Janani
Release Concert - A Review
To hold an audience spellbound for a little under 4 hours
is not an ordinary accomplishment for a Veena artist. It
requires a commendable mastery over the instrument and an
ablity to present the music in a manner that would appeal
to the elite, the initiated and uninitiated alike. Dr. Srikanth
Chary did just that last Saturday (12/07/1996), in the auditorium
of Monte Vista High School in Cupertino. The concert was
arranged to release a CD recording of Srikanth Chary, captioned
"Janani" and dedicated to his mother Lakshmi Gopalaswami,
who in his own words, had been the "guiding force behind
my music and my life". Having listened to his music
I cannot restrain myself from observing that a mother who
could mould her son into a scientist as well as an artist
of calibre with an enviable ability to bring the sublime
art of Carnatic music in its pristine form into this alien
land, nurture it and propagate it with such devotion, is
certaintly an extraordinary mother, who has done a great
service to the art of Carnatic music itself and is worthy
of salutations of the rasikas as well.
Turning to the concert, Srikanth Chary
prefaced it with an explanation that most of the songs he
had selected to play would be on Goddesses of learning,
wealth and power.
Aptly enough he began with a gem of a Varnam
in Devagandhari, paying obeisance to Goddess Saraswathi,
composed by Lalgudi Jayaraman. Clarity, melody and precision
in rhythm in his playing were so remarkable that I put behind
fears of my jetlag lulling me into sleep and I sat up in
anticipation of a sumptuous fare for the ears.
"Vallaba Nayakasya" in Begada,
"Sri Rama Saraswathi" in Nasikabhushani, both
of Muthuswamy Dikshitar and "Janani Ninuvina"
in Ritigowlai an excellent creation of Subbaraya Sastri
were presented with solemnity.
Then followed a well delineated Jaganmohini
and a lively "ShivaKama Sundari" notable for its
Adeeta begining in Rupaka talam. If serenity was the characteristic
in the preceding pieces, verve and gusto marked the presentation
of this song. Srikanth Chary gave evidence of aesthetic
sense of a high order in playing the fast paced pieces,
by keeping out ostentatious gimmickery, all through the
concert. That is a great virtue that distinguishes him from
many of the upcoming artists - instrumentalists or vocalists.
Infusing a good degree of liveliness in
the concert with the Jaganmohini piece he proceeded to a
sedate and touching portrayal of Sri Ranjani. The build
up was graceful and methodical. The song chosen for this
ragam, Papanasam Sivam's composition "Maatha yennum
vaatha", was played with captivating melody. Here again
Chary's swaraprasthara, was replete with rhythmic designs
but never pushed melody to the background.
The piece de resistance, Ragam Tanam Pallavi
in Shanmukhapriya followed Thyagaraja's sweet "Melukovayya"
in Bhowli. Chary did well to explain at length the text
of the pallavi composed by Dr. Saraswathi Mohan in Sanskrit
in praise of the Mother of the universe - the giver of life,
nourisher, giver of knowledge and protector. The lyrical
pallavi was set to Sankeerna jathi triputa talam of 13 beats,
i.e. with 9 beats in laghu and 4 in dhrutham. The development
of the ragam was commendably imaginative and kept the audience
keenly listening with the query "what next" after
every phrase. Chary displayed not only his virtuosity but
also his grip over laya in the pallavi. In keeping with
his professed dedication of the concert to the Mother, his
tanam was played as a ragamalika including Durga, Saraswathi
and Sri ragams. The swaraprasthara included Bilahari, Surya,
Hamsanandi, Valaj and Suddha Sarang, was scintillating and
was crowned with a kaleidoscopic rounding up in the reverse
order.
Chary gave ample evidence of his class
in every item he presented in the concert. What makes his
concert a delectable one is his keen adherence to high values
in the presentation of raga krithi or swara prasthanam.
Bhavam is inseparably associated with his playing.
Poovalur Srinivasan elevated the quality
of the concert by his soft and sweet playing with remarkable
anticipation and finesse. His thani at the conclusion of
the Sri Ranjani piece, his reproduction of the pallavi on
Mridangam and his close following of the thillana deserve
special mention here.
I returned home with a supreme satisfaction
of having listened to the Music of a consummate artist.
R.S. Venkataraman
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