“These more than 100-year-old esraj and dilruba, so dear to my mother Satyavati Mallick, who kept playing them till she breathed her last; could not have found a better place than this institution, where they would be respected and used.” This was what the overwhelmed Kapila Vatsyayan said on occasion of the annual Malhar Utsav, where she was invited as the guest of honour; before gifting the rare musical instruments, the precious possessions of her family, to the Department of Music University of Delhi.
The Festival organised by the Faculty of Music & Fine Arts, was preceded by this special ceremony where Vatsyayan handed over the two instruments to Prof Yogesh Tyagi, the Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University in the presence of Prof Suneera Kasliwal, the Dean and Head Faculty of Music & Fine Arts and the gathering comprising of music loving guests, teachers and students. This was followed by the screening of a short film on Faculty’s Museum of musical instruments, where these two instruments would be kept along with other antique instruments like veena, mridangam, pakhawaj, chenda, naqqara et al.
It was a rare opportunity not only to witness the fast disappearing esraj, but also to listen to a full-fledged esraj ensemble, on the inaugural day of the two-day Malhar Utsav. Prof. Buddhadeb Das and six of his well-trained students from Vishwa Bharati University, (Santiniketan), presented the most eminent of Malhars, the Miyan Ki Malhar, created by Miyan Tansen. The way Das delineated the raga with the detailed alap-jod, where each one of his students took turn in the gradual sur-dar sur barhat; created the ideal ambience of the melodious monsoon raga. The alap-jod was followed with a couple of compositions set to Jhap taal and Teen taal. The well conceived performance, with Subhabrata Chakraborty on tabla, was impressive but for the prolonged jhala, that became repetitive with all the six students taking turns.
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Malhar Utsav was ironically opened with a tabla ensemble conducted by Dr. Rishitosh Kumar playing Mangal Dhwani. This was followed by a melodious sarod recital by Smit Tiwari who actually opened the Malhar Utsav with the foremost Miyan Malhar. The Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar awardee Smit impressed with tunefulness and sensitivity to swaras. His detailed alap-jod-jhala and the two compositions in medium tempo and Drut Teen taal vouched for his in-depth talim and rigorous riyaaz. Smit was ably accompanied on tabla by Rashid Zafar.
Vishnudev Namboothiri, a brilliant Carnatic vocalist from Chennai presented an alluring Amrit Varshini with its famous composition “Anandamrit karshini Amritvarshini….” composed by Muthuswamy Dikshitar who also created this raga to invoke the rain Gods. Namboothiri rendered raga Brindavan Sarang next and concluded with a thillana in raga Miyan Malhar especially composed for this occasion by him and his vocalist wife.
The second day opened with a group rendering of Amrit Varshini conducted by Prof. P.B. Kanna Kumar, by the Carnatic music students of the faculty. Mangal Varsha, an interesting composition in Megh, Gaud Malhar and Miyan Malhar set to Jhap taal and Teen taal came next presented by the sitar and vocal students of Hindustani music, conducted by Dr. Gopal Krishna Shah and Vineet Goswami. The pakhawaj recital by Pandit Dal Chand Sharma, with his powerful Megh Paran and the impressive depiction of rain showers in his concluding jhala in Chautala received thunderous applause.
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Malhar Utsav concluded with the vibrant vocal recital by Gauri Pathare accompanied on harmonium by Vinay Mishra and tabla by Shailendra Mishra. Gauri opened with a sumptuous rendering of Gaud Malhar with the traditional bada Khayal “Kahe ho…” and a couple of compositions set to Drut Ek taal and Teen taal. She presented next raga Sur Malhar’s famous bandish “Badarwa barsan ko aaye…” composed by Kunwar Shyam, before concluding with a Kajri. Gauri’s greatest asset is her well-cultured sonorous voice, which was obvious throughout her recital. She also impressed with her authentic exposition of the raga format and neat enunciation of the lyrics.