CHENNAI: Not that I love romanticism less, but I love classicism more. As though to further strengthen this stand, a powerful air of Carnatic melody left me spell-bound at the 164th Thiyagaraja Aradhana Festival organised by Sri Thiyagabrahma Mahotsava Sabha, at Thiruvaiyaru.
Good music is that which penetrates the ear with facility and quits the memory with difficulty — Mangala Isai. Tirupathi V Satyanarayana and party did really well.
What a soothing Karaharapriya, a raga known for its symmetrical tetrachord, major tone, pratyahata gamaka and ranjaka prayogas. Remarkably, Thiyagaraja is the only composer who has composed a large number of kritis, that is, 11 in all, in this popular parent raga.
P Unnikrishnan's, Mayamalavagowlai stood out. A beginner’s raga, The simplicity of the arohana and avarohana of this sarvakalika raga, is indicative of the immense possibilities of the sapthaswaras.
T N Krishnan and Vijikrishnan revealed the stamp of ancient scholarship.
In their Nikedayaraka, the frequently used lullaby raga Neelambari did succeed in subduing the feeling of the listener. A richly endowed voice and a firm grip over the rhythm are the forte of T M K r i s h n a .
Deva g a n d - hari, as exemp l i f i e d i n Vinaradanamanavi, is provocative of the emotions of heroism and valiance. In the kriti, Thulasibilva in Kedaragowlai, in combination with Thulasidalamulache in Mayamalavagowlai, Thiayagaraja offers a bouquet of flowers, so to say, to the Lord. Good voice production, control of pitch, volume and timbre in various vocal registers are an assent for any vocalist. Anuradha Sriram Parasuram had it aplenty.
In Etijanmamitho (Varali), Thiagaraja expresses his dejection at a birth that finds pleasure in patronising uncivilised rasikas. Anuradha did well to choose this rare song. The Maharajapuram school, should one call it so, came to the fore in Ganesh Viswanathan. The opening phrase of Karunasagara (Devagandhari) helped the rasika effectively visualise the All Merciful.
True to his word, K J Yesudhas, sang well with devotional fervour and did a musical penance in the very rare kriti Prananadha in raga Sulin.
Vijai Yesudhas was a chip of the block. It needs a certain class of practitioners to keep the tradition going. To this class belongs Thanjavur S Kirutika. Soft and sure, Kirutika easefully traversed the low, middle and high ranges of Kapinarayani raga.
Jayasri Sivaramakrishnan and her class of artistes are quick to tell the audience the fine distinction between sahitya and sangita through their performance. This was evident in the rendition of Makelara Vicharamu Ravichandrika).
Mumbai Malaramadurai paid keen attention to sruti sudhdham. In Marukelara (Jayanthasri) by Thiayagaraja, her karvai at ninneghani madhini ennajala was long and lilting. One saw music in flesh and blood in the alternating sahitya and sangita of Vishakahari, ably accompanied by Pudukkottai Ambika Prasad (violin) and B Ganapathiraman (mridangam).
Next came the stentorian Sirkazhi Sivachidambaram.
Through his clever emphasis of the phrase sruti sastra purana in Nijamarmamulanu in Umabharanam he riveted the attention of the listeners to the deep meaning.
Within some 45 minutes, a second time it was chosen, this time by Thiruvananthapuram Krishnakumar and Binny Krishnakumar for Anupama Gunambhuthi.
Gayathri Girish proved herself in Nannu brova in Abheri, Seethamma Maayamma in Vasantha and Suki evvaro in Kanada. Not all rasikas need frills and furbelows.
Rudrapattinam Brothers R N Tharanathan and R N Thiayagarajan knew this truism only too well.
Their selection of kritis was splendid and the rendition revealed matured vidhwath, be it Palinthuvo palimpavo (Kanthamani) or Uyyalalukavayya (Neelambari).
Saraswathi Ramanathan succeeded in reaching the spirit of Thiyagaraja to the masses through her eloquent Harikatha. However, at the end, amidst the thunderous applause of rasikas, a section of them were heard wondering ‘Why quote a Kannnadasan at a Thiyagaraja aradhana!’ What happens when the principal of a music college, who otherwise teaches a small group of students, faces a large host of rasikas? P Umamaheswari satisfied them excellently in Durmargachara (Ranjani). By common consent, the uniqueness of Thiyagaraja’s genius lies in the fact that he had composed kritis in a fund of soothing rare ragas. Their fecundity of imagination, rooted in supreme artistic emotion, has won them an indelible mark in the annals of South Indian classical music.
‘I am the song; I am the sense and I have made thee sing’!