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Concert focussed on lakshana
Pantula Rema
IN SOUTH Indian classical music, it has been a matter of debate for decades as to whether `lakshya' (raga bhava and swaroopa) or `lakshana' (structure and grammar) should be more dominant in a music concert. There are a few artistes who manage to strike a pleasant balance between the two. Pantula Rema's concert at Rasikapriya, Kochi, focussed more on the `lakshana.'
Planned, precise
The concert started with the Saranga Varnam `Inthamodi... ' and proceeded to `Giriraja sutha... ' in Bangala. A stylised version of Malayamarutham was followed by the Tyagaraja krithi `Manasayadulo... ' with `neraval.' The `swaraprasthara' got an admirable treatment from Rema that was planned and precise with no gaps and drags.
Pantula Rema, a disciple of Ivaturi Vijayeswara Rao holds a junior fellowship in music. She has a doctoral thesis on `Vekgeya Samanvayam of Tyagaraja' and specialises in single composer concerts, special `pallavis' in `panchanada', `panchavinyasa' and `shatkala.'
`Vidajalatura... ' in Janaranjani, which was rendered next was done at lightning pace with the `swaras' deft and crisp. There was a fine rapport between Rema and M. S. N. Murthy, her husband, who accompanied her on the violin. Murthy an exponent of the violin, viola and vocal music is a staff artiste of All India Radio, Visakhapatanam.
The Ahiri `alapana' that followed faded away in comparison to the other delineations. Rema seemed to be at a loss as she repeated the same phrases over and over again, traversing along the octave. `Mayamma... ' was the `krithi' presented. Unlike musicians from Chennai, the Andhra musicians with their fluency in Telugu are known to do justice to the `sahitya.' Yet Rema seemed concerned about the improvisations alone, the `krithi' renditions, hence, left much to be desired. V. V. Ramamurthy on the mridangam and Thripunithura Neelakantan on the ghatam, provided for a healthy ensemble, complementing each other well. The rapport was again visible in the `khanda' patterns in the `pallavi.'
Technical virtuosity
After `Tatwamerugatarama... ' in Garudadhwani, the vocalist moved on to `Mariveredikkevarayya... ' in Shanmukhapriya, a composition of Patanam Subramania Iyer, where once again Rema and Murthy struck the right chord. When all compositions seemed to be only in Telugu, there came `Nanoruvilayattu Bommaya... ' by Papanasam Sivan in Navarasakanada. The display of technical virtuosity was there once again.
The ragam-thanam-pallavi in Arabhi was next. The `pallavi' took the cue from the Ganesha stuthi `Giriraja sutha tanaya sadaya lambodara... ' rendered previously in the concert. The complex `matras' in five were skilfully executed in the `pratiloma' without ever hindering the raga structure. The concert ended with `Paluke Bangaramayana... ' in Ananda Bhairavi and `Bhavayami gopalabalam..' in Yamuna Kalyani.
HAREESH BAL
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