There were long queues of cars parked in front of the Nehru Park when the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY) in collaboration with the NDMC organised its Music in the Park concert featuring Ustad Irshad Khan in a surbahar recital and Hindustani vocal by Gaan-Saraswati Kishori Amonkar.
Belonging to the famed Etawah Imdadkhani Gharana, Irshad is the son and disciple of Ustad Imrat Khan, the younger brother of Ustad Vilayat Khan. His choice of the sombre evening raga Shri was apt for the rare and sober instrument like the surbahar. Opening with a detailed alaap-jod-jhala in the authentic Beenkar style, he played his own composition set to Chautal in the conventional dhrupad ang. Dr. Anil Chaudhary, who accompanied him on pakhawaj, was equally brilliant. It was, in fact, difficult to believe that he is an eye surgeon, retired from RML Hospital, who is also trained in Kudau Singh tradition of pakhawaj, playing to this professional level.
Irshad continued the same composition in faster tempo also concluding with the climax of jhala. Normally, the instrumentalists switch over to Teentala in the jhala sequence, but Irshad remarkably maintained the 12-beat cycle of Chautala till the end. He concluded his surbahar recital with a dhun in Manjh-Khamaj set to the addha theka which he treated in thumri-dadra style.
Vidushi Kishori Amonkar was accompanied by Milind Raikar on violin, Shreyas Govitrikar on harmonium, Pradeep Dikshit on tabla and two of her disciples Tejaswini, her granddaughter, and Nandini Bedekar providing vocal support.
She opened her vocal recital with Bageshri, the most appropriate raga of that time of the evening. It took her time to warm up as she had a sore throat, but once she did, she was in her usual form.
The traditional Bada Khayal “Kaun gat bhai…” set to slow Teentala as per the convention of the Jaipur Atrauli Gharana, was dealt with emotional appeal during the leisurely progressing alap badhat with the gradual sequential treatment of the raga in unique permutations and combinations of swaras.
The drut khayal “Eri main kaise ghar jaun…” set to adha Teentala was adorned with variety of taans that shot up till the Pancham of the higher octave.
Amonkar concluded with the famous composition “Lagi re mori nai lagan…” set to drut Ek Taal in raga Kamod. The brilliant accompanists, especially her disciple Milind Raikar on violin, enhanced her memorable concert.
