It was an interesting evening of classical concert by Nithyasree Mahadevan, rendering for Bharat Sangeeth Utsav at Narada Gana Sabha auditorium, in a style rich in tonal management striving every bit to bring out the significant aspects of the aesthetic ragas and keerthanas.
When she opened the concert with Chalamela varnam of Kuppuswamy Iyer in Raga Nata Kurinji, with style and grace, I was sure of certain newness in presentation. When she traversed through Smarane Sugam of Thyagaraja in Raga Janaranjini, with pyrotechnic of swaras, what came to my mind, was her propensity to indulge in niraval and swara prastharas, revealing her technical knowledge, thus making the soulful keerthana of this great composer, recede to the background. But when she contained the technical elaborations, avoiding excessive swara prastharas of intellectual order, the mercurial touch of her voice and the parampariyam of her rendition came to the fore, revealing the soul of the In Ramanatham Bhajeham of Dikshitar in Raga Pantuvarali that followed, her Raga aalapana, revealed her strength of classicism and keeping the melody in step, mirroring the Bhava, identifying with the intent of the composer, Dikshitar. Particularly her outlining of lyrics of the kriti Hamsas Soham, defining Advaita philosophy was exhilarating to say Dachu Kovalana of Thyagaraja in Raga Thodi, which he rendered in a style, rich in tonal exuberance, striving every bit to bring out, significant aspects of the aesthetics of the Raga and the way the intensity of the Bhava was mirrored, revealed her Sadhana. Towards the end, rendition of Gnanam Krishna Iyer’s composition, Chumma, Chumma varumo sugam in Raga Atana indicated, flashes of her originality.
On the whole, her presentation’s chaste pronunciations and sure sense of Raga Bhava, gave us an ample glimpse of her potentialities and the unique exultations of her spirit, echoed in expositions, reveal her desire to establish a total rapport with the audience at the auditorium.
Akkarai Subbulakshmi played the violin as expected with grace and elegance, also indicating that the musician of the day is an inspiring artist.
Poongulam Subramaniam (Mridangam) and Purushothaman (Ganjira), kept the rhythm with aplomb and enterprising musical equations.