The excellence of V.V. Subramaniam’s violin recital in the Carnatica- Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha series was the superb quality of sound or Nada. Only a few musicians have the ability to provide insight into the sookshma of nada in their exposition.
The distinctive feature of VVS’s play was his sensitive and deep understanding of this aspect. He presented the Chitharanjani kirtana “Nada Tanum Anisam’’ with all his heart. There was depth and appeal all the way. He was accompanied by his son V.V.S. Murari.
The veteran’s career has, over the years, emphasised the dynamic element of his cultural and musical evolution. Raga lines, particularly in Khambodi (‘O! Rangasayee’), glided beyond the arohona avarohana and swara derivatives. The raga was a blend of vintage classicism and accent on nuances, subtleties and rasa to cater even to contemporary tastes. Raga bhava and the gift of suggestiveness were the exceptional features, that VVS shared with Murari.
VVS’s presentation showed him as a master at the height of his prowess. The exhilaration of the Khambodi alapana and the emotional kirtana looked as if the veteran wanted to convey that music has to envelop the mind. It was an interpretative dip into the majesty and grandeur of Tyagaraja’s genius. The charm of ‘O! Rangasayee’ is that its magic never fades. There was finesse in VVS’s presentation.
“Nannu Brovu Lalithe” (Lalita) and “Terathiyagarada” (Gowlipantu) preceded the Khambodi piece. In these two kirthanas, his fingering felicity and gentleness of bowing to bring out gana-laya, enhanced their depth.
Percussive support came from Trichur Narendran (mridangam) and Tirupunitura Radhakrishnan (ghatam). The role of Narendran was not just energetic in tani. It liberated the chords of refinement, and focussed on the tala aspect.
