Never a dull moment
RANJANI GOVIND
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A well-designed recital by Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam.
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ABUNDANT GRACE: Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam. Photo: V. Ramamurthi.
The choice of ragas and talas for balancing a concert is an important feature of elegant packaging. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam's well-designed offering for Kalarasana (at Rani Seethai Hall) included sudhamadhyama and pratimadhyama ragas, a reasonable variety of talas, a cross-section of composers and creativity that explored new horizons. With B. Ganapathiraman on the mridangam and Jyotsna Srikanth on the violin, she presented the concert with abundant grace and poise.
The works of Tyagaraja, Dikshitar, Kotiswara Iyer, Papanasam Sivan, Thanjavur Ponnaiyya Pillai, Surdas, and Swati Thirunal were featured. With vilambakala and madhyamakala kritis that gave room for an assortment of possibilities in manodharma, there wasn't a dull moment in the concert.
A neat sketch of Pantuvarali, with no loose phrases hanging around, preceded a crisp neraval leading to Tyagaraja's "Raghuvara Nannu."
Vijayalakshmy's appreciable pace for some kalpanaswaras thereafter was reflective of the S. Rajam grammar school she comes from. In the soft and slow running piece of Dikshitar, "Tyagaraja Yoga Vaibavam," the vocalist revelled in the lyrical splendour while her delineation of Ananda Bhairavi exuded serenity.
It was then time for baseline treatment in a not-so-familiar raga Salagam, belonging to the 37th mela. A garland of swaras woven with the kriti "Ganamudam" of Kotiswara Iyer made it more appealing.
"Kaana Kann Koti Vendum Kapali Yenbhavanai" by Papanasam Sivan in Kambodi was an evocative description of the Lord of Mylapore.
The expansive projection of the raga earlier unfolded in methodical progression, and touched the contours with exciting curves and bends. One was reminded of Madurai Mani Iyer when Vijayalakshmy reached the tara stayi madhyamam to get the essence of the raga.
Her swaras were a rainbow of colours with arithmetic and melody running parallel for a good exchange with the violinist to cover some distinctive one/half/quarter avartanam phrases.
That was the right mood set for Ganapathiram to take over for laya patterns in tani avartanam in Adi talam, 2 kalai. Ponnaiyya Pillai's Ashtaragamaalika was embedded with swaras that changed tracks so effortlessly, while the Surdas Bhajan in Mishra Maand and Tillana in Dhanashri brought the curtains on a memorable evening.
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