Melodies of the mandolin
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Aravind Bhargav’s masterful performance on the mandolin.
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Every time a youngster manages to hold on to the audience till the end, one leaves the auditorium with appreciative thoughts about our Kutcheri format. The present format has the appropriate blend of the Kalpitha (taught) Sangita and the Kalpana (cre
ative) Sangita, allowing the rasika to enjoy the music of the master as much as that of the beginner.
Aravind Bhargav, a student of XI std, gave an energetic performance on the mandolin at the SICA concert in Ravindra Bharati. Competent in the Kalpitha Sangita, he often reminded the rasikas of his guru, Mandolin Srinivas. The rich tonal quality of his instrument, his approach to kritis, his style of playing and even his gestures closely resembled his famed guru. Given a few years of complete dedication, Aravind will surely come out tops in the manodharma too.
Good concert strategy was seen in the quick announcement of the itinerary and in the choice of popular kritis befitting instrumental music. The overall plus points included the sruthi, Gayaki style of playing and the kalpanaswaras. Areas that could be improves were the laya and alapana.
Aravind began with Valachi, the Navaragamalika varnam, followed by Vatapi in Hamsadwani with crisp kalpanaswarams. His alapana of Hamsanadam for the popular Banturithi was sketchy, while the following piece Sabhapathikku in Abhogi was played with zest.
Aravind also played Kadanakuthuhalam, which made it seem that some kritis are specially made for instruments and some instruments enhance the beauty of certain kritis. Raghuvamsambudhi came out tops in Aravind’s Mandolin. He used the chords of his instrument to boost the splendour of this piece. Nagumomu was played with great enthusiasm where his araiavarthana swaras were notable. An excellent tani followed. Aravind’s tendency to quicken the laya during the kalpanaswaras was also repeatedly seen. The popular Sai bhajan Kuraiondrum Illai and the Lalgudi Dwijawanthi thilana brought the concert to a graceful close. The reassuring hands of accompanists V.V. Ravi on the violin, Hanumanthapuram Bhuvarahan on the mridangam and Nemani Somayajulu on the ghatam were felt throughout the concert.
M.S.
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