An arresting performance

A PRETTY varnam in Behaag on two-beat Adi, `Karunai seivaai Gaja- raja-mukha' (Sivan, Hamsadhvani), Dikshitar's `Ekaamresa naayike' in Malahari, `Adi and Kai kooda venume Kanda, (Latangi, Khandachapu) were the rare openers in T. V. Sundaravalli's musical innings at the R.R. Sabha Hall for Kartik Fine Arts. Starting `Mokshamu galada' at the anupallavi line with Saakshaat was effective in arresting audience attention. Madhyamavati did not contribute as a main item should, although the alapana was well-developed, in contrast to Latangi earlier, which was a little dragging. Dikshitar's `Dharmasamvardhani' (Rupakam) calls for a distinct voice range in the manthara-sthaayi, which, however, was limited.

S. Vijayaraghavan's style of excessive izhaipu failed to infuse life. Yogaraj's mridangam maintained laya without intruding. His short tani was just a closing line for the korvais of the singer in Madhyamavati.

Satisfying concert

Ashok Ramani's inherent sense of music showed in more ways than one in his appearance - to whet his baritone voice, the dwelling on the manthara panchama at length, his briga-esque sancharas, his long and deliberate pauses during pallavi to anupallavi to charanam (to let the mridangam drive the laya into the listeners awareness), his imaginative alapana in Poorvikalyani, rendition of Swati Tirunal's `Deva-deva Jagedeeswara' switch-over to the contrasting Todi, Sivan's `Kartikeya Kaangeya' and the neraval- sanchara at Kurunakai Vadivel. Nagai Muralidharan (violin) followed the singer to the dot, and displayed originality in his alapana, neraval and swaras. Srimushnam Raja Rao executed ringing chaap in his tani, and after completing the last swara-korvai in tisram; after nearly a score of avartanams, handed over the platform to (kanjira - Mayavaram Somu). The customary khanda and tisram put in their appearance. The concert was satisfying, but for a few lapses of sruti.

Rich notesIn the hands of many, the veena has limited potential to reach a wide audience. However, with her good ear for music, R. Jayanthi brought the appeal of the veena to a large gathering through proper playing techniques. Has anyone regarded ``Saami Nee'' in Sankarabharanam, Adi as anything but Varnam Lesson One? And yet how apt it was as an opener for Jayanthi at her concert! Careful avoidance of kakili nishada in the sangati at Vinayakam in ``Siddhi-Vinayakam'' helped maintain Shanmukhapriya distinct without slipping into Simhendra-madhyamam. Tiruppavai (in Nattai) was well-chosen for Margazhi. Single plucks of the string laden with power generated the richer notes of the pianoforte, lending to it an orchestral hue. Extraction of maximum tonic value by use of the second and third strings enriched her alapana in Valaji, Surati and Kharaharapriya. `Manavyaala' put in a brief but welcome appearance.

The mridangam of Bangalore Aswin Kumar and ghatam of Sukanya Rajagopal were in perfect tune with the veena's bhani. Sukanya made abundant use of her left hand, not only to spin out the sollus but also to bring distinct variations in the pitch and timbre of the sounds of the ghatam by regulating the opening of its mouth.

Bold artiste

One comes by a class of bold artistes in the Music Festival now and then - bold in their selection of themes and bold in presenting their essays, quietly confident of their mettle, embedded deep in vintage tint. One such artiste was G. S. Mani (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan). The stretch of exactly 90 minutes of his concert was a breath of fresh air to the listener starving for the uncompromising adherance to the classical format and practice. `Eenta' (varnam, Begada) at medium pace, Sivan's moving piece `Tatvam ariya taramaa' in Reetigowlai and `Saamodam chintayaami', (Suddha-Dhanyasi), let his voice stabilise at its deep rich timbre. Alapana in Manirangu was a product of refined imagination and consummate skill, glossing over the nishada' to avoid stressing it and giving it the colour of `Madhyamavati', and rolling out brigas around `pa- ma-ga-ri' with the heavy output of a turbo, manthara panchama and madhyama. Humble and spontaneous `Aatmaanubhava', essential ingredient in singing, stage or no stage, showed in plenty in his rendition of Patnam Subramania Iyer's kriti `Nara-vara Raghunandana', with a few lines of `manodharma sahitya-sanchaaras' around `Purushottama bhoo-suraadi-sura-gana-sevita'. Voices like Mani's can create an orchestral illusion, as in his Hemavati, `Sree Kaantimatim'. V. Thyagarajan could give pleasant but marginal support, the latter perhaps due to the sag in the strings of the violin at the low sruti; and much of the sound of the mridangam of J. Skandaprasad was lost, except in the short tani which he played.

For a 1 p.m. concert an audience of 50 is impressive. Vasantha Chandrasekhar offered a good fare to them (R.R. Sabha Hall). A tasteful rendition of Purandaradasa's kriti in Kalyana-Vasantam, Khanda-chapu, was followed by a pleasant alapana with melodious `gamakas' in Poorvikalyani, emphasising the `moorchhanas' of the raga, preceding the hallowed `Meenakshi me mudam dehi.' The neraval and kalpanaswara at `vidu vidam' had wide sweeps of pitch, although the structuring could have been better with a little attention. `Muralidhara Gopala' smacked of the sophisticated MLV style of voice culture, as also the item `Muruganin maru peyar azhagu.' Amirtha Murali employed soft bowing to bring about sweet tones from her violin effectively in her gamaka-based delivery. There was adequate adventure in her finger work without stumbling. Palladam Ravi's mridangam was aptly supportive in krtis, niraval and svara. He played a very short tani.

Rare items

Appearance of some rare items characterised the concert of Jayanthi Rangarajan. Varnam `Vanajakshi' in Mandari `Mahaganapate' (Rupakam) and raga Nata-Narayanee (janya of Harikambodi, 28), `Kartikeya Kamalekshana' of Srivatsa in Valaji and `Sri Venkatesa Naatham' of `Palimtuvo' (Tyagaraja, Kantamani, 61st melakarta), with competent kalpanasvara at Pallavi by both voice and violin, more challenging to the former.Restriction of this phase to just a few exchanges spoke of the singer's sound concert sense. Jayamangala Krishnamurti's `tisra-arudi' on her mridangam, in conclusion of this song, showed good taste. In alapana briga dominates over gamaka. Hemamalini's violin was pleasant and free from discordance and screech at the high sruti. Deena Dayalan (morsing) appeared reticent. Subhapantuvaralai alapana was executed pleasantly around madhya and tara sthayis, sidestepping manthara, where Jayanthi's voice did not extend. The opening lines of the relevant song, `Ennalu', (Thyagaraja) call for good audibility in bass, which was short. The composite impression of the concert was one of a wholesome experience.

Pure and flexible

Displaying good taste in kriti-selection, Savitha Krishnan gave a satisfying performance in a flexible voice with more purity than richness. A well-developed Pantuvarali alapana, `Apparamabhakti', and neravalswara at `kapi vaaridhi' took a pleasant half-hour. A competent alapana in Bhairavi (`Baala Gopaala Paalaya') in a two- beat vilame Adi occupied another half-hour. She concluded with a tillana in Revati. S Rathna on the violin was generally helpful, though on occasion one wished she could play more softly in the passages of the kriti where her patanthara differed from the singer's, whose voice lacked power sufficient to rise above the violin's sound. T. K. Ramakrishnan's mridangam was promotive during the accompaniment and original in the tani.

Melodious

Geetha Rajasekhar's recital was marked by a brisk opening and easy flow of the tunes. Her rhythmic items and melodious rendition through an effective voice modulation had the violin, mridangam and morsing in full rapport, starting from Narayana Teertha's kriti in Nattai, Adi, with a few exchanges in neraval and swaras. `Tulasi dala muda che' (Mayamalava Gowlai, Rupakam) with neraval at `Sarasiruha', also in madhyamakalam, showed her adeptness at concertics. Subha-bandhuvarali, in alapana and the subsequent `ennalu' (Tyagaraja, misra chapu) were appealing. Alapana in Hamsanadam was very well-rendered.

Ramdoss offered handsome support on the violin, with imaginative alapanas and appropriate `edir-svara's, In the tani of nearly ten minutes, Skandasubramanian and A. S. Krishnan displayed admirable creative structuring on the mridangam and morsing, while in the rest of the concert they adapted their beats to the correct mood.

In the pallavi-anupallavi- charanam pauses, the singer could have let the percussionists continue over an avartanam for better musical effect-the double-beat vilamba piece `Chakkaniraja' would have taken it. `Muralidhara gopala' and a Saveri- Hamsanandi Sindhubhairavi Tamil vrttam brought the progamme to a finish.

Committed to sweetness

Among the musicians of current times - established ones not excepted can be seen a tendency to flaunt scholarship and complexity of training with scant, or at least subordinated, care for melody, tradition and composition.

One happy departure from this syndrome is Subhashini Parthasarathy. Her two-hour recital at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan was underscored heavily by commitment to sweetness in rendition attention to propriety in `prayogas' correctness in sahitya and perfection in `uchcharana'.

The full range of notes from `manthara dha' to etaara sthayi panchama' kept pouring forth - in inspired grace, not ostentatious demonstration.

The songs had the composers' stamp beyong the mere `mudra', in Seshaachala nayakam' and `Pakkala nilapadi'. Short presentations of Purandaradasa's `Raama, endi Seetaraama' (Vasant Tisra, Adi), `Thathai mozhiyaall' (padam, Kalyani, Subbarama Dikshitar) `Naari mani nee' (Javali in Khamaas) and `Yadava-raaya brindaavana' (Hindustani Basant) wrapped up the exquisite concert in a solemn mood. No musician can raise her stage recital beyond a level.

That Subhashini's concert reached great heights was in no small measure due to the abundant boost it received from A G A Gnanaskandan's glowing support in the violin on alapana, keertana and neraval and svara prastaras. The high tension on the strings, stretched to a tight 5-plus sruti, did not cause ``High- Tension''. listening at any point. The sensitivity of T. Shyamsundar was evident from the Sahana varnam in the deep, resonant melodious sound of his mndangam. His shoft tani covering only the concluding 3 plus 3 cycles. was very pleasant.

P. S. KRISHNAMURTHI

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