Friday Review
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Pristine music
Sensitive and mature
Veeneya Bedagu
D.Balakrishna
Carnatic Classical Veena
CD - Price Rs.80.
Veena Seshanna was one of the great vainikas in the royal court of Mysore during the period of Sri Chamaraja Wodeyar and Nalvadi Krishna Raja Wodeyar.
It is said that his veena ‘meetu’ was so sensitive and mature that only the purest and most pristine ‘nadha’ emanated from the instrument. He authored many compositions in different genres such as Swarajathis, Varnams, Kritis and Tillanas, both in rare and popular ragas.
D. Balakrishna, a legatee of the Seshanna tradition, is an established veena player who is the son of the respected, reputed veena maestro, Mysore V. Doraiswami Iyengar.
This CD album comprises six compositions of the great master. The mridangam and ghatam accompanists are C. Sheluvaraju and Ranganatha Chakravarti respectively.
The Ata Tala varnam “Sarasijakshi” in Kedaram played in two speeds is flawless, defining a hoary tradition.
Pleasing prayogas
Anandabhairavi is delineated with an inner harmony capturing its singular beauty with pertinent, pleasant prayogas. Although instrumental music without the power of the lyrics is only two dimensional, Balakrishna’s kriti version of “Rama Ninnu” and lively kalpana swaras, mirror the artiste’s commendable brand of communicating skills. Sankarabharanam elaborated with captivating prayogas steeped in melody and rich in the classical idiom, and the immaculate tanam are indicative of an artiste both intellectually and emotionally connected to his art.
The composer’s swarajati is an enchanting composition, combining the orthodoxy of Sankarabharam with delightful interludes of the Western band system. The percussionists tani avartanam in Sankirna Triputa Tala is well organised and scholarly leaving nothing to chance. The Tillanas in Kanada, Khamas and the evergreen Senchurutti, are imbued with light and classical hues reflecting an evolved mind that conceived such compositions of excellence. D. Balakrishna is a refined, quality artiste, who sincerely strives to keep the banner of veena music aloft in spite of huge odds.
S.P.
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
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