Flashes of melody

Sankari Krishnan’s raga delineations were inspiring. Priyanka, who has a unique voice timbre, needs to channel her prowess.

December 12, 2013 04:53 pm | Updated September 16, 2016 04:59 pm IST - chennai:

Sankari Krishnan performing at Nalinakanti. Photo: S. Madhuvanthi

Sankari Krishnan performing at Nalinakanti. Photo: S. Madhuvanthi

Sankari Krishnan’s Nalinakanti recital was a well-planned and neatly executed affair. She was ably supported by Anuradha Sridhar on the violin. Both hailing from Lalgudi Jayaraman’s school of music was an advantage in terms of matching wavelength of thought and execution.

Sankari Krishnan has evolved into a competent performer with comprehension of how to frame and provide a good concert by blending fast and slow numbers. Sankari’s Madhyamavati exposition and the choice of ‘Ramakatha Sudha’ was the prime item.

Characterised by the bhava-oriented phrases in the earlier part of the alapana and later shifting to the inspiring and fast set akaras, she painted an upright picture of Madhyamavati’s melody and magic. The niraval and swaras on ‘Bamamani’ were well articulated and the swara streams centring on the panchamam had imagination as well as impetus.

Dharmavati in the first segment of the concert highlighted Lalgudi Jayaraman’s composition ‘Vinayakayunna Dela’ with a tidy raga essay and succinct swaraprastara. Anuradha Sridhar’s ripostes for raga essays and swara sallies showed her command, discipline and maturity.

For quick fillers there were ‘Makelara’ (Tyagaraja) in Ravichandrika, ‘Unnai Thudahikka’ (Papanasam Sivan) in Kuntalavarali, the beautiful Mandari varnam of Lalgudi and closing Chenjurutti thillana. Kallidaikuruchi S. Sivakumar on the mridangam executed his role with perfection and subtlety.

There is always a conflict between what one thinks and what he/she delivers. This was the case with Priyanka C. Prakash, an enthusiastic vocalist. Priyanka’s thoughts could not be translated exactly into vocal language because of her control over her voice. If she could keep a tight leash on it possibly she could exploit her vocal chords’ unique timber as it sounds cool in the middle, lower registers and turns wispy and sharp in the upper region.

Her phrasings and built-up of the main raga, Kapi, showed flashes of melody and lustre and Tyagaraja’s ‘Intha Sowkya’ had enough import with energetic niraval and swaras on ‘Swararaga Sudha.’ Sahana started off with touching phrases but slipped into me

diocrity due to the reasons mentioned earlier. The deliverance of ‘Emanatthichchevo’ (Tyagaraja) was soft and serene. ‘Nee Padamae Gati’ in Nalinakanti (GNB) and the concluding Maund thillana (Lalgudi) served as agile connecting pieces.

Smita on the violin presented promising essays of Sahana and Kapi. She was inspiring and spontaneous in swarakalpana too. Ramkumar’s mridangam kept the tempo of the concert at the right level.

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