Dignity was writ large on the presentation that began with ‘Swaminatha’ (Nattai) complemented by fluid kalpanaswaras. The next piece was ‘Kanchadalaayathaakshi’ (Kamalamanohari). Sarvalaghu effectively guided swaras to the opening line of the pallavi, ‘Arunachala Naadam’ (Saranga). The power of Dikshitar’s imagery held you in thrall as ‘Chandram Bhaja Manasa’ (Asaveri) invoked the cool rays of Soma to bathe both artist and listener in a quiet luminescence amidst a rendition redolent with bhava.
Deep involvement
While not aspiring for the exceptional, the Anandabhairavi alapana was nevertheless unexceptionable, reiterating enduring values through disciplined structuring and tradition-bound sancharas. The beauty of ‘Kamalaambaa Samrakshathu Maam’ shone through Savita’s articulation, her deep involvement highlighting the composer’s plea for Devi’s compassion.
A refreshing wave of contrast rolled in with ‘Shankha Chakra Gada Pani’ (Poornachandrika), with a quick swaraprasthara round.
In the main raga, Poorvikalyani, an intuitive search yielded rich bounty in the lower reaches anchored by definitive phrasing at the gandhara.
In the tara sthayi, madhyama kala prayogas alighting on the shadja and open-throated exploration at the gandhara offered nuggets.
From among his profound compositions, it was the beautiful ‘Meenakshi Memudham Dehi’ that Dikshitar is said to have chosen to immerse his conscious in, as he shed his mortal coil to merge with the Divine.
Savita’s handling of this masterpiece proved that subtlety is her forte, an aspect echoed in the measured, soothing cadences of niraval and swara. Charulatha Ramanujam’s violin strings spoke a language that mirrored the vocalist’s creative vision while J. Vaidyanathan’s command over percussive vallinam-mellinam was a perfect foil to the flow of melody.
