MUSIC ACADEMY
Emphasis was on bhava
P.S.KRISHNAMURTHY
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The Lalgudi duo presented a fulfilling concert while Ranjani and Gayathri offered a sumptuous fare.
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Photo: S.R.Raghunathan.
DEFT: Lalgudi G.J.R.Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi.
Emphasis on bhava was the main theme in the first part of the violin duet concert of G.J.R.Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi, beginning with a composition of Tyagaraja in Simhavahini. Another of his in Anandabhairavi (`Tyagaraja Yoga Vaibhavam') was embellished with a few manodharma swaraprastharas.
The musicians sketched Saveri, commencing with the notes `sa, ri-sa-ni-dha,' going through niraval and kalpanaswaras on a Tyagaraja piece.
Koteeswara Iyer's sahityam, `Ha, Guha, Shanmukha' in raga Kosalam, the 71st on the melakarta scale, figured very aptly for five minutes. `Amba Paradevate' in Rudrapriya in misra chapu appeared for a brisk treatment. Thodi (opening with `ga, ma-pa-ma-(g)ri' with a briga at pa) came in a style characteristic of Lalgudi Jayaraman. There was deliberate, sensitive, mature development of the raga.
A combination of substantial, deft fingerwork at the first and third strings and masterful modulation with the right hand aided Krishnan's effort to paint Thodi in a hue very human in timbre and character. Subbaraya Dikshitar's kriti, `Nannu Brochutaku' (Adi) was treated, again, with the same sincerity and reverence. Vijayalakshmi maintained the continuity of the other violin by echoing some of the sangatis and sometimes providing karvai. Srimushnam Raja Rao never lets go of an opportunity to emphasise the priceless role the mridangam plays in a concert. His adornments of the violinists' musical outputs displayed melodic sensitivity at its highest.
Tyagaraja's kriti in Vasantabhairavi was followed by a five-minute alapana (violins alternating) and tanam, with some 40 minutes to spare. The pallavi, demonstrated by Vijayalakshmi vocally first, was in tisra jati jhampa talam in misra gati, with a start at half (`Kannanai Mani Vannanai Ninai Maname').
Unusual as the structuring was — calling for a high degree of skill and practice — the pallavi did not go to the heart as the other parts of the concert did, because of the vigil one needed to keep on one's beat. Sancharas were predictably stereotyped. At the end, the listener left the hall with a feeling of fulfilment.
There was `raga moorchhana,' there was `sahitya lakshana,' there was vidwat and manodharma, `saarira sarala' and speed. All these were strewn across the 150 minutes of the vocal recital of Ranjani and Gayathri in a sumptuous fare.
After varnam in Suratti, Adi in madhyamakala, with charanam at two speeds, they offered `Nee Bhajana Gana Rasi Kula' of Tyagaraja in Nayaki, at madhyamakala.
In one flighty sweep, Ranjani introduced Bilahari, again in a series of rapid sangatis with little or no karvai. One wondered if this raga was meant only for speed and how many kritis in it were in vilambam. `Indakannandam Emi' (Rupakam, Tyagaraja) with a few kalpanaswaras followed.
Varali, slow and solemn, came after this. Sheer modulation and melody created the right mood for Sivan's `Ka Va Va.' The brevity with which a raga is introduced is often taken as a measure of the musician's competence in alapana.
Gayatri's Bhairavi appeared in full colour with the sanchara `dha-pa-ma-ga-ri-ga-ma,' over a second. Descending to the manthara shadja and panchama, she let her sketch glide around pa, ma, dha, ni-ma, with a few spicy brigas, floating on to the upper shadja. There was patient and tasteful development with modulation used to good advantage.
After a six-minute slot for the violin, (H.N.Bhaskar), the sisters took up Syama Sastri's `Amba Kamakshi.' Niraval at `Syamakrishna Sodari' with subsequent kalpanaswara exchanges led to an eight-minute thani avartanam, the whole Bhairavi exercise spreading over 36 minutes. Following the brief interlude with Dikshitar's `Sri Guru Guham Sada Asrayami' in Devakriya (indistinguishable from Suddha Saveri), came Kalyani (pa-ma-ga, ri-sa-ri) with madhyasthayi development. The paucity of karvai was notable. Bhaskar played on to take the level to the upper shadja. Gayatri thereafter brought in a good amount of karvai at many points, without going down on duritakala sancharas.
Tanam did not sound very original. In particular, the violin missed the opportunity to adorn it by better use of the bow. Punctuated bowing of the third string during the excursions on the fourth string is an artifice commonly adopted to add lustre to a violin tanam. The pallavi in the double-beat khanda jati triputa in mukkal-idam hardly needed the announcement that it received. Viruttam in Malayamarutam and Kapi and an abhang at the end were offered as tasteful cosmetic frills to the concert.
The curious feature of the concert was that while on individual analysis, all accompanists did their parts aptly, a holistic appraisal appears to get confined only to the singers. The essence of our concert is teamwork, and it is only when there is a composite impact that the listener gets fulfilment. This is the responsibility of the lead singer.
Udipi Sridhar's ghatam was often undetectable, except in the thani and during the passages when the mridangam was inoperative. Manoj Siva gave a commendable (but not a commentable) thani avartanam. An artiste is most vulnerable when ascending the ladder of well-deserved popularity to great heights. Self-appraisal becomes a vital function in such situations. The sisters, their deep musical sensitivity, training, virtuosity and programme competency notwithstanding, need to notice that they can do great service by deliberately cutting on both speed and kalpanaswara.
A kriti like Syama Sastri's `Amba Kamakshi,' with abundant sancharas around `mantharastayi,' should not be attempted unless they are confident in packing power while singing in that range. The lower limit of the range of their natural pitch could not encompass this. Ranjani was bordering on inaudibility here and Gayatri opted to sing the sahityam in the upper octave, which sharply diluted the ethos of the composition.
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