Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
Marked by melody and vidwat
LALITHAA KRISHNAN
|
Artists showed discipline and spontaneity in their offerings.
|
As dusk cloaked the verdant precincts of Kalakshetra, the gleam of wood and stone reflected the soft lighting within, as the Koothambalam came alive to the sounds and rhythms of the three-day music and dance festival held in collaboration with the Al
apana Trust, as a tribute to the late K. Sankara Menon, renowned scholar and director of Kalakshetra.
The vocal recital of the Priya sisters exemplified coordination, time management and efficient planning that left nothing to chance. Polished phrases lent a glow to Haripriya’s Mukhari alapana and the yearning tone of Neelakanta Sivan’s ‘Endraikku Siva Krupai Varumo.’
Shanmugapriya commenced the Shivashakthi essay and Haripriya took over with quiet strength at the tara sthayi suite to alleviate her sister’s discomfort in the higher reaches. While a winner in the melodic department, the raga could have emerged in better perspective with the inclusion of more unhurried karvais amidst the busy mosaic of prayogas. G.N.Balasubramaniam’s ‘Sri Chakra Raja Nilaye’ scored with brightly woven sangatis.
Haripriya’s Kalyani, the main piece, evolved on disciplined lines, conveying visthara at the panchama. Thinning of the voice diluted the impact of sancharas at the tara sthayi gandhara. The madhyama kala momentum of Muthuswami Dikshitar’s ‘Kamalambam Bhajare’ was adeptly sustained in the niraval and kalpanaswaras.
Among the tukkadas, the lure of ‘Vaarivo’ (Hindolam) proved irresistible. V.V.Srinivasa Rao (violin), Delhi Sairam (mridangam) and Madipakkam Murali (ghatam) enhanced the flavour of compositions.
Swift and spontaneous
E. Gayathri’s veena recital was chockfull of spontaneity. Her fingers hovering delicately and darting with the swift grace of a hummingbird, the artiste delved into Dharmavathi to emerge with honeyed phrases. The impassioned flow at the tara sthayi rishabha and the hallmark resonance elicited by her touch stole the thunder from the cloudburst outside.
The ragamalika tanam changed gait and colour with Bhairavi distinguished by rounded gamakas, Arabhi graced by vadi-samvadi highlights, Dhanyasi brimming with bhava and a gracious Madhyamavathi. Muthuswami Dikshitar’s ‘Parandhamavathi’ swept to the finish with exhilarating swara patterns. Trichur Narendran (mridangam) and E.M.Subramaniam (ghatam) proved that subtlety was their forte.
Exuberance tempered by controlled power distinguished senior vidwan T.V.Sankaranarayanan’s vocal concert. Open-throated singing and pithy statements defined raga contours and economy was the watchword in swaraprastharas.
Photos: N.Sridharan
WELL-PLANNED: (From top) Priya Sisters, T.V.Sankaranarayanan, E.Gayatri.
The Poorvikalyani alapana with madhyama kala prayogas balanced by a reposeful halt at a wonderfully aligned shadja was a harbinger of true vidwat, the niraval at ‘Arunodaya’ in Vedanayakam Pillai’s ‘Karunakaramoorthi’ yielding emotive facets. Papanasam Sivan’s ‘Kapali’ cut a grand swathe through Mohanam, the swara kuraippu centring on the dhaivatha radiating positive energy.
Other compositions included a thoughtfully selected ‘Maa Ramanan’ (in remembrance of M.S.Subbulakshmi’s birthday), and a rarely heard ‘Varalakshmi Namosthuthe’ (Gowrimanohari, Mysore Vasudevachar).
V.V.Ravi (violin) used karvais and pidis to sway listeners through melody. The resounding tani by Melakkaveri Balaji (mridangam) and Aniruddh Athreya (ganjira) triggered an adrenaline rush.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
|
