U. Rajesh showed remarkable confidence as he accelerated the tempo of his concert at The Music Academy by playing a series of kritis in succession. There were no moments of leisure or placid offerings of ragas. Within an hour, he had played about seven pieces with some swara segments.
A speedy Kanada, Adi tala vanam was the start and it picked up further momentum with ‘Vinayaka’ of Veenai Kuppayyar in Hamsadhwani with swirls of swaras. Two kritis carried a certain amount of serenity, Syama Sastri's ‘Marivere’ in Anandabhairavi and Tyagaraja's ‘Ragasudharasa’ in Andolika.
Rajesh announced and played ‘Evarikai Thone Telpuna’ in Manavati. However, the purpose of presenting a rare composition loses its significance in instrumental music because the lyrics are not sung. Even the main, Sankarabharanam did not provide much tranquillity. Tyagaraja’s ‘Swararagasudha’ and the aggressive swara sallies between Rajesh and violinist S. D. Sridhar reached a crescendo after many combinations set on gandharam. Shanmukhapriya was chosen for ragam tanam pallavi. Fortunately, the raga exposition had some relaxed passages. The tanam and pallavi once again turned out to be a fast-paced affair.
Mandolin U.Rajesh. Photo: K.V. Srinivasan
Instrumentalists have the advantage of playing even the impossible phrases and swaras with ease, and this makes them want to prove their skill either through a fast tempo or by demonstrating unusual passages. These can create awe but not contribute anything to the aesthetics of music. This concert held in a sparsely-filled auditorium was more a contest among Rajesh, Bangalore V. Praveen (mridangam) and G. Ravi Chandran (ghatam). The accompanists, though, lived up to the expectations.
Towards the end, the tempo calmed down with a sober rendition of ‘Kurai Ondrum Illai.’’
G. S.
