Music reviews

Scholarly concert

The Suswaralaya College of Music conducted the annual Music Festival last week, with music concerts, demonstrations and CD releases. On the occasion the title “Swaralaya Shringa” was conferred on B K Chandramouli and a dairy of the year 2012, was also released.

Dr R N Srilatha, who gave a vocal recital here last week, hails from a reputed musicians family and is serving the Fine Arts College of Mysore University, as a Professor of  Music. She is author of few books and also known as an able teacher.
In the current programme, Srilatha after presenting few krithies of different composers, crowned her concert with a well knit Pallavi. Her scholarship and experience were vindicated in the delightful alap of  Thodi, the classic raga of  Karnatic music. A short but brisk thana preceded the Pallavi (Suswaralaya Devi Mam Pahi) sung with aplomb.

Set in Thisra Jhampe and Khanda Nade, it was a befitting choice for a ‘Sabha Kacheri’. Earlier Behag, the evocative raga, added a lively lilt for the Swathi Tirunal Krithi “Smarajanaka Shubha Charitha”. It was enriched with a meaningful Nerval (Palitha Bhuvana Parama Purusha Hare) and some sprightly swara. A infrequent Ugabhoga (Mareyadiru manave) of Prasanna Venkata Dasaru and a well known Jawadi (Marulu Konnadira), brought the curtains down on the programme. Nalina Mohan, A Renuka Prasad and S Srishyla – supported her on violin, mridanga and ghata, with good understanding.

Promising artistes

A Narayanan is a disciple of S P Ramh and also had the fortune of taking guidance from Lalgudi Jayaraman, the violin wizard. Though he is a chartered accountant by profession, he practices music with all seriousness and has performed in many leadings sabhas, all over. Pradeshachar on violin, B S Prakash on mridanga and Bhargava Halambi on khanjari – accompanied him.

Varali, is one of the evocative ragas of Karnatic music and a favourite of connoisseurs. It was selected by Narayanan for the grand composition “Seshachala Nayakam” of  Dikshithar. Raga Thodi was the piece de resistance of the concert which he developed, neatly. The “Sarasija Nabha Murare” was elaborated with brief  Nerval and Swara.

Without overdoing Narayan with his good voice, and ‘Patanthara’ and neat presentation, proved his mettle. He concluded his concert with a Kannada devaranama (Jagadoddarana) and a bhajan (Hari tum).

Kannada kruthies

The 755th Programme of the Bangalore Lalithakala Parishat, was different in many ways. It was exclusively a concert of Kannada Kruthies with Vachana and Bhavageethe also apart from Devaranamas. Compositions of different composers like, Sri Padaraja, Kanakadasa, Purandara Dasa, Prasanna Venkata Dasa, Basavanna, D V G and P T Narasimhachar – brought variety and colour to the programme.

Chandrika opened her concert with ‘Vandisuvudadiyali’, customarily. After ‘Baro namma manege’ with brief swara her choice was ‘Karedare Barabarade’. ‘Ninna nodi Dhanyanade’ with swara was pleasing. The climax came with “Odi Baraiah”, sung with good feeling.

Both the – Kalabeda Kolabeda and Ulaavaru Shivalayava – are meaningful and popular vachanas of Basavanna. ‘Easha ninna charana bhajane’ is a house hold pada from centuries and ‘Yene Shukhabhashini’, is from the ‘Antahpura Geethe’, while ‘Padumanabhana hridaya’ is from the ‘Deepalakshmi’.

Connoisseurs gathered inspite of incessant rain, enjoyed the Kannada compositions sung impressively. Experienced instrumentalists Mathur Srinidhi, M Gururaja and A V Kashinath – supported on violin, mridanga and khanjari.