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Music Season
MUSIC ACADEMY
Strict adherence to classicism
SULOCHANA PATTABHIRAMAN
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Vedavalli’s concert exhibited her unwavering commitment to Carnatic music. Suguna’s proved her role as a sensitive composer in convincing terms. And Trichur Ramachandran’s recital was both educative and entertaining.
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Photos: V.Ganesan
Magnificent: R.Vedavalli
R.Vedavalli, a senior vocalist, who enjoys the privilege of a precious legacy, has for a long period upheld the dignity and the old-world charm of Carnatic music. She does not make any compromises in her quality for mere aural attention. Charumathi Raghuraman (violin), Neyveli Narayanan (mridangam) and Sukanya Ramagopal (ghatam) formed the team of accompanists in this year’s concert.
Patnam Subramania Iyer’s ‘Ennaduni,’ in Vachaspati with bright kalpanaswaras and a neat finishing korvai that reached the take off point with no stumbling blocks, was followed by a gratifying development of Mukhari in all its magnificence. Tyagaraja’s ‘Karubaru’ was a deeply involved version reflecting commendable focus to the mandatory requisites of an impressive interpretation. Thodi was a measured expansion, true to its inherent glory, covering a wide range with no purposeless traipsing up and down the raga gamut.
Charumathi’s playing displayed maturity and the clarity of her imagination kept the listeners in a comfortable zone. ‘Dakshayani’ of Muthuswami Dikshitar and swaraprastharas with infallible laya control, were the efforts of a musician striving for perfection. Swaras in kizhkalam with richness of the raga swaroopa would be a model lesson to youthful aspirants.
The tani avartanam for Rupaka tala played with vivace and the spirit of joi de virve was inspiring and enjoyable. The Kiravani expansion with open throated prayogas, especially in the higher reaches, was an exhibition of musicianship blended happily with pleasing presentation. The violinist responded with alacrity with sensitive inflections. The Mudiconkan bani’s forte is quality in the genre of tanam and Vedavalli has maintained the high standards set by her guru, Mudicondan Venkatrama Iyer.
The Pallavi in Khanda Jathi Khanda Nadai Triputa tala, the niraval and the tri kala exposition and the fast paced second kala swaras backed by the violinist’s vibrant repartees had a distinct stamp of class. The ragamalika chains in Vasantha, Sama, Behag and the reverse order in the different ragas came back to Kiravani and finished with a korvai, that bonded the rasika with the best. A Tamizh Viruttam ended a concert that deserved paeans to the singer’s unwavering commitment to the higher values of Carnatic music.
Suguna Purushottaman, a legatee of the Musiri tradition is a seasoned vidushi who has held centre stage in the Carnatic sphere, earning a solid reputation for her fecundity in laya innovation and scimitar like presentation. The accompanying vidwans in her concert were Pakala Ramadas (violin) Kallidaikurichi Sivakumar (mridangam) and K.S.Rangachari (Kanjira). The Atana kriti of Swati Tirunal ‘Sri Kumaralaya’ in Adi tala has the weight of a Dikshitar composition and was rendered in the apt kalapramanam, mirroring the various shades of the raga with luminescent grace. The swaras had perfect order and method.
Ramadas, with worthy anticipation, responded flawlessly. Sankarabharanam, was an elaborate description of all its aspects with the leit motif of classical excellence running throughout the alapana. ‘Manasuswadhina’ and the swaras at an atheeta edupu merited appreciation. Ramadas, a disciple of Lalgudi Jayaraman, has gone forward in his accompanying skills, and his replies for the swara passages were competent and confident. Tyagaraja’s ‘Mokshamugalada’ in Saramathi, a sampoorna, audava scale and the derivative of Natabhairavi, has an unmatched quality of devotion and Suguna’s interpretation was an involved emotional version. ‘Garuda Vahana’ in Bhavapriya, the 44th Janaka raga in the melakartha format, was an imaginative amalgam of lyrical beauty and melodic content, proving Suguna’s role as a sensitive composer in convincing terms. Kedaragowla chosen for Ragam, Tanam and Pallavi, with impressive structure and musical content, distilled the essence of the singer’s prowess in total adherence to classical values. The lyric, a Tamil translation of Tyagaraja’s ‘Venugana Rohini,’ conveying in its structure as ‘Venugana lolanai, Kana Kann Ayiram Vendum.’ Suguna is well known for her laya gnana and percentage execution of difficult, intricate talas with the consummate ease of a Russian ballerina. The pallavi in a complicated tala, sung without tentativeness was a rewarding display of vidwath. The trikala and ragamalika in Ritigowla, Kedaram and Gowla were positive feats to create impressive dents in the rasikas appreciative mindset.
The accompanists, well tuned to the laya complexities in the Pallavi, followed with as much fidelity as Mary’s little lamb. The end pieces inclusive of a song in Jonpuri on Lord Hanuman rendered with lucidity and bhava left a peaceful aftermath to a scholarly performance by Suguna.
Trichur V. Ramachandran is perhaps the only male singer with committed fidelity to the mercurial bani of G.N.Balasubramaniam. He has hardly ever wavered from the path so effectively paved by his guru, and has to his advantage a voice and tonal quality that is as resonant and briga-oriented as his mentor. The accompanying vidwans were M.A. Sundareswaran (violin), the treasure house of laya, Umayalpuram K.Sivaraman (mridangam) and B.Sundarkumar (kanjira) formed the formidable team to lend unqualified support.
The riveting swaras for ‘Sri Ramana Vibho,’ a Swati Tirunal kriti in Arabhi, reinforced the already existing life and spirit of the concert. ‘Veenadhari,’ a melody packed raga, although not lending itself much to microtonal ornamentation, has its own enjoyable characteristics. A upanga raga derived from Chakravaham sans the madhyaman in the arohanam, had inspired GNB to compose ‘Saraschandra Nibanane’ that finds a place in the repertoire of the GNB School.
Ramachandran’s translucent rendering of the kriti with care not to transgress grammatical parameters was a positive rendition, that made for both educative and entertaining listening. The incomparable beauty of kalyani was effectively painted on the raga canvas producing mellifluous extravaganza that was a repository of deep sensitivity and vidwath.
Suguna Purushottaman
M.A.Sundareswaran’s delightful, instrumental expression was a display of aesthetic artistry. ‘Kumbheswaraya’ on the Lord of Kumbakonam, with pulsating solfa matrices had a sensitive predilection for uncompromising presentation quality. The nostalgia of the Semmangudi school was revived in the outstanding interpretation of the musician bursting with an energetic demeanour and compelling swara statements in the charanam was the spring board for the tani avartanam.
How does one describe Umayalpuram Sivaraman’s superb vidwat, anticipation, rhythmic adeptness, the unmatched capacity to raise the concert to optimum levels, percentage accountability and above all, his towering stature in the Carnatic music diaspora? Sundar Kumar, a consummate kanjira artist was an able participant in the percussion interlude that was an exceptional musical and rhythmic saga.
‘Tiruvarul’ in Atana by Sivan, had buoyant swaraprastharas inherent to the nature of the raga’s vibrancy. The well conceived imaginative raga depiction of kiravani and the hearty response of the violinist wooed the ear in emphatic fashion. The tanam and the pallavi in three kalai set to Chatusra Jathi Triputa with pronounced stress on perfection and cutcheri skills was a scholarly presentation.
Trichur V. Ramachandran.
The ragamalika in Sahana and gavati, a heart melting melody were resourceful while the korvai ran with precision, to reach destination with confidence and ease.
The light pieces ‘Manasasancharare,’ (Sama), ‘Dhikku Theriyatha Katil’ (Subramania Bharatiar) and ‘Karunitho Ranga’ bade a melodic farewell. There might have been sruti lapses but the over all quality of the concert was never diluted.
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