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Of diligence and perseverance

Last week, Kalasagaram got up a vocal concert of the young artiste, Aiswarya Raghavan. Dinakar accompanied her on the violin and Kalanidhi Ramabhadran played mridangam. It was a pleasant surprise to find Aiswarya on the path of slow diligence and ste ady perseverance. Immaculate sruti gnanam, rigid adherence to laya, consistent kaalapramanam marked the concert. Her voice is good although lacks depth at mandra sthayi. As is al ways the case, with contemporary artistes, raga alapana, neraval and swarakalpana sound routine and deficient in creativity; all need clearness. Also needless stay at resting swaras too frequently and too long a time takes away the thrill. It is however a relief that the artiste does not indulge in epidemical conspiracy of highly rehearsed calculations in swarakalpana.

The selection of the items was well thought out but the sequence was misapprehend. The varnam in Nalinakanti was uncommon. Deva deva in Mayamalavagowla took its routine path but the swarakalpana was artistic in the sense, there were no lengthy and mind-boggling exercises. Manasuloni Marmamu was rather faster than the conventional. It was in Ananda Bhairavi, Thyagarajayoga vaibhavam that the artiste’s command over laya was evident. The krithi by itself is a musical masterpiece in aspects of grammar, which includes alankaras like gopuchha, srothovaha etc; Aiswarya brought out the inbuilt extravag anza of the song. The major item was Akhyaloingavibho in Shankarabharana. The presentation of the item in all aspects was commendable but yet lack of experience was evident on several occasions. The best part of the concert was the mri dangam accompaniment by veteran Ramabhadran. Aiswarya was lucky in having him as the percussion accompanist. The uniqueness of Ramabhadran’s playing is the unfussiness associated with scholarship. His deft fingers seldom move beyond an inch from the face of the instrument and the thirmanms are uncomplicated not extending beyond one or two avarthams; a great master indeed!

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