K Saketharaman is one such young vidwan who has fully utilised his natural gift, well groomed by a great guru Lalgudi Jayaraman. He has a good, sharp voice and total control over sruti and laya. His Shanmugkhpriya was the very definition for the mysterious, yet enchanting raga. The alapana was expansive in quantity and quality, yet bereft of repetition. H K Venkatram on the violin offered a rich delineation. The kriti chosen was ‘Marivere dikkevarayya’ of the brilliant composer Patnam Subramania Iyer, who was himself a leading musician and was a distinguished pupil of Manambuchavadi Venkatasubba Iyer, a scion and disciple of Tyagaraja. (Incidentally, Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer, Sarabha Sastrigal and fiddle Venkoba Rao were also the disciples of Venkatasubba Iyer.) Niraval and swaraprastaras at the usual Sannuthanga Sri were lively and delightful.
The thani offered by the unequalled Neyveli Skandasubramaniam (mridangam) and the new entrant Alathur Rajaganesh (ganjira) was a rhythmic luxury. The latter is the grandson of Alathur Subba Iyer.
After the liberal exposition of Shanmukhapriya, Saketharaman chose The Ahiri kriti of the Saint ‘Sompaina’ in Misra Chapu. And then he took up the Ranjani RTP. If the Raga and Thana were a veritable delight to the ears, the Pallavi, ‘Balakrishnam Vasudevam Chinthayeham Santhatham Deenabandhum’ in Chathusrajathi Triputai Khanda Nadai, eduppu at atheetham was a connoisseur’s delicacy. The melodious swaraprasthara had a ragamalika part as well including an enjoyable Dhanyasi and a lilting Brindavanasaranga.
He commenced his concert with the immortal Thodi varnam, Era Napai and Thyagaraja’s Sogasukha Mridanga Talamu. His elucidation of Kumudakriya was refreshing and the rendering of Dikshithar’s “Ardhanareeswaram’, simply superb. Kalpana swaras were at ‘Aagamadi Sannutham.’ ‘Paramukhamelara’ in Suruti reminded one of GNB.
Saketharaman concluded his dazzling recital with Ayye Meththakkadinam, a thillana and Papanasam Sivan’s ‘Karpagame.’
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