Musician and musicologist Subhashini Parthasarathy, trained in the T. Mukta school, is endowed with a mellifluous voice that has a full range through all three sthayis. Her Begada was a testimony to her musical creativity and proficiency. She explored almost all the phrases (or you call them the pidi) the raga offers. It was so catchy that an old man sitting next to this critic started humming it instinctively. Usha Rajagopalan on the violin did not lag behind in shaping a fine Begada.
‘Thyagarajaya Namasthe’, the vibhakthi kirtana on Thiruvarur Tyagarajar in Rupakam (two kalai) was rendered with the majesty it demands. At ‘Yogisvara Maanasa’, she touched the soul of the raga. Difficult to say if her Begada was better than her Kiravani.
The raga alapana is a special art and Subhashini has mastered it. She literally built a musical edifice phrase by phrase giving life to Kiravani. After reaching the upper shadja, violin took over. Subhashini resumed the alapana to give it a finish. And again the violin took over.
This is the traditional approach to Ragam Tanam Pallavi. Her tanam was equally absorbing. It was a treat to listen to the way she traversed from the lower to the higher octaves with effortless ease. She rendered it in Ragamalika with Bilahari, Hindolam and Madhyamavati.
‘Neerajakshi Kamakshi Nikhilaloka’ was the Pallavi in the extremely difficult tisrajati jhampai in Khanda Nadai, with eduppu six matrais after samam. If it was a test to her musical skill, she came off with flying colours both in pallavi and swaras in all the ragas.
Usha too picked up the thread in no time and proved her matchless proficiency. A.S. Ranganathan on the mridangam was simply superb - both while accompanying and in thani. What naadham he produced! And what mastery he displayed, especially in the thani! The korvais too were amazing. If the concert was a great success fifty per cent of the credit should go to him. Yet, all the time he showed no tension or strain. A true artist indeed! Papanasam Sethuraman on the ganjira, too proved his expertise.
The Kannada kriti of Tyagaraja, ‘Ninnade’ was a breezy, yet impressive rendering. The Tiruppavai ‘Thoomani Maadaththu’ was appropriate for the day. She excelled at ‘Maamaayan Maadhavan Vaikundhan Enrenru’.
(ramakrishnan.h@gmail.com)
