Opening with the Nattakurinji varnam ‘Chalamela' in which nuances and jarus lent delicacy, Bonala Sankara Prakash added kalpanaswaras with a touch of class in his veena recital for Sarvani Sangeetha Sabha.
Bonala played two kritis ‘Gajavadana' (Sriranjani, Papanasam Sivan) and ‘Janaki Ramana' (Suddha Seemanthini, Tyagaraja) that stood out for clarity of sahitya and defining strokes.
Displaying a high degree of virtuosity, the artist outlined a memorable Vasantha alapana in which rapid passages alternated with languorous phrasing.
Impressive exposition
A brisk ‘Rama Rama' (Purandaradasa) supported swara exchanges between violin and veena that were a veritable treat, skimming registers with a leap here, a pirouette there that drew spontaneous applause. The final swara round had kuraippu centred at the shadja.
A lovely rendition of ‘Paramathmudu' (Vagadeeswari, Tyagaraja) captured the essence of serenity. In an impressive exposition of Amritavarshini for the RTP suite, sonorous mandra sthayi sancharas provided sharp contrast to the quicksilver forays and ravai sangatis in the madhya sthayi.
The violinist's response drew upon a happy mix of technique and instinct to tune in to the artist's manodharma.
Senior vidwans M.A. Krishnaswami (violin) and Tiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam (mridangam) took the aural experience to a higher plane with their expertise. Madipakkam Murali (ghatam) made his presence felt during the stimulating tHani shaped by Bhaktavatsalam's inspiring lead.
In the current scenario, the veena is not an easy instrument on which an artist can earn plaudits for his/her vidwat.
Bonala Sankara Prakash succeeded in doing so, seemingly effortlessly.
Fingers flying over strings with the ease born of natural talent, hard work, and arduous practice, this artist's music speaks of great dedication and commitment to the enduring values of classicism.
