Carnatic music essentially expects the performer to learn, practise, internalise and deliver the music with manodharma. Apart from expertise in the complexity of the tala and swara exercises, if the artists raise the bar in providing quality with emphasis on melody, the concert shines.
Sankari Krishnan has gained sweetness in her voice over the years. Her morning recital was a refreshing experience. Starting and concluding her concert with her guru and violin maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman’s varnam in Valaji and thillana in Khamas, she served up interesting raga profiles and swara tracks.
With a quick sketch of Arabhi after the varnam, Sankari chose ‘Jutha Murare’ (Thyagaraja) with a few steps of swaras on ‘Akama Sancharooruda’.
The Saveri alapana was gentle, but the kriti, ‘Sankari Sankuru,’ (Syama Sastri) was vibrant, adding more colour to the niraval and swaras at ‘Syamakrishna Sodari’.
The energy continued with ‘Kamakshi Sri Varalakshmi’ (Dikshitar) in Bilahari. Madhyamavati as the central raga was given a detailed exegesis. The raga itself carries a good measure of piety. This aspect was exploited well by Sankari.
The selection of ‘Saravana Bhava Guhane’ (Papansam Sivan) added to her alapana. The treatise on the pallavi moved on to a colourful and composite swarakalpana.
Buoyant ‘Unnai thudhikka arul’ (Papansam Sivan) in Kuntalavarali and a thillana were the concluding pieces. Ranjani Ramakrishnan’s playing (violin) suited the mood in the raga alapana, swaras and kriti rendition. She never lagged behind at any point and her antiphons were enjoyable. B. Sivaraman (mridangam) and S. Venkataramanan (ganjira) were remarkable through their efficient support and galloping thani.
