Aesthetics and tradition
PREMA HARIHARAN
|
The Maharajapuram tradition came alive in Ganesh's concert as Savitha impressed with her mellifluous voice.
|
DR. GANESH Photo: V. Ganesan.
Listening to Savitha Narasimhan in the afternoon session at the Music Academy was a happy experience. Gifted with a clear, mellifluous voice and good innate gnanam, Savitha was able to impress the audience with little effort. The ragas chosen were appropriate for the afternoon and the song selection was appreciable. The Saveri varnam gave a sedate start to the concert and the Harikambodi kriti, "Rama Nannu Brovara'' with swaraprastharas in the charanam was appealing. "Mayamma'' in Ahiri — a composition of Syama Shastri — was full of aesthetics. Savitha's rendering of Anandabhairavi with the traditional and time-tested phrases was heartening. And the not much heard piece of Oothukkadu Venkatasubbiar, "Prema Swaroopa,'' was rendered beautifully with a small dose of kalpanaswaras. After "Ramachandram Bhavayami'' in Vasantha, Kalyani was taken as the major piece which was very satisfying. The slow phrases and the fast frills were enchanting.
In "Nidichala Sukama,'' the neraval treatment and the lengthy swaras with adequate korvais spoke very well of Savitha's sensitivity and the high quality of her art. The Kaapi javali and the Varaali padam gave the concert a dignified completion.
Padma Shankar on the violin was confident and her clear bowing stood testimony to the high standard of the school from which she comes. Trivandrum Balaji's mridangam was very accommodative and his tani avarthanam attracted attention.
That Dr. Ganesh made a good effort to maintain the tempo throughout was quite evident. He managed to overcome the initial uncertainties with his voice. The favourite pieces of his master Maharajapuram Santhanam and his compositions were Ganesh's choice. The way Ganesh tried to capture the Santhanam flavour was moving. "Rakta Ganapathim'' in Mohanam by Dikshatar did not register well in spite of the fast pace with which it was sung.
After the Koteeswara Iyer composition in Jyotiswaroopini, it was Arabhi in which Ganesh surprised the audience with the rendering of the Choornikai that preludes Saint Tyagaraja's utsava sampradhaya kritis.
Arabhi was handled with ease and Tyagaraja's "Chala Kalaa'' with the lively chittaswaram was briskly rendered. It was a welcome change when Ganesh took up "Giripai" in Sahana as the next piece. Kalyani ragam received major treatment in which the main song, "Enthuko Manasu" again by the saint was taken for elaborate neraval, swaram and tani avarthanam.
Ganesh attempted some good phrases in Kalyani. The neraval and kuraippu in swaram were neatly done. A Raghavendra devotional, Revathy tillana by his guru and a Tamil ragamalika brought the concert to an end.
With his flawless playing and strong bowing, violinist Shertalai Sivakumar impressed the listeners. Balashankar's sensitive playing on the mridangam was an asset to the concert and his tani was neat.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Music Season
