Fascinating fare
B.R.C. IYENGAR
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Music Sanjay and Krishna enthral the audience.
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The awe-inspiring arrangements for the cultural programme of Sri Lakshminarasimha Swamy Seva Samithi, (LNSSS) last week at Keye’s High School was a disappointment in the sense, where there were seating arrangements for 2000 people, the auditori
um hardly filled 100. Evidently the common listener is no more interested in classical music.
While acknowledging that Sanjay and Krishna are the outstanding singers in Carnatic music today, it is intriguing to note that they have seized the centre stage with astonishing perseverance. If Sanjay’s aims were as magnificent in orchestral adornment, exhilarating vigour or enterprise, the expressiveness and challenge of Krishna were equally challenging. They have proved that the lay listener can be motivated to enjoy the technical as well as the emotive, his/her sentiments, which is already there, needs only to be aroused.
On the first day, Sanjay’s concert was mighty and majestic coloured with fervid and fiery noble eloquence; he hunts down the obvious with the enthusiasm of a short sighted detective; he creates music; he does not copy it. Although the enthusiasm was busted with inexcusable delay in starting by 45 minutes, he refreshed it with intellectual and emotional utterance. The items chosen were familiar and enjoyable. The initial item was a varnam in Kalyani; Sri Ganapath
ini in Sowrashtra further illuminated by fast moving Nirvadhisukhada in Ravichandrika. The concert gained full form and grace with Eti jalmamidira in Varali. The raga had the stamp of professional rapture and the song weighty with emotion. The crowning item was O Ranmgashayi in Kamboji. Paramapavani, a composition of GNB in attana
brought in great delight. Varadarajan on the violin and Tanjavoor Ramdas made the concert complete.
From the soul
T.M. Krishna’s concert on the following day was an account of the fullest variety of it appeal, soul speaking to soul in those long lines, not through form and colour alone but with academic and exciting sound. With loft passion and loftier thought, with imaginative insight and with rhythmical aspiration, esteemed relaxation (vishranti) and measured approach. Each itemhad its time and place all in right proportion.Take for instance Rangnayakam in Nayaki. The krithi by itself is a gem of composition in which the grammar, like the dhatu swara prayogas, particularly in the Madhyamakala section and the raga bhava ar
e brought out to the core.
As such it is outstanding opportunity for the artiste to play about. Krishna took the best advantage in the exercise. The other items that kept the audience glued to the seats were Santhana ramaswaminum, in Hindolavasa
ntha, Makela vicharamu, Sri Krishnam bhajamanasa in Todi and Therathiyagarada in Gowlipanthu. The concert was not entirely without showmanship and rightly so.
Krishna uses the strategy very shrewdly in overplaying swarakalpana or speedy in neraval at chosen places, being pretty sure that it wins the applause. Sriramkumar on the violin is too well conversant with Krishna
’s style and the combination added great thrill. Balaji on the mridangam, played dexterously and with care and the team work was complete in all respects.
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