MUSIC ACADEMY
Brilliant Kharaharapriya
Photo: K.V.Srinivasan
Sikkil Mala Chandrasekar.
The experience and benefit a student gains from giving vocal or instrumental support to the guru at his concerts is immeasurable. Concert craft, how the guru handles the reaction of the audience, etc., are some of the aspects the student becomes familiar with before embarking on his/her own concerts.
Mala Chandrasekhar has had this opportunity any number of times as she accompanied her mother and aunt, who are her mentors too for their flute concerts as a third flute support. She started off her solo concert with the Hamsadhwani, Adi tala varnam of Manambuchavadi Venkatasubba Iyer. `Manasuloni Marmamu' in the raga now known as Varamu was taken up next.
`Kanchadalayadakshi' (Kamalamanohari, Adi) of Muthuswami Dikshitar featured next. The first raga alapana was Mohanam and the kriti, `Mohana Rama' of Tyagaraja. Syama Sastri's Ahiri raga composition came next but the desired effect could not be brought out by Mala as perhaps, it is difficult to exactly reproduce on the flute the rich gamaka patterns involved. The Sidumandari raga kriti `Karuninchutaku,' of Patnam Subramania Iyer that was taken up was effectively played.
The Kharaharapriya alapana had its brilliance followed by `Pakkala Nilabadi' (Tyagaraja). It was neatly presented with niraval in the charanam and a sumptuous kalpanaswara rendition.
After a tani by Kallidaikurichi Sivakaumar on the mridangam and A.S.Shankar on the ghatam Kalyani was taken up for Ragam Tanam and Pallavi. All the previous pieces having consumed considerable time, Mala had to shrink this exercise to just about 20 minutes. The order of the day? However, she did manage to do justice in spite of the time limitations. Mysore Srikkanth on the violin played and supported brilliantly well, his solo passages coming off effectively. Kallidaikurichi Sivakumar's mridangam and A.S.Shankar's percussive support were commendable.
V. SUBRAHMANIAM
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