MUSIC ACADEMY
Contrasting versions of Bhairavi
GARIMELLA SUBRAMANIAM
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An overall impact was missing in Nisha's concert but Gayathri stunned her audience with a riveting performance.
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PHOTOS: R. RAGU and K.V.SRINIVASAN.
OPPOSITES: Nisha P. Rajagopal.
When the same raga is elaborated by two singers within the space of an hour, comparisons are inevitable. And that was what happened on Sunday (December 24). It was a somewhat stark contrast, with Nisha P. Rajagopal's singing betraying lack of vigour and panache; and an hour later, Gayathri Venkataraghavan stunning her audience with a riveting performance.
When Nisha began her exposition of Bhairavi at about half time, your instinctive reaction was, `Oh, not again,' since this derivative of Natabhairavi has been heard on a few occasions the past week.
During her turn, Gayathri sang the same raga; but elicited the opposite response as her firm and repeated accent on the higher register was both persuasive and melodious.
Inevitably, the great Tyagaraja too was right at the centre of it all. As Nisha took up the opening lines of his `Koluvaiyunnade,' you couldn't help humming for her the niraval `Manasu Ranjilla Jesi,' as if to say: `I know what's coming.' On the other hand, Gayathri put all the energy at her command into `Upacharamulanu Chekonavayya,' taking off on the upper third note. There was no mistaking that the audience was responding. People stopped moving between seats and the applause certainly grew louder, even if it wasn't thunderous.
Gayathri Venkataraghavan.
There was perhaps also something revealing about the selection of kritis for an afternoon recital. The Ata tala varnam in Hanumatodi, the notes in the lower octave and the overall effect that Nisha gave it was ordinary. The varnam in Bahudari that Gayathri sang, with its many rhythmic variations, was evidently very appealing.
Nisha failed to seize the advantage she had created for herself with a brisk and spirited singing of `Ninnu Joochi,' in Saurashtram and the kalpanaswaras.
Things were slowing down a little in `Aparadamula Manpi Adukovayya,' in Darbar. The exposition of Surutti (preceding Dikshitar's `Srivenkata Girisam') at this stage in the concert was a welcome change from the cursory treatment of this scale that is common. But an overall impact was missing.
Surely not everything was right in Gayathri's recital. The two key notes (shatshruti rishabham and dhaivatam) of Nattai seemed to elude her singing of Tyagaraja's `Ninne Bhajana Seyuvadanu.'
In the Syama Sastri kriti in Dhanyasi, emphasis on the words `lochana,' and `yochana,' would have not only rhymed but also have highlighted the theme of `Meenalochana Brova Yochana,' more effectively.
But Gayathri's choice of kritis, especially those to fill the interlude between major compositions, suggested that she had her finger on the pulse of her audience. Tyagaraja's `Vidajaladura Na Manasu,' (which again caused concern in relation to the lyric) in Janaranjani and Papanasam Sivan's `Chidambaram Yena,' in Kalyani produced an electrifying effect on an already charged atmosphere. Nisha's choice in that slot was a more sedate `Ganamudapanam,' in Jotiswaroopini.
Neyveli Radhakrishnan's violin was not too absorbing, whereas A.V.Manikandan who played the mridangam gave some splendid touches especially in the Saurashtram kriti. The afore-mentioned two accompanied Nisha Rajagopal.
Gayathri Venkataraghavan's accompanist, Charumathi Raghuraman on the violin was very subdued and B.Ganapathiraman's spell on the mridangam was masterful, particularly in the thani avartanam.
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