel. ``Yaaro Ivar Yaaro" (Bhairavi) was a listener's choice followed by ``Entharo Mahanubhaavulu" (Sri, Pancharathna kriti). The alapana for Sankarabharanam (``Endhuku," Tyagaraja) saw Arun manipulating his voice admirably to present phrases with lingering kaarvais and polished brigas that had a winsome quality. It was, however, the song ``Thunbam Nergayil" (Desh, Bharathidasan/Desigar) that really qualified to become Arun's musical high point.
Musical history
The song has a musical history and the rendering with some self-styled cadences, bestowed a "rainbow-effect" on the song. The thoughtful brow has this much to say — all ragas do not need a Hindustani slant given to them on the plea of embellishment, and if there are different strains of music, then each has its own nourishing quality, richness and taste.
Mullaivasal Chandramouli provided all the support that he could muster and rendered an alapana of Sankarabaranam with customary ease.
The laya accompaniment saw Haridwaramangalam Palanivel on the tavil and Sri Vinayakaram on the ghatam and the thani that they presented deserved an encore. The boundary between the art and the artiste gracefully faded and it was a merger that had to be felt to be believed. The time consumed never mattered either to those on stage or those listening. Palanivel brought certain gait changes (nadai matram) and employed arithmetic progression methods to bring in calculative efficiency and to distinguish it from a dry kanakku pattern. He was also able to form a special sound on the Idanthalai (kutchi side) but took singular care to sustain the melody throughout.
It was a stunning experience to listen to misra gathi in its two speeds (kalams) and the kandagathi korvai that he presented was out of the ordinary. Palanivel also had certain specimen rounds where the fingers and the kutchi were operated in tandem on the Idanthalai.
Vikku Vinayakaram's version was and had to be different from that of the tavil vidwan. There was no part of the ghatam that did not feel the fingers of Vinayakaram and the frills had individual clarity of strokes at all speeds. He played "thaka thari kita thaka" and many such representations (sollus) repeatedly for a considerable period and at different kalams to perfection, and the modulation effects he was able to generate from different areas of the ghatam drew spontaneous applause. In the final elaborate kuraippu after Vinayakaram's observatory grasp one witnessed a unique combined effort to present the entire gamut of laya.
The thani became the highlight of the performance and the entire group on the stage could take the credit for it.
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