Maharajapuram repertoire showcased
LALITHAA KRISHNAN
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Maharajapuram Srinivasan drew upon the collection of compositions popularised by his father and guru.
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Photo: M. Karunakaran
ENDEARING APPEAL: Maharajapuram Srinivasan
In a world where shifting audience taste is the only constant, the Maharajapuram bani has succeeded in retaining the appeal. Held in a thrall, listeners reminisce about the music of Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer and Maharajapuram Santhanam.
Maharajapuram Srinivasan, with vocal support from his son Ganesh, drew upon the vast repertoire of compositions popularised by his father and guru, to present an enjoyable concert for Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha at Vani Mahal.
If there are some ragas upon which a musician cannot dwell without waxing lyrical about their intrinsic grace, Suddha Dhanyasi is one among them.
The artiste chose to highlight the raga's form through the dip and swirl of jarus and anuswara-filled phrases. Dwelling on more karvais and greater tonal modulation would have enhanced the aesthetic content. The Gopikavasantham kriti ``Balakrishnam Bhaavayaami" (Muthuswamy Dikshitar) served as a robust prelude.
Gliding curves were judiciously fused with linear expressions to pull off a well-rounded exposition. The seldom-heard kriti, `Geeta rasika sugunaalayae' (Rupakam) made an appearance.
Two Tyagaraja kritis of contrasting moods and kaalapramana held their own, unadorned by alapana or swaraprastara — `Nannuvidachi' (Reetigowla) and `Kripa juchutaku velara' (Chayatharangini). Kotiswara Iyer's definitive portrait of Ragavardhini (the pratimadhyama raga corresponding to Charukesi) shone through in the Tamil composition, `Kalangaadhe Maname.'
Keeravani as the main raga provided an opportunity for young Ganesh to air his flights of creativity in the alapana, as he alternated with his father in developing sancharas around the tara-sthayi shadja, resulting in a spate of passages that registered with impressive effect. The single-avartana melkala swaras garnished with catchy little kanakkus added briskness to the kalpanaswara segment following Tyagaraja's `Kaligiyunte.'
M.A.Sundaresan enlivened his Suddha Dhanyasi delineation with vadi-samvadi permutations and presented a Kalyani modelled after his characteristic style. Thanjavur Kumar (mridangam) and Srirangam Kannan (morsing) played their roles with ease and keen anticipation.
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