MUSIC ACADEMY
Tuneful vintage fare
P.S.KRISHNAMURTHY
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Srinivas's mandolin recital was deeply sensitive; Nithyashree's concert was technically excellent; and there was never a dull moment when the Malladi Brothers sang.
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Photos: R. Ragu and S. R. Raghunathan.
MELODY REIGNS: Mandolin Srinivas,
It was not surprising that with an impressive orchestra V.Rajesh (mandolin), S.D.Sridhar (violin), Murugabhoopathi (mridangam), Subhash Chandran (ghatam) and Selva Ganesh (kanjira) as accompaniments, the concert of U.Srinivas on the mandolin sounded like a pleasant band throughout.
There was no dearth of highly musical notes, extremely well-devised sancharas, or masterful strokes of sangatis and brigas. Srinivas sailed through the 150-minute routine like a guided missile to hit different targets.
The ear was satiated with dripping music, sounding like trickling water-drops at times, torrential downpour at others, an amalgam of sweet notes from the plucked strings of the mandolin and morsing reverberating vibrations from the stretched membranes and tingling peals from the ghatam.
Dikshitar's `Samushti Sahityam, Ekambareswara' in raga Karnataka Suddha Saveri (janya of Mayamalavagowla), Adi tala, was a short and pretty piece, rendered sans swaraprasatara.
Patnam Subramanya Aiyar's composition in raga Malavi `Iti Nyayama,' followed next. Kharaharapriya commenced at a slow pace (pa-dha-ni-dha, pa,ma-pa-ma-ga-ri), abruptly switching to a speed of 24 notes per second, through `ri-ga-ma-pa-dha-ni-sa, ni-dha-pa-ma-ga-ri' before one could let the mind settle down to contemplating it. The same experience pervaded through the whole concert.
There were sancharas in the alapana worth remembering. Such was the deep sensitivity of the artiste. One had to accommodate idiosyncrasies in one's system to enjoy his music. Rendition of `Chakkani Rajamargammu,' the timeless kriti of Tyagaraja, was profound as also the niraval at `Kandiki Sundara.'
There were excellent repartees among Srinivas, Rajesh and S.D. Sridhar, with the other members taking turns at supporting one or the other. Melody was encountered everywhere. The kanjira was outstanding for its bassy booms at strategic points. The rationale behind the artist's switching over to Nattaikurinji mystified one, and it did not produce any aesthetic effect.
That was followed by a kriti in Simhendramadhyamam. Pieces like `Theerada Vilaiyattu Pillai' and `Chandrasekhara' (Sindhubhairavi) were delivered at express speed. Nithyashree Mahadevan's concert was a conventional one with neat planning and competent execution.
The varnam (`Innum En Manam Ariyada') in raga Charukesi, Adi talam was followed by `Neelayadakshi' in madhyama kala tisra triputa of Dikshitar and then by `Makelara' of Tyagaraja in Ravichandrika. The alapana in Simhendramadhyamam was inspired and dedicated, dwelling long on upper shadja, with matching support from M.A.Krishnaswamy on the violin. Tyagaraja's `Nata Jana Paripala' in Rupakam came as a pleasant follow up. Wrapping it up without kalpanaswaras added to the beauty of the presentation.
Another welcome surprise was `Enraikku Sivakrupai Varumo?' on vilamba kala Adi talam in raga Mukhari. `Kaya Arohini Isam Bhajare Re Manasa' of Dikshitar in Devagandharam, Rupakam, was yet another vintage item. `Anadudanu Gane' of Tyagaraja in raga Jingala, sung in a fast Adi talam, was again an interesting throw-back to the past. Nithyashree's 20-minute alapana of raga Jaganmohini and Tyagaraja kriti were soothing and refreshing. She reached the upper sancharas in long full-throated karvais at ga at the end of a vigorous briga-eschewed sancharas in a fitting culmination.
Nithyashree
Krishnaswamy's responses were in the same pleasant note, with striking purity, in briga or gamaka. The kriti, beginning with the words `Mamava Satatam Raghunatha,' with a beat on `tam' has a Dikshitar touch in language and structuring and also in the passage, `Pankaja Dalanayana,' a Swati Tirunal flavour in wording. She took up the line `Srimateem Anvaya Sagaram' for pleasing niraval elaboration. Krishnaswamy's melodious violin input received appropriate punctuations from A.S.Krishnan's morsing.
Sharing of accompanying privileges between Neyveli Skandasubramanian (mridangam) and Sukanya Rajagopal (ghatam), was tasteful to the ear, giving way to the `thani avartanam.' Nithyashree chose Begada for raga vistara, for over 10 minutes (together with Krishnaswamy) before switching to tanam.
Her Begada had, in traditional custom, only the bare minimum prayoga of `Kaisiki Nishada.' The Pallavi was in Tisra Jati Rupaka talam in pancha-nadai (3,4,5,7,9) (`Sabhapate, Natana Sabhapate, Sadananda Natana', announced as a `Go-Puchha-Pallavi' by the singer) with ragamalika swaras.
The thani avartanam at the end of the Jaganmohini kriti was shared among Skandasubramanian, Sukanya and Krishnan, with brisk and neat interactions. Nithyashree's concert had all the elements of technical excellence and perfection in grammar, ear fatigue and an inadequacy of melody were palpable. Perhaps selection of kritis with more madhyastayi sancharas can take care of this in part.
The Malladi Brothers, Sriram Prasad and Ravi Kumar, could carry their team of Sriram Parasuram (violin), Tiruchi Sankaran (mridangam) and Purushottaman (kanjira) happily through the 150-minute concert with never a dull moment. The violin blended with the duo 's powerful voices while the percussion instruments boomed, right from start, through the varnam (Gowlai, Adi) and `Srisevapriya Sangeetopasana' (Atana, Adi). Ravikumar took up Vasanta, sketching it beautifully from start (`dha-ni-sa-ni-dha,-ma') and on with sa-ma-ga, sa-ne-ga-sa-mi-dha-ni-sa-ma-ga, etc.,)
The lower madhyama swara was clearly distinguishable. The kriti `Brihadambikaiyai Namaste' of Dikshitar in Misra Chapu talam emerged, to wonderful percussive accompaniment. Alapana and later kalpanaswaras were shaded by Sriram Kumar with single-swara karvais lending a double-nagaswara flavour to the aural effect.
Kalyani came up for elaborate treatment next, this time by Sriram Kumar. His voice displayed a fine frequency range at all stayis.
Photos: R. Ragu and S. R. Raghunathan.
Sriram Parasuram used up a mere seven minutes to bring out the essence of Kalyani before the brisk kriti of Tyagaraja `Srirama, Nee Vadu Kunduko' in tisra nadai Adi talam was sung. In the niraval at `Muthugaru Nee Roopamu,' the team reached the height of melody. To the credit of the brothers must be mentioned the flame of teamwork they fanned up. Patnam Subramania Iyer's kriti `Maramakare, O Manasa,' in Sama raga, Roopaka talam, after this, gave way to an elaborate alapana in Kharaharapriya by Ravikumar.
There was sustained power in the upper notes without let up on melody. It has been a long time indeed since one heard `Nadachi, Nadachi' (Tyagaraja, Adi), and one was overjoyed to get a taste of it. In the kalpanaswara korvais, the arudi with a triple cluster of misram in tisra gati was outstanding. Tiruchi Sankaran started with a series of rapid phrases (pirattu sollus in duritam) occupying four avartanams, followed by Purushottaman on his kanjira.
Korvais in Khandam in tisra gati gushed out in torrents and with gradual reduction of cycle time, combined with the depth of sound that came from nadam admixed, made for a spectacular finish in samam to permit take off, at the pallavi after a grand final arudi. Both evidenced, not only mastery, but also commendable musical sensitivity during the 16 minutes which passed like as many seconds. The Pallavi of RTP was a very brief essay, with alapana and tanam in raga Charukesi. The words were `Manamohana Hare Madhava, Madusudana, Pahimam' in tisrajati triputa, starting at -1.
The brothers' performance would have been even more appealing if they had extended their perception of melody also to modulating their sound, particularly during animated manodharma swara sancharas.
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