Nartaki Natraj's recital at the Sruti Foundation's Awards function, held at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, was a trip down memory lane with focus on rare compositions of the Thanjavur Quartet.
From the beginning number – the kavutuvam – to the mangalam in Vasantha ragam, Nartaki's performance was redolent with the old world charm of Guru Kitappa Pillai's authoritative expositions of the Thanjavur Quartet and came packaged with the voice of experience.
Emphasis on harmony
Of special interest to art lovers were the fascinating insights into the tapestry of the teermanams and the emphasis on harmony. For instance, the Subramaniam kavutuvam was tailored so that the sollu kattu syllables like the ‘jhana kitta' recalled to the ear Lord Muruga's battle to vanquish the demon Soorapadman. Dedicated to the lord of Tiruchendur, the measured tempo that set the calm mood in the recital contrasted with the present day preference for pace which when overdone ends up in glitz.
‘Sri Raja Rajeswari' in Rama Manohari was an evocative lyric which magnified the prowess of the goddess and the mystique of the sree peetam and also underlined the erudition of the lyricist.
Incidentally this had been penned as a dedication by the Quartet to the guru, none other than Muthuswami Dikshitar.
The piece de resistance of the evening was the pada varnam in Thodi ‘Mohalagiri Konden.' One got to appreciate the refinements in the rhythm, as within the construction of each theermanam or the starting point of each arudi as today more often than not it is customary to start off on the samam (of the talam cycle). Nartaki recounted the shades of calculation that demanded mastery from both the guru and the disciple.
Lord Rajapopala was brought into the picture in the anupallavi by the dancer, who is acknowledged for her proficiency in nayaki bhava. Here, the depiction flashed on the sanchari where Krishna pretends a headache.
Even as the gopikas rush around frantically for some remedy, Krishna declares that only a balm made of the dust from the feet of his beloved gopikas would cure him.
While the dancer set a smooth flow with the varnam, the narrative in the Kavadi chindu was erratic.
The links between depicting the mother who bemoans over the eloping of the daughter and Lord Muruga's craftiness remained loose and made for some discontinuity.
With the thillana in Sankarabharanam and the exquisite mangalam in Vasantha ragam, Nartaki furthered the aura of scholarship and greatness of the masters.
