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A cool green concert
THE HALL was far from full. But those who attended the recital of the Rudrapatnam Brothers at the Krishnagana Sabha were lucky to hear that vanishing kind of music called ``sowkhya sangitam." Not a single note or beat was out of step with tradition. There have been occasions when this approach made for lacklustre presentation but on that day, conservativeness did not mean deadwood but cool greenery. ``Entara nitana" in Harikhamboji kindled interest with its sound treatment of swara. The alapana of Sriranjani, followed by ``Sridumdurge" had sheen and solidity as the prayogas were rooted in old gold. Or take the Oothukadu sahityam ``Marakatamanimaya chela" which preserved the resounding quality of music and the exhilaration of the sahitya without vocal razzmatazz or laya crescendos, letting the composition create its own effect, which it did.
Saveri was remarkable for the grand style adopted, unhurried, exploring depths rather than spreading itself thin, finding phrases of value.
The chosen kriti ``Anjaneya" matched the seriousness of the alapana. The niraval across the wordy madhyamakala line ``Janakasuta" was clearly differentiated in technique from swaraprastara (often not seen in contemporary treatment). The kalpana swara was excellent, diverse intricacies including the arudi were patterned without fanfare or clamour. At the end of the day, the concert offered tranquil relish to take home with you. The sloka on the mother goddess offered lingering, moonlit Mohanakalyani and Ranjani to take home with you, the raga treatment distinguished from methods adopted in the pre-tani phase.
The percussive support by mridangam and kanjira (Prapancham Ravindran, B. Sri Sundarkumar) was thoughtful, the tani enjoyable as it opted for restraint and control as per the quality of the music. Parur Sundaresan's violin was exalting. The bowing banked the singer in sruti alignment and added strength to the voice. It brought subtle touches to vivify the shades of the raga. The strings excelled in alapana and kalpana swara, both invariably mellifluous and appropriate to the needs of the moment. Notably, the violinist followed the vocal mode but did not replicate singing. Rather, he explored every possibility of the instrumental mode. His Saveri had the artistes on stage breaking into applause. In fact this mutual respect and appreciation were strengths for the entire concert.
It is wonderful to hear Telugu kritis sung by vocalists who know the language and have the intonation right. The Hyderabad Brothers brought this extra dimension to the best in their evening recital: Vasudevachar's ``Na chei vidavakura" in Natakurinji, and Tyagaraja's ``Enduku peddala" (Sankarabharanam) where the correct splitting of the syllables etched the bhava with clarity. Nattakurinji had limpidness and majesty in alapana, continued in the kriti, and partly in the niraval.
Kalpanaswara however, was of the bite and chew kind, its roistering noisiness alien to the raga alapana and song. The same story recurred in Sankarabharanam where the alapana too had less spontaneity. Sriram Parasuram's violin, however, filled some gaps, touched it up with rich hues drawn from strings of deeper tones. But the swaras were once again staccato explosions of percussive noise from both voices and drums, tiring because they were repetitive, loud, with stereotypical climaxes. The development was not organic and spontaneous, but contrived for effect. The tani of Karaikudi Mani and V. Suresh had everything to tantalise from high classical to folk beats, but some of the substance was drowned by the loudness.
You also regretted the blatant use of the notebook to ``read" the verses, and the diminished role of the younger brother whose mellowness balances the domination of the elder — when allowed to do so.
The best came almost last and was all too brief. The javali ``Ni mata" was rendered with elan, flourish, style and charm. The singing made abhinaya in the dance redundant. Quite effortlessly, it ran the gamut of the dancer's sanchari bhavas.
Penchant for the profound
The kritis that she chooses with discernment tell you something about Gayathri venkatraghavan's taste for the profounder — and gentler — aspects of music, as against shallow stridency. At the Sri Krishnagana Sabha she focussed on an effulgent ``Anandanatana prakasam" (Kedaram), a moving ``Balakrishnan padamalar" (Dhanyasi), and dwelt lovingly on ``Chetasri" (Dwijavanti). ``Sri Chamundeswari" (Bilahari) was not dismissed as a fast paced filler between major essays in Dhanyasi and Kiravani. Indeed her enjoyment of the songs is a visible factor.
Gayathri is profuse with gamaka but includes brika where necessary. Her voice evokes the micro flourishes on occasion. Her depiction of Dhanyasi and Kiravani (with ``Kaligiyunte" as the main piece) stood out on that day for substance and finish. Her kalpana swaras likewise were not mechanical essays but conceived with the ragabhava in mind. At this point of the journey, what the singer needs is to cultivate depth in the voice, as her conceptualisation is grander than the execution.
GOWRI RAMNARAYAN
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