Lilting melodies define this virtual concert

Kalasagaram witnessed novel concepts in its performances over the two days

Listeners were treated to a novel concert and fusion melodies in the day 2 and day 3 of the Kalasagaram 2020, the 53rd annual series. One got to listen to fusion of violin and the nadaswaram by Shereya Devnadh on the violin and Mylai Karthikeyan on the nadaswaram. To the uninitiated, a violin concert is accompanied by mrindagam or by another string instrument like the veena or flute.

But, the evening was all about bringing two different instruments of varying art forms within the frontiers of Carnatic music together. Alongside them were Praveen Sparsh on the mridangam and R Geevatathnam on the thaval.

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The performance began with Ammallari in Gamberalattai, Chatusra Jathi Matya thalam, followed by a Mysore Vasudevacharya krithi bhajan seya radha in Dharmavathi in Roopakam. A rare Tyagaraja krithi Ramnichuvar in raga Suposhini was the next presentation which was followed by the ever-popular Evarura in Mohanam of Tyagaraja.

The high point of the concert, though was the popular Tyagaraja kriti Chakkaniraja margamu in Kharaharapriya set to Adi thala. Both vidwans brought out the essence of the raga very well. It was an interesting experience to listen to the raga through the contrasting instruments of string and wind, one known for its established melancholy and the other a high-pitched velocity calling for attention and devotion.

Day 3’s performance may have begun with a technical glitch, but artiste Bharat Sunder who is quickly carving a space for himself in Carnatic music circuit more than made up for snag. In a concert where care was taken to give representation to various vagyakars, the artiste did not repeat a single lyricist. His Kapinarayani stood out. The vigour with which he presented his swara Kalpana got many in the chat box to make a comparison with Madurai Mani Iyer.

Bharat was accompanied on the violin by Nagai R Sriram, on the mridangam by Neyveli R Narayanan and on the khanjira by Anirudh Athreya. After a brisk Varnam, he moved on to Varnamukhava Kpoteshwar Iyer’s krithi in Hamsadwani. Kumara guruguha mahitam was the part of the sahityam that he chose for the neraval. Next was a keerthana from Prakladha Bhakthi Vijayam Vandanamu in Sahana Tyagaraja kriti.

This was followed by Thillai Chidambarame in Kaapi Narayani of Malimuthapillai, where he stole the show with swaraprastara. Special mention must be made to violinist Nagai Sriram who acted as the perfect foil to Bharat. Todi was the main piece of the evening. The kriti was Ninne Naminanu of Shyama Sastry set to Misra Chapu.

Bharat and Sriram did justice to the range of the melodious Todi, by placing great emphasis on the neraval and swaram in a brilliant manner. Thaniavarthanam by Narayananan and Anirudh was a treat. He concluded his concert with his own Thillana in Varali. What was noteworthy was that he rendered 10 songs by 10 different composers in the course of his two-hour concert. Not an easy feat to pull off.

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