Meditative: Injikkudi E.M. Subramaniam.Every once in a while, artistes or organisers make a conscious attempt to come up with something different. This time round though, you wished a bee hadn’t buzzed in someone’s bonnet at the TTD Information Centre because it meant a change in the customary accompanying instrument for a nagaswaram recital.
Obliged to part from its majestic tradition-bound partnership with the thavil, Injikkudi E.M.Subramaniam’s nagaswaram was coaxed into a wary friendship with the violin, mridangam and kanjira. If the combination didn’t exactly gel as a team, it certainly wasn’t for lack of trying. Each artiste fared well in his individual capacity. The stumbling block came in the form of kalapramana and an occasionally recalcitrant tala which charted a wilful course until it was sternly yanked back on approximate track by majority consensus.
A brisk start with Papanasam Sivan’s ‘Thathvamariya tharama’ (Ritigowla) and measured swaraprastara revealed that the main artiste was indeed in form. A brief sketch of ‘Gangeyabhushani’ (mela 33) was an intriguing lead-up to Tyagaraja’s ‘Evvare Ramaiyya.’ The kriti, played at a meditative pace, was a piece of finely etched craftsmanship, the accurately captured vivadhi notes testifying to the artiste’s sadhana.
Though the percussive department grew rather enthusiastic and leaned towards a quickening of pace, the main artiste held firm to his chosen kalapramana with resolution. Tyagaraja’s ‘Nee Bhakti Bhagya’ (Jayamanohari) with limited kalpanaswaras adopted a sprightly gait.Steady shadja
One of Subramaniam’s strengths is the piercing intensity and utter steadiness of the shadja, both in madhya and tara sthayi — the bedrock on which his creative forays rest. This asset came to the fore in his alapanas of Lathangi and Khambodi. Crystal-clear gamakas glittered in the firmament of Lathangi. Whether in the handling of a gently oscillated dhaivata or superfast brigas, an organic unity was evident in the raga’s development.
Papanasam Sivan’s ’Venkataramana’ with disciplined ordering of sangatis carried the impact of a vocal rendition, the sarvalaghu swaras interspersed with characteristic swirls unique to the instrument.
The artiste scored again with Papanasam Sivan’s poignant ‘Thunai Purindarul’ (Varamu). Seasoned pidis and a natural progression of ideas shaped Khambodi, particularly in the tara sthayi.
After a decisive rounding off at the shadja, the exposition settled down to a leisurely exploration of the madhya sthayi at the panchama and gandhara suite via long, intertwined garlands.
The kizhkala swaras for Tyagaraja’s ‘Evarimata’ were rounded off with definitive vadi-samvadi permutations, the slow swinging gait drawing the listener irresistibly into the mood and moment.
V.L Kumar’s electronically amplified violin tone was on a par with the nagaswaram’s volume. Swayed by the main artiste’s drift, he produced eventful essays and octave-traversing passages in his raga expositions.
Tirupati P.B.V.Krishnamachari (mridangam) and Thiruvananthapuram D. Rajagopal (kanjira) enriched content with deft rhythmic patterns.
Great Anna,
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