A flute recital by B. Vijayagopal, accompanied by Nalina Mohan (violin) and N. Vasudev (mridanga), was hosted by the ICCR in collaboration with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore, recently.
The performance began with Papanasam Sivan's “Mooladhara Moorthy” in Hamsadhwani raga and aditala, reinforced with fluent and melodious kalpana swaras. A compact alapana of Purvikalyani embodying the essence of the raga, heralded Thyagaraja's “Jnanamosaga Raada” in rupaka tala, played in a mellow tempo that provided an effective contrast to the previous item. However, a few rounds of neraval and kalpana swaras would have augmented the impact.
A systematic and imaginative elaboration of Nalinakanthi, replete with sweet phrases led to Thyagaraja's “Manavyalakincharadate” in aditala, which also began in a leisurely tempo but was speeded up in the charanam and adorned with a modicum of attractive kalpana swaras. A bracing “Sarasa Samadana” in Kapinarayani raga and aditala prefaced the main raga of the evening, Mohanam.
The alapana progressed quickly to the tara sthayi shadja and beyond, and included a fairly detailed treatment of the mandra sthayi in the final stages. Mysore Vasudevacharya's “Rara Rajeevalochana Rama” in aditala was supplemented with kalpana swaras in two speeds and included some ragamalika swaras, culminating in a brief thani avarthana. Soft and evocative renditions of “Krishna Nee Begane Baro” in Yamunakalyani and “Jagadoddharana” in Kapi brought the concert, which was enhanced by apt and pithy responses from the violinist and expert support from the percussionist, to a close.
A vocal concert by G. Ravi Kiran, accompanied by Charulatha Ramanujam (violin), Tanjore Praveen Kumar (mridanga), and M.A. Krishnamurthy (ghata), was part of Ananya's Ugadi Utsava, a three-day festival of music.
Full justice was done to the grandeur of “Viriboni”, the atatala varna in Bhairavi, in the gamaka laden presentation with which the concert opened.
The striking arrangement and deployment of the sahithya and delicate nuances were highlighted in the artiste's mellow interpretation of Thyagaraja's “Vinathasutha Vahana” in Jayanthasena raga and aditala, suffixed with free flowing kalpana swaras.
A spontaneous and succinct alapana of Purvikalyani, which however could have been structured more proportionately, prefixed a fine rendition of Shyama Shastri's “Ninu Vinaga” in mishra chapu thala, reinforced with a sumptuous neraval and kalpana swaras in two speeds at “Paramalobhulanu”.
“Ramachandrena” in Manji and “Himagiri Thanaye” in Shuddhadhanayasi followed in quick succession.
The main raga of the performance, Bilahari, was elaborated in detail. While smooth modulated phrases around the panchama also illumined the significance of the madhyama, remarkable clarity and control were explicit in the plethora of sancharas at the thara shadja and gandhara, and in the mandra sthayi during the descent.
The vintage charm and classicism enshrined in the multiple intricate sangathis of Thyagaraja's “Naa Jeevadhara” in adi thala were clearly and meaningfully articulated.
Though the major part of the exercise was restricted to the first speed, the ensuing kalpana swaras stayed true to the tone and tenor of the krithi itself, underscored by outstanding improvisational inputs from the violinist and exemplary understanding and anticipation from the percussionists.
