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All sound and fury
THE TAVIL vidwan, it is observed possesses an intuitive capacity to judge or gauge the auditorium and adjust the decibel level of his playing to maintain shantham in the concert hall. Musicians, who pull everything out of technology to push their music ahead, should weigh the acoustic factors and determine the level of sound that would be adequate and tolerable for a closed hall. These thoughts prevailed in one's mind while attending the concerts of Sri Rama Baktha Jana Samajam, at the PSBB auditorium.
Kanyakumari and Embar Kannan commenced their cutcheri with "Sidhi Vinayakam" (Shanmukapriya — Dikshithar) and followed it up with the vilambakala kriti "Ksheerasagara" (Devagandhari — Tyagaraja). This song did not compare with earlier renderings and never revealed the aesthetic sense without those long karvais and musical cadences, the song and the raga are known for. "Swaminatha Paripalaya" (Nattai — Dikshithar) and "Bhavayami" (Ragamalika — Swati Tirunal) were rendered next and there were the pet whirlwind swaraprastharams at "Kamidhartha Vidharana" for the Nattai song. Nadhaloludai's lyrics (Kalyanavasantham — Tygaraja) and the raga demand delicate handling but the musicians seemed to adopt a matter-of-course mechanical rendering which never communicated the nadhanubhava.
Novelty appeared when the artistes combined to bring out a Ragam Tanam Pallavi in Karaharapriya/ Nagaswaravali and the idea of each violinist confining to one raga to bring out its contours and richness with deft handing-over from one to the other had its beauteous element. The pallavi rendered was one in the regular adi talam, sans complications.
Tiruvarur Vaidhyanathan (mridangam) and Amrit (kanjira) made no attempt even during the songs to think of mridhu playing, which is most essential while supporting stringed instruments, and their tani was more of sound and fury.
K.R. Saranathan underlined the ease of full-throated singing in his concert but still fell a victim to the closed hall. The concert itself was behind schedule by 45 minutes and the artistes on stage did well to preserve their enthusiasm in spite of the delayed beginning. Preparing with the Abogi varnam, Saranathan rendered the bhava-filled "Gurulekha Etuvanti" (Gowri Manohari — Tyagaraja) next.
The popular song, "Pantu Reeti Kolu" (Hamsanadham) was sung at the right pace and showed sound musical perception. After singing "Brihaspathe" (Atana — Dikshithar) in Tisra Triputa talam, he chose to render two numbers of Muthiah Bhagavathar, "Jalandhara" (Valaji) and "Sarasamukhi" (Gowda Mallaru). The Valaji raga alapana had phrases that reflected vidwat and deep experience.
His alapana of Khambodi that came next seemed slightly unmethodical and again the known piece "Kaana Kan Kodi Vaendum" (Sivan) was rendered with elaboration and swaram at "Manickam Vairam". Is it not inappropriate to shift one's attention during the concert to a front-row dignitary and even include his name in the sahitya of "Kaana Kankodi Vaendum"?
C.N. Chandrasekaran played peacefully for the most part, though his swara playing had its errors in calculation. His Hamsanadham alapana bordered on the cinematic, when he attempted to improvise. Sirkazhi Skandaprasad (mridangam) and Papanasam Sethuraman (kanjira) were close to the vocalist at all points, and played a tani that showed clear laya orientations.
S. SIVAKUMAR
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