The concert of Jayanthi Kumaresh for Mudhra’s ‘Veenotsav 2016’ was an engaging ensemble of instruments that included mridangam and ghatam. Jayanthi, who was also presented with the Vainika Mudhra Award, made two significant remarks. One during her acceptance speech and another after the ‘thani avarthanam’. She said that instrumental music drew a large section of music lovers because of its universal appeal, which transcended several barriers; the other remark stressed the extraordinary complexity of the Carnatic music system, which was strong and unique.
The concert demonstrated all her points. The major slice of the programme was an elaborate Ragam Tanam Pallavi in Kharaharapriya. The raga development carried a series of well defined and refined phrases signifying the lakshana at every juncture. With her robust pull and perfect fingering, the gamaka-oriented phrases flowed with brilliant precision especially when Jayanthi complemented the upper register sharp sancharas with the lower, serene ones. The tanam was gripping with a ragamalika embellishment (Hamsadhwani, Chandrakauns and Begada). The brisk pallavi was set in Adi talam.
In the swara section, Jayanthi exchanged the swara sallies with R. Ramesh (mridangam). The swara streams landing on shadjam passed through mutiple combinations before the grand finale.
The thani avarthanam was an interesting and extended one. The sedate drizzle turned into a thunderstorm with quick and sharp repartees between mridangam and ghatam. Thirupunithura Radhakrishnan and Ramesh excelled in their exercises.
‘Ekambresa Nayike’ in Karnataka Suddha Saveri (Dikshitar), ‘Nannu Vidachi’ in Ritigowla, ‘Nenarumchara’ in Simhavahini (both by Tyagaraja), again here the swara segment was another percussion-backed package, and the concluding lilting thillana in Behag (Lalgudi Jayaraman) were the other inclusions.
Except for the inaugural Veenotsav concert, the others were webcast live from the studios of Mudhra.
Youngster KR Shrievats , disciple of Kalpagam Swaminathan, played with energy. Starting with Kedaragowla varnam, he chose rakthi ragas such as Shanmukhapriya (‘Mamava Karunaya’), Bahudari (‘Brova barama’), and showed creditable creativity in detailing Vagadeeswari as the primary raga. He presented an impressive image of it with a stately tanam and the kriti, ‘Paramathmudu.’ His swara spree was good but a tad overdone. Shrievats showed control and care in emphasising sahityam. But he needs to restrain his over zealousness and keep in mind the time factor. ‘Jaya jayananda’ (Purandaradasa) in Nattai and ‘Entavedukontu’ in Saraswati Manohari (Tyagaraja) set Revathi Sadasivam’s recital on a roll. ‘Saraswati Namostute’ in Saraswati, apt for veena was also included . Time-tested Sankarabharanam was her main contribution and the raga essay was replete with the pidis and phrases exclusive to veena to build a melodic web. ‘Akshaya linga vibo’ (Muthuswami Dikshitar), with her neat rendition and niraval, swarakalpana centering on panchamam at ‘Badari Vana’ turned out to be an absolute treat. She signed off with ‘Marubari’, the Khamas javali and Lalgudi Jayaraman’s Yamunakalyani tillana, ‘Bhagyatha Laksmi’ (Sri).
Both concerts enjoyed the soft but controlled percussion support from NC Bharadwaj on the mridangam and Tiruchi Murali on ghatam.
It would be more enjoyable if instrument players announced their choice of kritis, ragas, pallavi and talas.
