Carnatic music has never been alien to the electric guitar of Prasanna. At the concert for Naadhabrahmam, his rich patanthara came into focus. His list for the evening included ‘Neelayadakshi’ (Muthuswamy Dikshitar, Paras), not often heard in concerts. Apart from the compositions of the trinity, Prasanna also presented two of Patnam Subramanya Iyer's and two of his own compositions.
Prasanna’s alapana is preceded by a teaser that has a few phrases of the popular kritis in the raga. Picking up a line from 'Sri pathe,' he took up Garudagamana in Nagaswarali. The beauty in each note of the pentatonic scale was well brought out.
Prasanna's proficiency over the instrument is appreciable. He sticks to tradition in handling the ragas during the alapanas. Right from the varnam in Andolika (GNB), till the elaborate rendition of ‘Marivere’ in Lathangi (Patnam Subramanya Iyer) the concert was set in perfect classical format. It then switched to a semi-western pattern with a song dedicated to his young daughter and another one for his students at the institution, where he teaches music.
In the opening session, ‘Vallabhanayakasya’ of Dikshitar in Begada and ‘Endaro Mahanubhavulu,’ the Sri raga Pancharatna kriti of Tyagaraja had all the gamakas in place on the Western instrument and that set the expectations high. The speedy kalpanaswaras did not add to the melody quotient.
Prasanna chose to indulge in sruti bedham in both Latangi and the Madhyamavathi raga alapanas, which apparently proved ro be a overdose.
The senior vidwan Mannargudi Eswaran on the mridangam added colour to Prasanna's kalpanaswaras set in fast pace. Setting the volume a tad louder to match the sounds of the electronic instrument, he led Karthik on the ghatam and the young Venkataraman on the ganjira to interesting rhythmic patterns. The Tani avarthanam was aimed to satisfy both the Carnatic music rasikas and the lovers of modern version of the style and it achieved its purpose.
With the kind of repertoire Prasanna has and the ability to bring out the gamakas, anuswarams and spuritams, he should think of presenting a serene classical Carnatic concert in its original form, which will surely warm the heart of the purist.
