A music fete at Old Kalpathy offered a sumptuous treat for music buffs. Fidelity to sruti, a sharp sense of sahitya and elegance in presentation were notable features of Malladi Brothers’ — Sri Ram Prasad and Ravikumar — vocal recital. After the varnam Karunimpa in Sahana, they rendered Vatapi Ganapathim (Hamsadhwani), suffixing it with a cluster of swaraprastharas. In the kriti Dinamanivamsa too, the swara combinations were vibrant. The serene beauty of Sudhadhanyasi was reflected in an alapana by Sri Ram Prasad; Narayana Ninne was full of emotive bhava.
Malladi Brothers in concert
Ravikumar gave solid proof of his manodharma in his grandiose elaboration of Thodi, which was steeped in classicism. Their portrayal of Dikshitar’s immortal kriti Sree Krishnam Bhaja had plenty of bright spots. Concluding items such as Brahmakatikina (Shanmukhapriya), Saapasya (Jonpuri) and so on were soaked in soulfulness. However, the distinctive stamp that makes the Malladi Brothers a class apart was missing in the concert.
MA Sundareswaran lived up to his reputation as a top class violinist, while accompanying in the typical Parur style. Palakkad Mahesh Kumar (mridangam) and Tripunithura Radhakrishnan (ghatam) extended splendid support.
Chaste rendition
Sreevalsan J Menon whetted the appetite of music buffs with his recital marked by sruti sudha and profound bhava. Commencing with the Thodi varnam Aeranapai , he presented a moving version of Deva Deva Kalayamithe in Mayamalavagowla, appending it with a tuneful niraval and swaras. A short but sweet sketch of Manirangu was followed by Swathi Thirunal’s Jaya Jaya Padmanabha . Andolika vahane , the Utsava Prabandham kriti of Swathi Thirunal in Malayalam, was a pleasing rendition.
Sreevalsan J Menon’s vocal recital
Hamsanandhi alapana was garnished with graceful akaaras and sancharas. In Paapanasam Sivan’s kriti Srinivasa , Sreevalsan sparkled in the swara korvais. Exploring the intrinsic nuances of Surutti in detail, he depicted the raga lakshanas admirably. Tyagraja krithi Geetarthamu was capped by an elegant niraval and innovative swara combinations. The popular Venkatachala Nilayam (Sindhubhairavi) and Aliveni (Kurinji) were aesthetically rendered. A magnificent amalgam of tone and melody emanated from Idappally Ajith Kumar’s violin. Balakrishna Kamath (mridangam) and Vellatanjur Sreejith (ghatam) put up a grand show with their sprightly support.
Delightful presentation
Gifted with a sweet voice, Gayathri Subramanyan’s pleasing stage presence impressed listeners. Strangely, her recital did not include any kriti of the Trinity though there were many a rare piece. She opened the concert with an interesting dharu varnam Sannu thangi in Vasantha, composed by Muthiah Bhagavathar.
Sri Chamundeswari , a fine kriti of Mysore Vasudevachar in Bilahari, was embellished with a lilting Chittaswaram. The delineation of Gaurimanohari, interspersed with lovely sangathis, was a laudable effort. Imaginative swara patterns were woven into the kriti Brova Samaya.
Gayathri Subramanyan
After the swift Uragaraja in Pasupatipriya, she embarked on a marvellous description of Subhapantuvarali, showcasing the raga bhava. The kriti was Muthiah Bhagavathar’s Manonmani , in which niraval was perfunctory but swaraprastharas were delightful. Accompanists Trivandrum Sampath (violin), Balakrishna Kamath (mridangam) and Vellatanjur Sreejith (ghatam) enhanced the impact of the concert.
Melodious notes
UP Raju and V Nagamani immersed the audience in a melodious reverie with their mandolin performance. Striking a chord with the listeners right from the varnam Amma Anandadayini in Gambhiranatta, the couple sustained the same momentum till the end.
UP Raju and V Nagamani’s mandolin recital
A fast-paced Raghunayaka (Hamsadhwani), decorated with glittering kalpanaswaras, made an impact. Tyagaraja’s Nannuvidachi was preceded by an exquisite alapana of Reetigowla by Nagamani.
Subsequent to the Tyagaraja panchartna kriti Entaro in Sri Raga, they took up Kalyani. They excelled in delineating the raga through ingenious sangathis. Their total command over the mandolin was revealed in their swift movements across the instrument, producing a variety of notes.
The once-popular Tyagaraja kriti Vasudevayani was an apt choice; expansive slow and fast movements in the swaraprastharas were impressive. Interesting exchanges between Raju and the percussionists provided a rich treat. Concluding devotional numbers and a thillana in Revathi exuded melody.
K Sekar (thavil) stole the show with his dexterous beats. His son Sunilkumar proved his mettle in handling the ganjira. Payyanur Govindaprasad (morsing) unfolded his amazing skills.
The concerts were held as part of the Mahakumbhabhishekam celebrations at Sri Lakshminarayana Perumal temple.
