The Lalgudi odyssey continues
SULOCHANA PATTABHIRAMAN
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History repeated itself as three generations of the Lalgudi School performed at the 50th art festival of Sri Krishna Gana Sabha.
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MEDITATIVE AMBIENCE: Lalgudi Jayaraman (centre) flanked by son Krishnan and granddaughter Samyuktha. Photo: R. Shivaji Rao.
Sri Krishna Gana Sabha celebrated the Golden Jubilee of its art festival and the 75th birth year of vidwan Lalgudi Jayaraman. After the felicitations by dignitaries, Lalgudi presented a splendid violin concert with his son GJR Krishnan and granddaughter Samyuktha, who was making her debut. Tiruchi Sankaran on the mridangam and Neyveli Venkatesh on the kanjira were in charge of percussion.
It was during the first art festival that three generations of the Lalgudi tradition were present in the auditorium. On that occasion, Lalgudi's illustrious guru and father, Lalgudi Gopala Iyer, was in the audience and Lalgudi Jayaraman and son Krishnan on the performing platform.
Most rewarding
During the outstanding musical odyssey of Lalgudi, this event on January 26 would have been the most rewarding, as the sixth generation artiste of the Lalgudi lineage, Samyuktha, had the privilege of being introduced to the kutcheri stage by none other than Lalgudi himself.
From the beginning of the Charukesi varnam composed by the maestro, till the final strains of the mangalam, a meditative, contemplative ambience was established. Mysore Vasudevachar's "Pranamamyaham" in Gowlai with a brief spate of swaras, neat and compact, was an excellent example of how an impressive beginning is half the job done. Saraswathi received such melodic treatment from Lalgudi's violin that it reiterated his reputation of being an Alpha to Omega musician — especially when he nourished the alapana with enchanting panchama varja prayogas.
Although heard time and again, "Anuragamuleni" of Tyagaraja, with Sankaran's superb support, had a refreshing bearing. Samyuktha's sweet exposition of Hindolam revealed her musical sensibilities. "Manasuloni," a kriti of Tyagaraja, the solfa efforts of the three artistes — Lalgudi's innovative and imaginative, Krishnan's rich and authoritative and Samyuktha's accurate madhyama kuraippu with the korvai making a smooth landing on the tarmac, were potent rhythmic displays.
Lalgudi Gopala Iyer's composition in Mohana Kalyani was rendered with a fascinating charm. Krishnan's Kharaharapriya was the brilliant blue chip, studded with time-honoured, luminous sancharas. "Chakkani Raja Margamulundaga" was played with a regal mien and invested with melody, laya perfection and involvement.
The madhyama kala swaras reflecting the quintessence of the raga and the dhurita passages including the immaculate dhaivata kuraippu by Krishnan were stellar efforts. All credit to Samyuktha for meeting the challenge of the seniors with aplomb. To sum up — pedigree speaks.
Sankaran, an outstanding vidwan on the mridangam, and Neyveli Venkatesh, propelled by the unrivalled quality of the music, presented a tani avartanam charged with glowing rhythmic patterns.
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