Ramakrishnan Murthy’s elevating concert on the opening day of the 65th year Thyagabrahma Gananjali, held at the Kikani Higher Secondary School, Coimbatore, combined azhutham and appropriate kalapramanam.
He began with ‘Lekhana Ninnu’ (Asaveri) that came with enjoyable swaras. The raga vinyasams of Deepakam for the kriti, ‘Kalalanerchina’ and Arabhi for ‘Sadinchane’ were marked by clarity of expression. His negotiation of the tara sthayis, coiled around the gandhara, were punctuated with twists and turns. The mapping of raga Thodi for the kriti, ‘Endukudayarada’ with majestic pidis in the tara sthayi and the supple contours in sancharas proved him a singer of mettle.
Ramakrishnan’s ‘Nagumomu’ in Abheri was evocative. Vittal Rangan (violin) was adept at handling the ragas and swara sallies. Sumesh Narayanan (mridangam) and Chandrasekhara Sarma (ghatam) offered an impeccable support.
The Lalgudi siblings — G.J.R. Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi — produced delectable melody with their strings. Characteristic of the Lalgudi school, their playing was bereft of any inclination on their part to fall a prey to the temptation of a frenetic tempo.
Setting the tone with ‘Mokshamugalada’ in Saramathi, their alapanas of Bindumalini for the kriti, ‘Enta Muddho’ and Ranjani for the kriti, ‘Dunmarga’ made their recital enjoyable. The exchange of swaras between them enhanced the appeal. The delineation of Kanthamani for the kriti, ‘Palinthuvo palimpavo’ with innovative elements will linger long in the minds of the rasikas.
Their combined exercise of Kharaharapriya for the kriti, ‘Chakkaniraja’, with a nonchalant display of their artistry showed their penchant for striking a balance between sruti and bani. K.V. Prasad (mridangam) and K.V. Gopalakrishnan (ganjira) embellished the compositions with right touches of exuberance and subtlety.
Amrita Murali showcased her mature musical sensibilities at the festival. Her rendition of ‘Ramabhakti Saamraajyam’ in Suddhabangala was impressive. Her voice negotiating the octaves and sangatis with ease while portraying Thodi for the kriti, ‘Neevanti deivamu’ from the tara sthayi shadjam added tautness to the structure of the composition.
After an impressive version of ‘Maamava Sathatham’ in Supradeepam and ‘Entanerchina’ (Kharaharapriya), her delineation of Kapinarayani was a sober exercise. ‘Ehi thrijagadeesa sambho’ in Saranga with subsequent explanation by Sreeramkumar revealed Tyagaraja’s plea to Lord Rama to remove all his shortcomings. Her tonal niceties were evident in her raga pictures of Kapinarayani and Bhairavi. Sreeramkumar’s (violin) nuanced raga portrayals were a treat. His swara exercise were classic and refined in taste. Vaidyanathan (mridangam) and Suresh (ghatam) handled the percussive segment with flair. Their tani was well-balanced with soft and vibrant rhythm patterns.
