A la Semmangudi
S. SIVAKUMAR
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Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi created the mood through choice of songs and playing them.
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Photo: K.Pichumani
Aesthetic: Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi.
Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi’s violin concert at the Kasturi Srinivasan Hall, by its very intent and design was able to create the Semmangudi mind-set among the rasikas. She made an educated choice of the songs (and ragas) popularised by Semmangudi and added brief nostalgic notes about each piece before presenting them.
Vijayalakshmi, incidentally, was playing instead of Parasala Ponnammal, who could not perform on account of health reasons.
Evergreen rendition
‘Devadevakalayamithe’ (Mayamalavagowla, Swati Tirunal) would be remembered for its evergreen rendition, and Sriranjani (or Abhogi or Kharaharapriya) stood to gain a majestic aesthetic glow when elaborated by Semmangudi. Vijayalakshmi played the former faithfully to its original and ‘Brochevarevare’ (Sriranjani-Thyagarajar) that followed had swaras rendered with an engaging sway and liveliness.
Semmangudi’s chaste alapana of Hamir Kalyani would make one wonder whether this raga originated in our Carnatic fold and later migrated to the Hindustani world and Vijayalakshmi’s style of vistharam (‘Maanamu Ledha,’ Tyagaraja) did serve to vindicate this standpoint.
There would be no concert of Semmangudi without an Anandha Bhairavi or a Ritigowla and the violinist’s Anandabhairavi with its long and undulating phrases virtually directed one to the kriti, ‘Marivere’ (Syama Sastri). ‘Nenarunchinanu’ (Malavi, Tyagaraja) came next in the desired and accustomed pace, a la Semmangudi, who sought to uplift the tempo of a concert by wrapping up this kriti in the right kalapramanam.
‘Sri Dakshinamurthe’ (Dikshitar, Sankarabharanam) had an exemplary mix of formally structured prayogas and soothing tender nuances during the alapana and the rendering of the song. The post-thani session had the Sivan compositions ‘Saravana Bhava’ (Shanmukhapriya) and ‘Idadhu Padham’ (Khamas) and the Mohana Kalyani Thillana. J. Vaidhyanathan (mridangam) and Anirudh Athreya (ganjira) gave a thani of ideal duration that displayed rhythmic vitality and their nadai selections, by choice, was always closest to the patterns (pokku) of the songs.
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