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Accent on frills
EMPHASIS ON decorative ornamentation of sancharas in the alapana of Sriranjani and Todi was the hallmark of O. S. Thyagarajan's performance for Nadopasana. His style of presentation was formula music well systematised. Over indulgence in swirling sancharas was the way he visualised the aesthetic facets of Sriranjani and Todi. It was left to the violinist Sriram Parasuram to highlight the sensitive face of the two ragas by gana-naya phraseology. Thyagarajan looked for intensity in raga exposition and Sriram Parasuram nuancic insight into the ragas' core.
Thyagarajan's choice of ``Maru-balka'' (Sriranjani) and ``Emi-jesithenemi'' (Todi) paid him good dividends by way of enhancing the quality of the cutcheri. The songs by themselves are performance-boosting items, and when K.V. Prasad on the mridangam took on his hand thrustful backing to the sangatis particularly in the Sriranjani kirtana's anupallavi, the item shimmered with thrill and warmth. Prasad's prolific percussive imagination in embellishing the songs was well matched by glowing melodic touches. Thyagarajan's expertise in swaras was to be noticed in the laya emphasis on the sequences. ``Enduku-nir-daya'' (Harikambhoji) ``Anuragamule'' (Saraswathi) ``Kalyanarama'' (Hamsanadam) were the other items that found a place in his recital.
The vitality and impact of a concert rest on the state of the voice. A vidwan conscious about this major factor would choose ragas for alapana and kirtanas that would not reveal chinks, if any, on the day of performance.
Sangeetha Sivakumar launched on the alapana of Kambhoji when her voice was playing truant even at the very start. Kambhoji is a raga that entails elaboration in the tara sthayi to create a favourable effect on the rasikas. She made a heroic effort and the strain she had to go through was too much for the voice to bear. The kirtana was ``Thiruvadi-charanam.''
Earlier, her Saveri was in contrast smooth-flowing with the madhyamakala song ``Entanerchina''. The Jaganmohini piece ``Sobillu-saptaswara'', in brisk pace, sent signals of entertaining items to follow. But she allowed the recital to sag with the rendering of ``Brovavamma'' (Manji) at a lethargic pace. She could have stepped up the Kalapramana taking note of the behaviour of the voice by then. Structuring and selection of songs define a musician's experience. There was musical generosity in the way V.V.S. Murari extended his violin support. Melakkaveri Balaji on the mridangam backed the vocalist with vividness and consistency.
SVK
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