MUSIC ACADEMY
At a leisurely pace
V. SUBRAHMANIAM
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In a style that suited his voice, Neyveli Santhanagopalan presented an enjoyable concert.
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Photo: R. Shivaji Rao.
EFFECTIVE: Neyveli Santhanagopalan.
Neyveli Santhanagopalan has chosen a style to suit his voice with which he encountered some problems. A disciple of Seshagopalan, his style was more vigorous when he started more than a decade ago. He has a vilamba kala approach to singing similar to the late M.D.Ramanathan's style that was unique and lofty.
Santhanagopalan's is also quite effective and rich in bhava. A shadow of doubt may arise whether his leisurely pace will go well on the concert platform before an audience. Rasikas looking for pacy interludes in between slow-gait singing may feel disappointed. Only those who can relish the bhava behind Santhanagopalan's pace can appreciate it or rather even sit through the concert.
It was heartening to note that a fair number of rasikas was enjoying and sitting through to the end at Santhanagopalan's concert. He commenced his concert with the Sri raga Adi tala varnam of Karur Devudu Iyer in two paces. `Sri Maha Ganapathi' the Dikshitar kriti in Gowlai in misra chapu tala came next. His kalpanaswara passages for this song were modelled on the swaras of the Tyagaraja Pancharatna kriti, `Dudugugala' in this raga.
`Palukavemina' in Poornachandrika, Adi tala of Tyagaraja in medium pace came next as a relief.
Ritigowla raga with `Janani Ninnuvina' in misra chapu tala of Subbaraya Sastri, which suited his style, followed with niraval at the line in the charanam, `Sanakadi Munulella' which he narrated as `Sanakadi Muni Jana,' perhaps another version having the same meaning.
Sankarabharana raga alapana as a sub main piece was soothingly rendered with the kriti, `Saroja Dala Netri' of Syama Sastri in Adi tala. The niraval and kalpanaswaras were for the charanam line, `Sama Gana Vinodhini'.
The thani avartanam by Arun Prakash on the mridangam and K.V.Gopalakrishnan on the kanjira was in continuation of this piece. M.R.Gopinath on the violin acquitted himself creditably.
The pallavi, `Samaganalolane Sadashivane' was in kanda triputa tala in the North Indian raga Bhagesri. The raga was dealt with well as also the tanam.
The usage of panchama was perceptible. In the Hindustani classical form, the panchama inclusion is rare especially in the khayal. Panchama swara is used as a misra when the raga is used for lighter forms.
The ragamalika kalpanaswaras included Begada, Hamirkalyani, Sahana and Suratti. Hamirkalyani was the first pratimadhyama raga that was touched in the concert! A Khamas raga javali in rupaka tala of Shankara Sivam and the tillana like swara korvai in Purvi raga, rupaka tala were the next two pieces.
A viruttam in Sindhubhairavi with the Ramanataka kriti, `Ramanai Taruvai' led to the conclusion of the concert.
Santhanagopalan had given a list of songs he proposed to sing in this concert but not one of them featured in it.
While it can be conceded that the vocal musician should have the discretion to alter the plan of a concert in accordance with the condition of the voice the aim should be to minimise such changes and not abandon it altogether.
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