Free rein to vocal amplitude
SVK
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In asserting his loud voice, Sikkil Gurucharan sacrificed musical subtleties.
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A heavy voice carries with it an inherent inability to provide musical sensitivity. It hampers gracious negotiation of sancharas in alapanas with melodic refinement garnished by gana-naya technique. Of course, it can contribute to sumptuousness by vocal depth sans elegance of execution. If a musician consciously controls tonal modulation to impart these qualities, his kutcheri would certainly be top class.
In the kutcheri of Sikkil Gurucharan, under the auspices of Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, the aim seemed to be assertiveness of his loud voice, solid in sound pattern but lacking in nadha subtleties. He gave a free rein to his vocal amplitude but cultured singing depends on delicate sensitivities.
Impressive start
`Siddhi Vinayakam' (Shanmukhapriya) was marked by concentration on what would provide an impressive start and it was achieved. The interpretation was effortless with a clear feel of the song's structure.
The choice of the next item, `Varasiki Vahana,' a rare Tyagaraja kirtana in the raga Supradeepam seemed more to display scholarship because both the raga and the kirtana were unfamiliar to most of the rasikas.
Gurucharan entered a more stable musical terrain in the alapana of Ritigowla followed by the song, `Nannu Vidichi'.
The beauty of the raga is deeply embedded beyond its scale and Gurucharan's presentation was at best a collection of sancharas, its subtle shades of musicality eluding his grasp. The picture of the violinist M.R. Gopinath in his solo was more heart-warming. The raga was aesthetically inlaid with telling pidis.
`Panchanadeesa' (Poornachandrika) and `Hanumaane Swamikinda' (Malayamarutham) served as space fillers before the elaboration of Kalyani. The vistara of Kalyani had a fragile coating of depth and creativity.
There were characteristic sancharas of the raga but the way they were rendered failed to bring out the sparkling charms of Kalyani.
On the whole, the play of the violinist was more gentle and reflective with his concept well placed in the graciousness of Ritigowla and grandeur of Kalyani.
Neyveli Skanda Subramaniam is a competent mirdangam accompanist. Probably the compulsion of meeting the heavy vocal interpretation by the musician induced him to watch his playing technique. Between the two, there was not a healthy balance of sound. The role of ghatam player Ernakulam Ramakrishnan was minimal.
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