Shining example of mature music
IT IS not just sangita, but the ennobling values and ideologies implanted by the great vaggeyakaras that form the distinctive features of Carnatic music. It is the realisation of the unity between values and interpretative style that helps a musician leave a lasting impact on the rasikas. To such an artiste ragas are not swara scales, nor songs mechanical rendition. Aesthetical concepts are inseparably associated with dignity of exposition sans intellectual self-indulgence. Imaginative manodharma well allied to expressively sensitive faculty are solid endowments which make for real grandeur of Carnatic music.
Many of these aspects found full play in the performance of Vairamangalam Lakshminarayanan at the end of a function organised by his disciples as a gesture of gratitude to their guru. Though age had its say, Lakshminarayanan brought out the loftiness of the T. K. Rangachari bhani marked by vividness. His vision of music was stimulated by the training he has received at the hands of Rangachari.
In the alapanas of Gowlai, Poorvikalyani, Rasikapriya Nayaki and Kalyani he brought forth strong and lively insights into their significant shades with characteristic individualism in his vinyasa technique — an animated interplay of sangita and sastra. The sancharas moved with depth and exactitude.
In the selection of songs he provided variety from many vaggeyakaras. Springing from parampara stock, quite aware of the inviolability of the core of Carnatic music, he presented himself as a shining example of mature music. Providing voice support to Lakshminarayanan, Jayakrishnan's role was significant, not just a sishya seated behind, but an equal partner in sharing the quality of the concert.
The vocalist had the right support in the accompanists Pakala Ramdas (violin) and Shyam Sundar (mridangam). The purse presented to the vidwan was reflective of the grateful respect the disciples displayed to their guru.
The akhanda Tyagaraja aradhana programme given a start at the Thyagaraja Sangita Vidwat Samajam arranged by Carnatica was welcome for the reason that there was no mike at the Samajam hall. How soulful was the appeal of the items sung by the participants.
The performance of Prema Rangarajan for Nadopasana was well worked out with musical restraint. Her Nattakurinji (Needu Murthi) Mukhari (Sangita Sastra) and Poorvikalyani (Paripurna Kama) in the first half were not presented as mere run of sancharas, but stressed the essential moorchanas to light up the beauteous aspects.
There was depth and decency in rendering the kirtanas. The brevity of raga exposition was salutary which was crisply followed by the violinist Padma Shankar. The movement of the sancharas by the violinist was smooth and soft. Between the vocalist and violinist the cutcheri carefully progressed as not to offend the guidelines of good music.
Ramakrishnan (mridangam) and Tiruchi Murali (ghatam) padded the effort with pleasing percussive phrasings.
SVK
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