Singing for Indian Fine Arts Society on Saturday last, Rama Varma was his usual self, inviting the audience to learn as they listened. ‘Sarasija Nabha,’ the popular varnam in Khambodi, was perhaps the lone piece of the evening that passed without Varma’s humorous introduction and insight.
His delivery in chatusram, tisra nadai and the faster tempos spoke of his ease and diligence, undiminished by the rigours of an unusually long travel from Tiruvananthapuram that afternoon. As he went through the many charanaswaram, you began to wonder if there was anything more to Khambodi than what you heard in those few minutes. But that is the sense several varnams, particularly those in Ata talam, evoke in many listeners, which an astute artiste exploits to the hilt.
Selective kritis
The recital, held at PRC Centenary Hall in T. Nagar, Chennai, had been conceived to remember the musical genius of Maharaja Swati Tirunal. the 19th-century king and composer, whose tremendous felicity in different languages and ragas remains something of an enigma unto this day. Rama Varma presented a representative selection of the Maharaja’s works in about two hours.
The first of these was ‘sadhu dadhi nija bhamini,’ in ragam Vakulabharanam. The lyrics were set to tune while on a flight from Mumbai some 20 years ago and the notations scribbled on a serviette, Rama Varma told this scribe after the concert. But he had little idea at the time, either about the 14th Melakarta ragam, or that his tune bore the shape of Vakulabharanam.
The kriti, Rama Varma told his audience, was from Swati Tirunal’s opera on Kuchelopakhyanam, detailing Kuchela’s return home from Dwaraka. As with his illustrious late guru, Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, the disciple made a point of showcasing the many musically aligned lyrics, or swaraksharam. Again, the long improvisation was a display of Varma’s virtuosity, as of his accompanist on the violin, Trivandrum S.R. Vinu.
The composition, ‘Pannagendra Sri Padmanabhaa,’ which followed, was featured perhaps rather early in the recital, considering that it was a padam. The choice of this ragamalika was nevertheless perfectly in order, given its richness and complexity. Set in Sankarabharanam, Khambodi, Nilambari, Bhairavi, Thodi, Surutti, Mayamalavagowla and Revagupti, the tune is meant to depict the nayika’s longing through the different stages ( yamas ) all night.
‘Sarasiruha naabha,’ set to tune by Balamuralikrishna in raga Desakshi, had a distinct Hindustani touch, even as it bears close affinity with Bilahari.
‘Devi paavane, seve charane,’ the third Navaratri composition of Swati Tirunal in raga Saveri, was the lead piece of the evening. Listeners should be forgiven for drawing comparisons with M.D. Ramanathan during Rama Varma’s alapana and recalling the celebrated ‘Bhavayami Raghuramam,’ during kalpanaswarams. B. Harikumar’s sensitive mridangam solo received repeated acknowledgement from the vocalist.
The purpose of the second padam in the performance, ‘Aliveni endu cheyvu,’ was to highlight the beauty of Manipravalam, a blend of Malayalam and Sanskrit.
And finally, ‘Kamalanayana Jagadeesvara Gamana,’ a Balamuralikrishna tune in raga Vagadiswari concluded the Swati mahotsavam for the day.
