Gets the right perspective
LALITHAA KRISHNAN
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Commitment to values and a spirit of enquiry enable Mohan Santhanam view the larger picture.
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Mohan Santhanam.
Mohan Santhanam's music is imbued with a sense of purpose and a spirit of inquiry that stems from a strong commitment to lasting values. This approach enables him to view the larger picture, be it in raga alapana, kriti rendition or swara improvisation.
A neatly executed "Viriboni," Pachimiriam Adiappa's Ata tala varnam in Bhairavi, provided the perfect opportunity to air an additional chittaswaram believed to have been composed by Mudikondan Venkatrama Iyer.
The invigorating tone of Hamsadhwani permeated Harikesanallur Muthaiah Bhagavathar's "Gam Ganapathe" (Adi tala, tisra gati) and the kalpanaswaras wherein an orderly configuration of permutations came into play.
Tyagaraja's "Dudukugala" in Gowla, in which the composer dwells upon the trials and tribulations experienced in the sadhana marga, was rendered with a commendable bhava arising from a more than token understanding of the lyric.
Gopalakrishna Bharathi's "Kanakasabhapatikku" (Rupakam) in Atana carried punch.
Accurate picture
The 14th melakartha raga, Vakulabharanam, is not often taken up for elaboration. The artiste navigated the terrain with skill and caution, taking pains to present an accurate picture. Languorous glides and graceful jarus heightened the pathos inherent in the raga and in the Tyagaraja kriti "E Ramuni" (Misra chapu).
If the artiste could be faulted, it would be on account of occasionally trying too hard. His anxiety to convey the bhava translated into laying undue stress on certain phrases that tended towards slight exaggeration.
The violinist relied on symmetrical patterns and janta combinations to bring out the flavour.
An easy camaraderie prevailed between the artiste and his kalpanaswara forays, yielding fluent swaraprasthara with a lively kuraippu following the Papanasam Sivan composition "Sivaayanama" (Adi) in Kunthalavarali. Kamboji held its own as the main piece, with the alapana and Gopalakrishna Bharathi's evocative "Tiruvadi charanam" exploiting the scope afforded for higher aesthetics.
Another rare sighting included the ninth Kamalamba navavarna kriti of Muthuswami Dikshitar, "Sri Kamalamba Jayathi" in Ahiri, handled with due reverence. The artiste prefaced ragas and compositions with helpful explanations.
The tone of the accompaniment by M.A.Sundaresan on the violin and Madipakkam Suresh on the mridangam was smooth, polished and honed by experience.
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