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Fulfilling phrases

S. SIVAKUMAR

Calcutta Sisters exhibited their degree of confidence in the concert.

Photo: S. Thanthoni.

RESOURCEFUL: Calcutta Kala and Chitra.

Calcutta sisters, Kala and Chitra performed for NCAT and what captivated one was their facility for swaras and swara-korvais with an improvisational verve that was well directed at working out symmetrical patterns. The fact that they could actively involve themselves in this swara adventure in three ragas - Ranjani, Mohanam and Samaram - showed their of competence. They commenced with a varnam (Kadhanakuthoohalam - Calcutta K.S.Krishnamurthy) and then sang `Durmargachara' (Ranjani-Tyagaraja) which with a slight lack of azhuthamwas passable. Their alapanas especially for Samaram (`Sadhasraye' Dikshithar's Abhayambika Navavarana kriti) had a raga profile of fine mobility containing fulfilling phrases. The niraval at the pallavi, `Sadhashraye Abhayambige Sannidehi,' had the crafty yet pleasing variations of juxtaposing the word.

Noble intentions

The sisters' musical intentions were noble but they could not manage to maintain perfect sruti alignment and at times this had its jarring consequence whenever they sang in unison and touched the upper octaves simultaneously. Earlier the Mohanam kriti `Mati Mati Ki' (Tyagaraja) and `Bhajare Re Manasa' (Abheri - Mysore Vasudevachar) were featured.

H.V.Raghuram on the violin had an original approach to alapanas and had put the main artistes at ease with his compact answering methods during the swara segment. The concert also witnessed a sporting gesture by the mridangam vidwan, K.Parthasarathy, who politely declined an offer to perform the thani as the sisters were running out of time. His accompanying method was one of smoothness and containment.

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