Unnikrishnan's vocal recital with S. Varadarajan (violin), B. Harikumar (mridangam) and Tripunithura Radhakrishnan (ghatam) as accompanists attracted a considerable turnout. Although husky undertones and a slight tremulousness in sahitya enunciation indicated that all was not well with his voice, the artist's intelligent handling of alapana and kalpanaswara shifted attention from vocal dexterity to musical content.
In Papanasam Sivan's ‘Gajavadhana' (Sriranjani), the vocalist added colour and interest to swarakalpana by approaching the eduppu with a plethora of permutations. The approach here as well as in kalpanaraswaras in successive pieces, bore the distinctive stamp of the Madurai Mani Iyer bani, evident in swara articulation and manner of ‘odukkal.'
In ‘Vara Narada' (Vijayasri, Tyagaraja), Unnikrishnan again played to his strengths in the swara segment as sparks flew in the lead up to ‘Prakatambuga,' janta clusters grouping and regrouping in energising combinations.
Rasikas were in for a treat with the Malayamarutham alapana, the melodic impact of which lingered even post concert. Gentleness permeated the essay moulded by jarus and velvety glides that retained grip at landings reinforced by pidis. Papanasam Sivan's ‘Karpaga Manohara' was embellished with more brigas than karvais as fillers at pause landings between sangatis, possibly dictated by ‘saareera vasadi.' Aptly reflecting sowkhyam as the leitmotif, Varadarajan's delineation was excellently structured, concise and brimming with raga essence, prompting Unnikrishnan to call for a second round of well-deserved applause for the violinist.
With the entry of Andolika, the main piece, there was a discernible shift in mood. Short, sweet, veena-style sancharas minimised vocal strain, while patterning with janta groups lent texture. The voice opened up in the tara sthayi where the karvai-laden halt at the rishabha and easy reach at the madhyama highlighted by judiciously chosen nagaswaram-style coils added punch and power. While the melodic element was constant, what went missing was the fluidity – those quicksilver streaks that whiz from base to apex leaving you shaking your head in wonderment. Varadarajan's version, while faithful to the vocalist's did not break new ground either. Understandable, since it takes a while to get into the skin of a raga like Andolika. Tyagaraja's ‘Raga Sudha Rasa' with swaras in two kalas found favour with listeners. In melkala swaras, it was particularly interesting to note the adaptation of a GNB staple to Madurai Mani Iyer dynamics. The thani was a high voltage session with Radhakrishnan matching Harikumar's sollus in strokes that combined clarity with vitality.
Overall, it was a presentation in which showmanship took a back seat and the seasoned artist's cache of experience came to the fore. Experimental forays in alapana and swara were tempered by restraint and caution. The concert seemed more of a trial run for the artist to emerge in full throttle, no holds barred.
