The setting at the renovated Sringeri Pravachana Mandiram and a good crowd of rasikas created an appropriate ambience for Sikkil Mala Chandrasekhar’s flute recital.
An extensive alapana in Sankarabharanam with a sprinkling of sweet phrases, followed by a mature interpretation of Syama Sastri’s ‘Sarojadalanetri’ (an MS special) on goddess Meenakshi must have satisfied the listeners. Kalpanaswaras at ‘Korivachina’ were apt. In the alapana and kalpanaswaras, the response of K. J. Dilip (violin) was admirable. Little wonder, for he is a disciple of M.S. Gopalakrishnan.
The Thani by R. Sankaranarayanan (mridangam), who scrupulously follows the style of his Guru, Srimushnam Raja Rao, had a few soft and attractive kanda nadai strokes. The concluding korvai was remarkable.
Mala Chandrasekhar’s detailed Kapi alapana had the touch of experience. In the gimmick-cluttered music of today, her presentation was marked by spirituality. Dilip’s interpretation of Kapi was equally original.
Thyagaraja’s ‘Meevalla gunadoshamemi’ in a pleasant khanda chapu came off like a musical fountain. Mention should be made of a few lovely phrases offered by Sankaranarayanan on the mridangam which further embellished the kriti. Mala’s kalpanaswaras revealed the stamp of patanthara.
Earlier, she rendered ‘Gajavadana’ (Sriranjani) of Papanasam Sivan, with kalpanaswaras at the pallavi. The alapana in Hamir Kalyani brought out the in-built weave and flow of the raga.
Mala’s rendering of Chandrasekhara Bharathi’s ‘Sarade karunanidhe’ (misra chapu), well-tuned by Sriramkumar, was brilliant. Bharathi Thirtha Swamigal’s ‘Bhajare loka gurum’ in Abheri was refreshing.
After a an elaboration of Dwajavanthi, she took up Dikshithar’s ‘Akhilandeswari,’ on the Goddess at Thiruvanaikaval. Annamacharya’s ‘Anjana Thanayudaina’ was tuned by Pantula Rama in a lilting Kadhanakuthuhalam in tisra nadai.
Swamy Dayananda Saraswathy’s ‘Vandeham Saradam’ in Yamuna Kalyani (misra chapu) added to the devotional ambience. The Kamas thillana composed by Patnam Subramania Iyer was the right choice for flute.
Mala Chandrasekar’s devotion to MS was evident in her opening piece on Dakshinamurthy as well as her concluding number, ‘Maithreem bhajatha’.
