Spontaneity in singing is, admittedly, a necessary trait for an artiste. It gives the audience a signal to herald an incoming passage, that it merits close attention and savouring.
This was evident in noted vocalist T N Seshagopalan’s concert for the Tapas Academy, at Tattavaloka auditorium, which celebrated its 10th year, recently. He revealed the terraced dynamics of the sonorous exposition in his rendition of sivaloka nathanai kandu of Bharathy in raga natha nama kriya with chitta swaras.
The critical dimensions of his fine classicism were further emphasised when he moulded the raga phrases to an architectural masterpiece. He took up the raga hamsanandham where two ‘nishadas’ are pronounced and rendered Muthaiah Bhagavathar’s kripanidhe (Sanskrit) in misra chapu with an expert handling of swaras. We certainly heard the authentic hamsanandham of yesteryears.
Needless to mention, the concert touched its apogee with his favourite Ananda Natana Prakasam of Dikshitar in kedaram (tripuda). The high ground of this veteran’s classical thrust became evident when he expounded with epigrammatic phrasing and tall patterns in ananda natamaduvar thillai in raaga poorvi kalyani (rupakam) of Nilakanta Sivan.
He sang Ramalinga Adigal’s appa naan venduthal in raga sahana with a good grip of laya. It showed the Vidwat with exquisite swaras and proved that excellence is achieved only if various factors, with inherent values of delivery, are understood in a style and in a voice that would not result in the ponderous tingid style of presentation.
On the whole, the thematic concert on Lord Siva presented was very impressive in technicalities of presentation. The vocalist has gained a perfection by Spartan discipline and unswerving commitment to the values of tradition.
V V Ravi, the ace violinist, accompanied him as usual. His phrasing was superb, while Narendran, the mridangist, gave admirable support with subdued hands. Ananthakrishnan on ghatam gave adequate support with gusto.