Svanubhava, a significant annual event for art lovers, seeks to develop in budding connoisseurs and musicians a taste for the art and the appreciation of it. Some beautiful encounters -- between the young in the audience and the learned seniors on stage occurred. On the concluding day at Kalakshetra, Vidwan T. N. Krishnan, handling an interactive session with professorial patience, imparted many truths about the violin. His full-length use of the bow was demonstrated, for instance, to present a lilting sangati of Nilambari.
Earlier Professor Krishnan gave alapanas of Begada, Useni and Thodi with equal elaboration and rendered kritis – ‘Vallabha Nayakasya' of Dikshithar, ‘Rama Ninne Namminanu' of Tyagaraja and ‘Thaaye Yasodha,' a creation of Oothukadu -- at an ideal pace, and in that order. The disciplined attention with which he examined music and enjoyed it was evident at all stages of this concert. He offered Sriram Krishnan the second violinist, opportunities during the raga vistaras and swara sessions, which Sriram used adequately. The concert was vibrant.
Importance of practice
The Q & A session came after the concert. Krishnan pointed out that merely using the “bow over the violin” can only produce sound -- it is the simultaneous use of the left hand fingers, both artistically and by practice that can produce all those gamakas and nuances that are the pride possessions of our music. The bow itself can vary from a three quarter bow to a half-bow or quarter-bow. The last is meant for children.
When a concert begins the initial tuning should be done with some gentle “strokes” of the bow and not by making it travel up and down. (He actually played in both the ways and it drew applause from the audience. The message was driven home without any ambiguity.) How does Krishnan make violin playing a divine experience, asked Olena from Russia. “It can be achieved when you think you are always before God when you play, whether practising or playing at a concert. It requires dedication, devotion and understanding,” Krishnan said.
Guruvayur Durai and Vaikkom Gopalakrishnan were admirable in their laya support. Answering a question on his preference between mridangam with straps and those with screws, Durai welcomed the use of “technology” and appreciated the latter. “Though, being an old-timer I would be inclined to play on the latter,” he confessed. Ghatam vidwan Gopalakrishnan was faced with the question: “You hit quite hard on the instrument. Doesn't it break?” “They are sturdy. Known as Manamadurai ghatams, they are very different from those made out of ordinary clay. The casualty could be your hand, not the instrument,” was the reply.
An afterthought: Will Svanubhava succeed in making these young attendees graduate into regular concert-goers? Hope it happens. .
