Dignified and ebullient
LALITHAA KRISHNAN
|
Pt. Janardhan Mitta and Subobrata Chatterjee joined to present a charming jugalbandi.
|
MELODIOUS DUET: Pt. Janardan Mitta (left) and Subobrata Chatterjee
The sitar-sarod jugalbandi featuring Pt. Janardan Mitta and Subobrata Chatterjee accompanied by Sujit Mukherjee and Chandrajit on tabla, was a fitting finale to `Utsav' - the Hindustani Sangeeth Samaroh held in the city recently.
Subobrata Chatterjee began his solo with a piece in Durga (jap tal) in which the initial passages conveyed the raga's now solemn, now joyous appeal, followed by swift taans. The sober tones of the Kirwani that followed made for an effective contrast.
In his solo, Pt Janardan Mitta took up Vachaspathi. The brief alaap laced with vadi-samvadi elements proved fertile ground for the display of the subtleties of gayaki ang, while the madhya and drut lay took advantage of the ample scope for tantrakari.
More classical
The jugalbandhi commenced with raag Maaj Khamaj that followed a more classical bent than light. The innate folksy charm of the raga permeated the madhya lay with its elaborate fretwork of melodic and rhythmic permutations.
The quiet dignity of the older artiste's style was well complemented by Subobrato's youthful ebullience. A ragamalika grounded in Pilu, strung together fleeting shades of a succession of ragas like Jog, Shivaranjani, Kirwani, Hamir, Dwijavanthi and Abhogi in smooth transition. The dadra in Bhairavi was the perfect choice to round off the programme.
The weekday concerts of , featured among others, the vocal recital of Bhagwant Walokar. The bade khayal `Rasiya ho na jaa' (vilambit ek tal) and the chhote khayal (dhrut teen tal) in Maru Behag were smooth sailing, with easy glides and elongated notes encapsulating the flavour. The artiste's soft voice and subdued style resulted in some of the finer nuances trailing off into inaudibility, possibly a shortcoming in the sound system. The Meera bhajan and abhang won appreciation. Jayaram Kilpadi's (harmonium) support displayed keen anticipation.
Ramvir Parmar's voice carried force and power, negotiating `Piyarava ko birama' in Jog with depth and feeling.
His elaborate exposition of Desh was a splendid display of spontaneous musical expression while the bandish in Bhairavi was replete with slow, searching phrases. Jain Painadate infused energy with his spirited accompaniment on the tabla, for both artistes.
Polished performance
Refinement was the keyword of Padmini Rao's polished performance. The Puryakalyan was a relaxed exposition that gathered momentum from the pancham suite.
Any trace of inhibition melted with the onset of Kalavathi, its breezy lilt captured in the composition `Tan man' where taans flowed with greater resonance and fluidity.
The Meera and Kabir Das bhajans testified to her pursuit of superior aesthetics.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
