Semmangudi — chaste and aesthetic
Relections of the Vidwan.
The middle of the 20th century found an amazing galaxy of vidwans adorning the art of Carnatic Music, and the singular quality of each master shone like burnished gold. To the older generation of today that nostalgic period is remembered as the "golden age of Carnatic music."
Semmangudi R. Srinivasa Iyer, who was perhaps the longest performing musician with a career spanning more than seven decades, was a force to be reckoned with despite the presence of other greats in the sphere. Charsur Digital has released three CDs of Semmangudi with the inimitable Lalgudi Jayaraman on the violin and the ever supportive Vellore G. Ramabhadran, on the mridangam.
The programme comprises many of the popular songs presented by Semmangudi in his concerts through the years. "Brochavarevare," a divya nama kirtana of Tyagaraja in Sriranjani, and his "Ramanannu" in Harikhambodi garnished with lively, imaginative swaras create an upbeat ambience.
Pick of the pack
The pick of the pack in this volume is Tyagaraja's "Narada Guruswami" in Durbar reflecting the genius of a vidwan who put Carnatic music on a defining course. The swara passages and the prompt repartees from Jayaraman, ably supported by Ramabhadran find all the artistes in total communion with the muse. Pantuvarali, with no elaborate forays in the Tara sthayi and "Siva Siva ena radha" (Tyagaraja) with niraval and the usual enthusiastic swaras have a balance of symmetry and exclusive musical expression.
Jayaraman's forte is to respond to the main artiste's challenge before one can say Jack Robinson, and this is brought to the fore in full measure.
"Swara raga Sudha rasa," a Sankarabharanam kriti of Tyagaraja, says devotion blended with the nectar of swara and raga alone can help man to attain salvation. The compact song interpretation and the swaras, especially in the slow kalapramanam have a soaring quality that defies categorisation. The soft, sublime interpretation of Mukhari with its subtle beauty in full flow is an expression of the vidwan's artistic impulses that have an unmatched recognition value. The violinist comes into his own, and his Mukhari is a work of art, absolutely profound in conception.
"Ksheenamai," a Tyagaraja masterpiece, touches the deepest chords stressing the dictum that music is a spontaneous overflow of powerful emotion. The Todi vinyasa, not too exhaustive, is a sure tryst with bhava and melody with Semmangudi's artistic instincts shifting to top gear. The refined bearing of Lalgudi's alapana establishes a magical, musical environment.
Kalyani is the raga chosen for the Ragam, Tanam, Pallavi segment. The touchstone of great music is that it should leave an enduring impact in the rasika's mind, and Semmangudi's greatness lies in the fact that he never loses sight of aesthetic parameters whether it is raga elaboration, kriti versions or the stupendous sarvalagu swara improvisation.
Stellar expositions
The Tanam with the vidvan's customary vigour and the pallavi with its slow and fast swaras are stellar expositions. The violin vidwan has always been in a class of his own, and his raga effort is an outstanding melodic essay synthesising rare imagination and innovation, firmly entrenched in the roots of tradition.
Ramabhadran, the ever reliable, lifts the concert momentum to the optimum, with both his accompanying sensitivity and a flawless tani avartanam. A Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam kriti and an utsava sampradaya lali in Khamas are sung with zest. With Sadasiva Brahmendra's "Kelati mama hridaye" wafting in like a gentle wind, the concert concludes leaving the listener on a sacred plane of undiluted, traditional Carnatic music.
S.P.
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