VISAKHAPATNAM: Some concerts are just to hear and some other to be cherished; the concert of renowned prince Rama Varma belongs to the latter and his recent concert at Boat View in Vysakhi Jala Vudyanavam Visakhapatnam is no exception. Known for his melody-laden rendition in perfect conflation of sahitya and sangeeta nuances, he presented a concert rich in aesthetics that sangeeta rasikas of the city would cherish for a long time.
In a departure from the usual template of concert comprising a varnam, sub-main and main piece etc, at the behest of the organizers, he chose to present a smorgasbord of compositions of diverse composers in an endearing way. The way he provides the background details of the origin and significance the compositions taken up, further whetted the interest of audience and his spontaneous sense of humour enlivens the ambience.
He opened the session with a composition of Annamayya Jayalakshmi Vara Lakshmi . Vakkalanka Sarala tuned it in raga Kamavardhini and his brilliant rendition warmed it up. Then he proceeded to pick up Pahimam Srirama ante of Bhadrachala Ramadas in raga Yadukula Kambhoji. Presented in the folk shade of the tune it was peppy all through eliciting a warm response. His choice for delineation was raga Simhendramadhyamam. The krithi for this is Marakatasimhasana Narasimham of MBK in praise of Narasimha Swamy, the presiding deity of Yadagirigutta. His raga essay for it was classy. His aalapana in its evolution from subtle to explicit and from lower octave to upper one in its varied tempos in linear structure was remarkable. The casements of intricate swara suits that he decorated it with are reflective of his command over the matrix of notes.
It was like a rivulet of musical notes meandering across the charming planes of lyrical grace and rhythmic cadence. His uncanny ability to impart the judicious touch of grandeur wherever required ensured the transition and progression in different octaves soft and soothing. He chose a composition of Eraimman Thampi, the Guru of Swathi Tirunal again in raga Yedukula Kambhoji. It was originally tuned in raga Sree by the author but redoubtable Chambai Vydyanath Bhagavatar did it in raga Yadukula Kombhoji and Rama Varma chose the latter version and presented it with aplomb. Though he presented two compositions in same raga in span of hardly an hour, nowhere they did they seem similar standing refreshingly pleasant in different shades.
Rama Varma also encouraged budding artistes to sit behind him on the stage to sing a few compositions along with himCompositions of Purandardasa, Prayaga Rangadas and a Tamil one formed the fare. He rounded it off with Muttiah Bhagavatar’s composition popularly known as Madhurai Mani Iyer note.
Violinist S.R Vinu’s bow sparkled in its robust responses and percussion support by B Harikumar on mridangam and C Karthick on ghatam was a tour de force. Aasaraa, a charitable trust, hosted the event.
