Grandeur without glitz
GOWRI RAMNARAYAN
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Young Saranya was promising while R. K. Srikantan was all grace and vigour.
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SARANYA KRISHNAN
Saranya Krishnan has much going for her — ragabhava, grasp of laya, training in an immaculate school, and a personal taste for classicism.
There was no compromise in her selection. The faster songs were not raced through, or drummed out in staccato rhythms bolstered by the mridangam.
Saranya rendered them with their form intact. Saranya knew the power of contrast.
The plain, piercing notes of Nagasvaravali (``Srisankara Guruvaram''), with their scale-dependent swaraprastara, preceded the contoured Varali alapana and melody-steeped swaras (ending somewhat abruptly) for ``Mamava Minakshi." A buoyant Pushpalatika (``Ikanaina'') made the gravity of the following Kambodi stand out. Ambika Prasad (violin) and Kumbakonam Ramakrishnan (mridangam) empathised with her approach and collaborated in these mood and pace shifts with restraint.
Saranya reserved her best for Kambodi. The approach was comprehensive, the gamakas were strong and delicate, with swirling phrases marked by continuity. ``Everimata'' was a welcome brightener in which the slow flowing neraval and taut swaras maintained dignity.
R.K. SRIKANTAN
However, the singer's voice refused to keep pace with her imagination. She had little reach and no resonance in the lower octave though she built her foundation there.
Her weakness in the higher range was accented by closed mouth enunciation. What a difference when she forgot to curb the voice! The absence of the tambura and the faintness of its electronic replacement were drawbacks.
Vigour and grace suffused the hall from a single phrase of Sriragam introducing the varnam. You were glad that music such as R.K. Srikantan's was still with us. ``Sri Mahaganapati'' (Gaula) evoked midukku even without the chittaswaram.
Old favourite ``Chani Toditeve'' (Harikhambhoji) took you into an old world, where kriti and swaram kindled elation in Guruvayur Dorai (mridangam) and even in the sedate T.V. Vasan (ghatam).
It was grandeur without glitz. Todi was brilliant. The continuity in thought gave the voice an amazing roundedness, as Srikantan dropped prayogas familiar and rare, some almost forgotten.
Each had an aura of freshness, chiselled by a mature mind. The raga sprang from tradition so multi-layered and classy that there was no need for contrived effects. Son Ramakant gave solid support, but you felt that the singer did not really need it.
Todi's splendours were augmented by the navavarnam, where the steely nirnayam in pace, modulation and jaru glides, girded deep feeling. The listener became one with the spirit of Dikshitar's composition.
The absence of neraval was felt though the swaras added majesty, with violinist M.A. Sundaresan's value additions.
The surprise came with Vasanta — you wondered at the great masters whom the musician must have internalised to pack this kind of beauty in that raga, in so brief an etching. You also knew that he would not do a quick kriti, it had to be an imposing ``Hariharaputram."
The sruti alignment was a lesson as he hit the upper madhyama and glissaded down to shadja and nishada. Since the violin had gone off into an out-of-sync tangent in the alapana you were glad that it was in consonance with the kriti. In both kriti and tani, the enjoyment of the distinct rhythm of Khanda ekam by the percussionists was fully and infectiously communicated to the audience
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