Parur style underlined, as usual
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The MSG-Narmada concert provided a glimpse into the sincerity and experience that have shaped their music.
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CONSISTENT: M. S. Gopalakrishnan and Narmada.
M. S. Gopalakrishnan's and Narmada's stature rests on the Spartan discipline ensuring consistency. The way they combine in the presentation of kirtanas and swaras and individual alapana of ragas is an emphatic assertion of the Parur Bhani.
In the recital for the Thiagaraja Sangeetha Vidwath Samajam, the first clutch of songs — "Giriraja Sutha Tanaya" (Bangala), "Sobillu" (Jaganmohini), "Telisirama" (Poornachandrika), "Nadaloludai" (Kalyana Vasantham) and "Anupama" (Atana) — kept the cutcheri momentum going. Narmada's elaboration of Kalyana Vasantham was energetic, releasing spiritedly, sanchara after sanchara.
Beneath Gopalakrishnan's picturisation of Hamirkalyani ("Maanamuleda") and the brief Atana there was a sense of calmness brought about by softened phrasings. The concert provided a glimpse into the sincerity and experience that have shaped their music.
The main raga was Sankarabharanam. B. Sivaraman (mridangam) accompanied in such a way as to make it clear that he understood the mindset of the main artistes.
Hampered by limitations
A strong voice no doubt, but lacking in refinement and flexibility, T. V. Ramprasadh's recital under the auspices of Ariyakkudi Foundation, brought out the circumscribed scope of his vocal ability. Tonal push had to be resorted to, to negotiate any fast phrasing and reliance was therefore on manipulative technique.
The songs selected were not interpreted impressively because of the vocal limitations.
The list comprised "Siddhi Vinayakam" (Shanmukhapriya), "Enta Veduko" (Saraswathi Manohari), "Sankari Samkuru" (Saveri) and the Bhairavi swarajati, "Kamakshi." Saveri was dull in alapana, the turns of manodharma resulting in strained expressions.
Picturisation of the raga lacked sparkle and range. The performance on the whole was single-paced. In such a situation, violinist M. R. Gopinath could not draw much inspiration and so his solo version was also docile. Tiruvarur Vaidyanathan (mridangam) provided some pep by his over-emphatic laya phrasings.
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