Precision in alapana sancharas and patantara purity are the prized performing techniques of Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi. There was ease and sadhana was the core of their musical expertise.
The interpretation of kirtanas — ‘Venugana Loluni’ (Kedaragowla), ‘Enduko Nee Manasu’ (Kalyani) and ‘Harihara Putram’ (Vasanta) — and their structural eminence went hand-in-hand. The siblings played the kirtanas bringing out the musical values of each. The basic training helped their incisive minds to detect moorchana spots in ragas and songs. Their idealism was manifest in their expressive style.
Vijayalakshmi developed Kedaragowla and Krishnan chose Kalyani. The swara-by-swara development of the raga was meticulous and contributed to impressiveness. These aspects confirmed their musical stature, suggestive of their legacy, particularly the variations both in the madhyama and tara sthayis.
The concert gained in thrust by the presence of Tiruchi Sankaran (mridangam). The lyrical finesse of his beats added sparkle to the kirtanas. The percussive support was attractive in styling and exceptionally versatile. The dynamic sweep of korvai pattern and the sheet anchor of their tani spoke of the aesthetic enhancement of laya technique, the hallmark of the Pudukottai School. K.V. Gopalakrishnan (ganjira) had minimal scope, but in the tani, gave his spirited response to Sankaran’s leads.
