Rare Tyagaraja kritis chosen
S. SIVAKUMAR
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Senior vidwans Rangarajan and Ravindran proved worthy disciples of their guru A. Sundaresan.
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Paramakkudi Ravindran.
Vidwan A. Sundaresan’s pioneering work in bringing to the fore rare and less sung Tyagaraja kritis has been acknowledged as his forte. What’s more, he has sown this seed in the psyche of many of his disciples. How well his sishyas have elevated themselves to fulfil this demanding exercise came as a revelation as one listened to them.
Two concerts by senior vidwans, Rangarajan and Ravindran, were held in his memory at Ragasudha Hall.
E. D. Rangarajan may not have seen the concert platform often, yet his alapanas for Poorvikalyani (‘Gnanamosagaradha’), Sankarabharanam and Thodi (‘Rajuvedala’) had sterling qualities — an exemplary structure and an easy flow.
The discerning listener was in for a pleasant surprise as Rangarajan gave a sudden thrust to his voice and touched the top panchamam with enviable panache. He seemed to experience some difficulty at the resting points and while reverting to the desired swaras during the raga alapanas.
Powerful vocals
IN THE GURU’s FOOTSTEPS: E.D. Rangarajan.
Two ‘delved’ pieces of Tyagaraja were presented in Hemavathi (‘Neesarisati’) and Sankarabharanam (‘Yevidhamula’).
The Hemavathi composition does not figure in T. S. Parthasarathi’s magnum opus ‘Tygaraja Krithis-1991 Edition’. Rangarajan also included ‘Sanathana’, an Ekaika kriti of Tyagaraja (Palamanjari) and ‘Vishveshwar Dharshankaru’ (Swati Tirunal) in his fare.
Paramakkudi Ravindran began with a varnam in Bahudhari (‘Pavani Neevu’ – A. Sundaresan) and set ‘Gananayakam Bhajehum’ (Rudrapriya-Dikshitar) at the right pace immediately thereafter.
He also presented a special niraval for ‘Gurulekha’ (Gowri Manohari) where the words, ‘Sadgurulekha Etuvanti’ were treated as his base, perhaps by way of paying tribute to his guru.
The alapanas for Sahana (‘Giripai’) and Bhairavi (‘Namminavaarini Marachedhi’, a rare song of Tyagaraja) showed that he had a gripping voice that was further endowed with well honed modulation skills. Ravindran rendered these songs consciously at the ideal kalapramanam without compromising on the inherent gravity of the compositions. ‘Sundara Thara Deham’ in Kalyani served as a thoughtful filler.
Hemamalini on the violin and A. S. Ranganathan on the mridangam were the accompanists for the concerts. The violinist’s educative exposure over the years was advantageously used while playing for these back to back concerts where the alapanas, niravals and swaras were executed after the styles of the respective singers.
Ranganathan who quietly accompanied for the songs played challengingly during the swara exchanges and gave two thanis, exhibiting vidwat of a high order.
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