Melody prevails
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Practice and meticulous planning left no room for any repetitive musical mannerisms in Amrutha Venkatesh’s concert
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NO LOOPHOLES A steady pace provided a firm and comprehensive foundation exerting an influence over Amrutha’s entire concert
Amrutha Venkatesh in her vocal recital at Gaanabharathi conclusively demonstrated the importance of discreet rhythm (in terms of frequency, pace and gait) in productively building up a decent concert where melody prevailed.
Crisp, vigorous, lively and pleasing “Karunimpa idi” (varna - Tiruvottiyur Thyagayyar) presented in a steady pace provided a firm and comprehensive foundation exerting an influence over the rest of the concert as well.
The overall methodology and approach exemplified ‘swara shudhamutho sukhamu’ as Patnam Subrahmanya Iyer has put it in “Dhanyudevado” (Malayamarutha) which she presented.
She delicately creamed off the best in Begade (begada migada) within a short span of its development by enriching it with characteristic gamakas, specific sancharas and fine-tuned nilugades. After singing the text, “Neevera kuladaivamu” (Shri Thyagaraja) with grit and competence, she elaborated “Thyagaraja varahridaya” in the fashion of a pallavi, featuring verbal clarity and meaningful expressions, enveloped in a melody-oriented rhythm structure.
Alapana in Thodi spanned over the desired sthayis in recommended tempos emphasising on the rasa nested in the raga.
Attention to varieties of gamakas and subtle sancharas in the light of committed practice and meticulous planning left no room for any repetitive musical mannerisms.
Amrutha enlivened the lyrics “Kaddanuvariki” (Shri Thyagaraja), beseeched the Lord through an appealing neraval at Thyagaraja Sannutha and imparted musical texture to the presentation by fluent swarakalpana.
Accompanying senior musicians, Veena Suresh (violin) and H. L. Shivashankaraswami (mridanga) reciprocated the young artiste’s musical faculties with due appreciation and approval.
*** Sumathi presented a Hindustani vocal recital under the patronage of Swarasankula Sangitha Sabha. Saath Sangat was provided by Veerabhadrayya Hiremath (harmonium) and Gurubasappa Hoogar (tabala).
The versatile artiste presented varieties of compositions with appreciable ease and considerable involvement. Her voice exhibited the resilience required to traverse the necessary sapthakas sufficient to materialize her imagination and improvisations.
True to her Agra Gharana she sings with a khuli awaaz (open voice). Where as such a style can be strongly emotive, it has a tendency to marginalise the melodic content unless the voice has an intrinsic softness.
“Preetam Saiyya” in Lalith Gauri (Sadarang) was the opening khayaal. Raga and the lyrics were developed in an appreciable slow tempo infused with deep sentiments. She developed the Drut (Piyabin) energizing it with a gusto of tans and precise tihayis. Artistic and imaginative inclusions of tarana or sargams would have made the concert more colourful.
Without being supplemented with fine and polished intonations in combination with delicate raga alankars, the khayaals, to some extent, lost their sweetness. The taans would shoot up with a sudden start retarding the process of building up of a consistently favourable mood in the badhat.
Compositions predominantly rich in sentiments and devotions suited her style and vocal predispositions.
Thumri (Khamaj) incorporating pleasing murkis, Vachana (“Kelidare Kelu” - Akkamahadevi) comprising appealing pukaars, and Ghazal (“Agar Hai” – Mansur) endowed with sublime philosophy and rendered in an emotive melting tone created an ambience of deep contemplation.
V. NAGARAJ
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