While listening to Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam, I was amazed by her extraordinary skill in gathering the traditional aspects of a raga and a tala to extract the inherent classicism. She was at home while portraying ragas that evening. Controlled brigas, swift raga phrases and manodharma were her strong points. The rasikas who turned up that evening must have enjoyed the compact and subtle intricacies that she packed into each raga essay.
The temple mandapam set at Sathguru Gnanananda Hall provided the ideal backdrop. In the main raga Kiravani, Vijayalakshmy could weave a web of charm with her melody and eloquent nuances. The detailed alapana offered appealing glimpses of her creativity.
On the violin, Mysore V. Srikanth’s alapana was soothing. Tyagaraja’s ‘Kaligiyunte’ was the chosen krithi. “If only I had worshipped you like Prahlada, Narada, Parasara or Ramadasa did, I would have also got a favourable destiny,” says the composer.
Poongulam Subramaniam (mridangam) and N. Guruprasad (ghatam) offered an attractive thani. As usual, Poongulam displayed excellent virtuosity.
Vijayalakshmy commenced with Dikshitar’s Gowla krithi, ‘Sri Mahaganapathi’ in Misra Chapu. This piece has a lovely solkattu chittaswara interspersed with jatis. After a sketch in Nalinakanthi, she rendered GNB’s ‘Nee Padame Gathi’ (Rupakam). Her melodic voice lent a special charm to this composition.
Mysore Vasudevachar was fortunate to have studied under Patnam Subramania Iyer at Tiruvayyaru. Vasudevachar received such a rigorous training that the Guru took three months to teach him the Begada varnam, ‘Marachi’. Vijayalakshmy rendered his elegant Ranjani kriti ‘Pranamamyaham Sri Prana Natham’ in Misra jati Triputa on Lord Anjaneya with dignity. The swaras were at the madhyamakala point, ‘Ranjini Raga Toshitam.’ The alapana had a bouquet of soft phrases. Srikanth too etched an aesthetic elucidation.
Periasamy Thooran’s Saveri kriti, ‘Muruga Muruga’ is a pleasant and popular piece. Vijayalakshmy added sheen to it through a charming rendering of Pillai Tamizh viruttham. Purandaradasar’s ‘Kodubega Divyamathi’ in Vasantha with swaras at pallavi was a fast piece.
Vijayalakshmy concluded her recital with ‘Sarvam Brahma Mayam’ (set to Madhuvanthi by S .Rajam) and the thillana of Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna in Kuntalavarali.
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