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LEARNED Prakash’s presentation was slow and majestic

The artiste’s avid interest and committed endeavours sustained the interest of the audience throughout the concert the concert. Yet, some of the vital areas - necessity of pleasing vocal inflections and importance of strict compliance with the shruthi seemed to have been overlooked.

Her voice, which was quite supple and strong in the beginning – “Chalamela” (Varna- Durbar - Thiruvottiyur Thyagayya) – gradually started showing signs of fatigue as the concert advanced. For the aforesaid reasons, except “Sakalagrahabala Neene” (Atana - Purandaradasa) and “Shobillu Saptaswara” (Jaganmohini - Thyagaraja) which placed her on an inspiring foothold, other presentations, though scholarly, was not convincing.

Consider Subbaraya Shastri’s “Shankari Neeve” (Begade) and Patnam Subrahmanya Iyer’s “Nijadasavarada” (Kalyani): the expatiation and articulations exhibited fertile imagination. The akaras were deep and crisp. Yet, the sancharas in the taara sthayi tripped noticeably.

Clear diction conveyed the meanings of the lyrics, but ran short of emotional element. Frequent references to the text hindered the spontaneity and involvement. This reminded Bharathamuni’s guideline – “Yo artho hridaya samvaadi tasya bhaavo rasodbhavaha” - Natyashastra (only that experience deeply ingrained in one’s self in the form of bhaava, is potent enough to evoke the dormant rasa in the rasika).

Had the singer’s bold and resonant voice synchronised well with the basic tune, neraval at “Bhujangadipa Shayana” (in Patnam’s kriti) would have been exemplary.

A.V. Prakash gave a decent flute recital under the auspices of Ganabharathi. H.N. Smitha (violin) and Radhesh (mridanga) accompanied him.

Most of the presentations trod a slow and majestic pace. As he rendered compositions like “Devi Kamalalaye” (Garudadhwani - Vasudevacharya) and “Manavyala Kincharadate” (Nalinakanti - Thyagaraja) with due care, consideration and respect, in paces slightly faster than the madhyalaya , he could impressively convey its full import.

When the concert was viewed as a whole, the above approach entailed its own drawback too – a lack of vibrancy. On the other hand, all presentations thrived in their individual capacities, as far as created melody and displayed expertise were concerned.

Consider “Nidhichala Sukhama” (Kalyani- Thyagaraja): alapana comprised the expected features - in-depth graces of different varieties, subtle articulations made with finesse and mature vision materialising through imaginative spontaneity. The learned flautist expanded the overall essence at “Mamatha Bandhana” followed by elaborate swarakalpanas. All along, the young melody and rhythm accompanists meticulously followed the senior’s model, admirably subjecting themselves to the ideal parameters: sense and strengthen the lead artiste’s style and expressions to thesatisfaction of the audience.

He interpreted “Lalithe Shri Pravriddhe” (Bhairavi-Thyagaraja) with the same grit as above - devotional sentiment uniformly flowing through the lyrics, the neraval and the swaraprastara.

Varna (Begade-Intachalamu-Veene Kuppayyar), “Chinnam Chiru Kiliye” (Ragamalika-Subrahmanya Bharathi) and Tillana (Brindavani - Balamurali Krishna) were other inclusions.

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