Characteristically freewheeling
GARIMELLA SUBRAMANIAM
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Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan presented a scintillating mixture of introspective and entertaining music. Charumathi offered rich variety.
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WELL-BALANCED: Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan. Photos: S. Thanthoni.
It has always been a heady cocktail of introspective and entertaining music in a Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan recital.
The veteran's ability to balance his characteristically freewheeling style on the violin with the predominant tradition among Indian classical instrumentalists to replicate the human voice was evident on Sunday night at the Music Academy.
``Sadasivakumara" of Papanasam Sivan was the opening kriti in Suddhasaveri.
After his soul-stirring exposition of ragam Saramati, the answer from many among the audience to "Mokshamu Galada Bhuvilo Jeevan" (is there salvation for unrealised souls) could have perhaps been only in the affirmative.
This Tyagaraja kriti followed a spirited imploration seeking redemption from the human predicament in "Amba Nee Irangavidil Pugal Edu" in Atana — the ragam said to be ideal to vent anger and frustration.
Then the Asaveri kriti was surcharged with equal fervour and vitality. The popular number "Himagiritanaye" was perhaps the lone item with a light touch in the first half of the performance.
It was "Kuzhaloodi Manamellam" of Oothukkadu Venkatakavi instead of a ragam tanam pallavi that the audience sliced from his generous offer in Kambodi. Noteworthy among the many embellishments to the composition was the accent on the sangati "Kuzhaloodi" and the neraval.
The `tani' was a dialogue between the violin and the percussion ensemble as always in a Kunnakkudi recital.
The ragamalika offered a kaleidoscope, representing popular tunes as well as kirtanas. Shades of the AIR signature music, "Karpakavalliyin" and "Singara Velavan Vandan" in Aanandabhairavi, Aabheri and finally Sindubhairavi culminated in a climactic finish.
CHARUMATHI RAMACHANDRAN
Among the popular melodies, Subramanya Bharati's "Olipadaitta Kanninay Va Va Va," "Eppadi Padinaro" in Bhimplas and "Yeppo Varuvaro" were for different reasons a throwback to yesteryear.
Darasuram M. Ganapathy (mridangam), T.K. Dakshina Murthy (kanjira), R. Kalyanaraman (ghatam), Mayiladuthurai Rajaram (morsing) and Srinivasulu (tabla) gave an accompaniment full of gusto.
With an obvious touch of the more contemporary Hindustani khayal style in the exposition of Brindavanasaranga and an import from the ancient dhrupad tradition in the ragam tanam pallavi (khanda jati, Triputa talam, khanda nadai) in ragam Charukesi, Charumathi Ramachandran's vocal recital offered rich variety.
There wasn't much of a hint of this in her opening composition "Sadhinchene," one of Tyagaraja's pancharatna kritis. Charumathi initially sang the swaram and sahityam in succession without the interlude ``samayaniki," but returned eventually to the conventional format.
A sequence of rare kritis then ensued in keeping with her wide repertoire. The vintage MLV kriti of Swati Tirunal ``Pahi Sripate Mohanamurte" in Hamsadhwani, the Neelakanta Sivan song in Bowli on the Lord of Kalahasti and Dikshitar's ``Visalakshi Visveshi" in ragam Pantuvarali were a veritable treat.
But it must have been about 45 minutes before Charumathi gave a major alapana. She skilfully presented the texture of Brindavanasaranga — much of it in `akaram' — which bore unmistakable resemblance to its northern counterpart.
"Sundara Rajam Asraye Gajabrindavanasaranga Varadarajam" of Dikshitar was delivered with the alacrity of a seasoned performer.
Charumathi drew liberally from the dhrupad mode of rendition to paint her ragam tanam pallavi in Charukesi. The composition for the pallavi, "Dayanide Rajadayanide Nataraja Daya Dayakara Sivachidambara" and the ragamalika in Anandabhairavi, and Chandrajoti were an impressive display of craft and technical rigour.
The above two compositions stood out in the performance in comparison to the equally enchanting "Chakkani Rajamargamu" in Karaharapriya, a neraval and elaborate improvisation notwithstanding.
Mullaivasal G. Chandramouli's violin support could be especially remembered for the solo essay in Brindavanasaranga.
Prapancham Ravindran (mridangam) and Sukanya Ramgopal (ghatam) capped their performance with a short but brisk tani.
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