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Delicate sketch of raga contours
E. Gayatri... soulful play.
THE OPENING day (December 19) of the 69th South Indian Music Conference and Festival organised by the Indian Fine Arts Society at Bala Mandir German Hall, in T. Nagar, belonged to Sanjay Subramaniam, who gave a delicate colouring to his concert, which made every one feel the music. His exposition of Vachaspati for Papanasam Sivan's ``Paratpara'' and of Suddhadhanyasi for Tyagaraja's ``Needu Charanamule'' was composite covering their contours. The way the swaroopa of Nilambari was involuted into the Ponniah Pillai's sahitya,``Amba Nilambari'' without dilating on the raga itself merited attention and approbation. M. R. Gopinath, on the violin, presented a convincing picture of Vachaspati and Suddhadhanyasi. R. Vaidyanathan's percussion support on the mridangam was pleasing.
M.S. Sheela's schedule, though it started promisingly, was disturbed and distracted by the battering rains, much needed by Chennaites. She began with ``Sobillu Saptaswara'' (Jaganmohini, Tyagaraja) and went on to ``Sri Rama Paadama''(Amritavahini), not much on the rounds. A well- proportioned vinyasam of Kalyani took her through Syama Sastri's celebrated song,``Himadri Sudhe Pahimam". A synoptic version of Atana, preceding that for the more popular Papanasam Sivan's ``Nee Irangaayenil Pagal Aethu", showed her facility to handle ragas both ways without clouding out their essential features. Nalina Mohan's depiction of Kalyani on the violin was lucid and listful. Bangalore V. Krishna (mridangam) and Bangalore K. Venkatram (ghatam) provided adequate percussive support.
Accompanists overdo
The novelty of mandolin in Carnatic music might have faded, with a few others coming on into the field, but the craze still continues and U. Srinivas is still a favourite. He concerted later the same evening, but what took away the core of the entire effort was the over-enthusiasm displayed by the percussionists to the point of being obtrusive, necessitating Srinivas to raise the volume of his instrument. The result - one-upmanship. His raga expositions of Todi, Valaji and Keeravani were mellifluous, smooth and soft. The essay on Keeravani, particularly was an analysis in amplitude. V. Srikanth on the violin was more consistent in his elucidation of Todi, Valaji and Keeravani. Bangalore V. Praveen was on the mridangam and S.V. Ramani, on the ghatam.
Two Vainikas of distinction gave performances on two successive days, E. Gayatri, president of this year's Music Conference and Festival, on December 21 and Geetha Krishnamurthy, a blooming flower in the musical garden, having undergone rigorous tutelage under Chittibabu and acquired a sound theoretical base under Nedunuri Krishnamoorthy. Both played the instrument with considerable ease, the former, with azhutham where necessary to produce the optimum effect. Both played taanam in their major raga, Karaharapriya, Gayatri, for ``Nadachi Nadachi'' and Geetha for "Pakkala Nilapadi", both of Tyagaraja. While Gayatri preferred to go through Madhyakala in Adi tala, Geetha ran her fingers over the frets with faultless precision, even in the third octave without offending the melody. Gayatri's alapana of Sri for Dikshitar's ``Sri Varalakshmi''and of Begada, though brief, for ``Kadaikan Nokki'' was commensurate with the raga's ambit, Geetha's expatiation of Suddhadhanyasi for ``Subrahmanyena Rakshitoham'' (Dikshitar) and Pantuvarali for ``Apparama bhakti'' covered the scope of the ragas in its entirety. While the first was a whole-souled repast, the second was a wholesome treat.
Madirimangalam Swaminathan (mridangam) and E. M. Subramaniam (ghatam) ace-percussionists, for Gayatri were showpieces of accompanying artistes rendering the whole exercise musically enjoyable through rhythmics.
S. Vijendran (mridangam) and A. S. Shankar (ghatam) contributed their best to the musicality of the kutcheri.
A pallavi in Athita eduppu in Tisra triputa marked Prema Rangarajan's performance on December 22, out of the ordinary run. Shanmukhapriya was the ragam employed was gone into in extenso followed by tanam in the three stages with equal facility. The pallavi was wound up in a ragamalika comprising Chandrakauns, Vasanti and Madhukauns, rare ragas. Her ``Sadamathini", of Tyagaraja in Gambeeravani showed her growing in sight into the marvels into the expanding Carnatic system. Bombay S.V. Ramachandran (violin) and Hanumanthapuram Bhuvarahan (mrindangam) were adequate.
Tara Mohan puts across her credentials as a rising vainika on December 21 executing the meettus and drumming the strings in perfect mode. She produced a sketch of Charukesi for ``Krupaya Paalaya Sowre", of Maharaja Swati Tirunal and a brief but broad outline of Ritigowla for Papanasam Sivan's ``Thatwam Ariya tharama".
She did a measured taanam in Adi, after a survey of Hemavati and played ``Sri Kantimatim'' of Dikshitar. Thiruvidaimarudur S. Sankaran's and Ernakulam S. Ramakrishnan's tani on the mridangam and ghatam was exhilarating.
An alapana of Vachaspati, started by Uma, of Chinmaya sisters, was taken over and completed by Radhika, due to a persistent throat problem experienced by the former.
An extended session of neraval and Swara prasthara on ``Samala jaattam'' by both showed their skill in manipulating the swaras. Earlier, Radhika gave a sharp outline of Dhanyasi for Tyagaraja's ``Rama Dhyaname Varamaina".
Neela Jayakumar, on the violin was at her usual best with an unblurred picture of Dhanyasi and Vachaspati. V.R. Jayakumar (mridangam) and N. Guru Prasad on ghatam, were cooperative in their effort. — TPR
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