A program list is never enough indication of the quality of a concert, especially of artists like Saumya. The list was good, but the artistry was visible in every little aspect of the presentation – the alpana phrasing, the loud improvisation, the vocal nuances, the appropriate gait, the brilliance of the accompaniments. These aspects separate an enlightened concert from a good one, and Saumya was able to do the same at her Sangeet Akademi concert.
Saranga Varnam, ‘Intha Modi’, was just the beginning. A bright ‘Vadera Devamu Manasa’ (Tyagaraja, Pantuvarali, etc.) was filled with a subtle-accompaniment stream to the charanam line ‘Datru Vinuthudai’, and the catchy swara pattern in ‘Pradyot’ was replaced by its strange and, therefore, more challenging. The location was chosen. In Talam. There is no calming tone in Saumya’s dictionary.
Charumathi Raghuraman got into the mood for the concert with her swara reactions on the violin. The extension of the Natbhairavi Alpana was more technical than aesthetic but prepared with lineage taste. Muttiah Bhagavatar’s ‘Ni Padmula Namamithi Ni’ on Goddess Kantimati is not often heard. Soumya’s nirval in ‘Gopala Sodari Gauri’ reinforces the many shades of the raga, which enjoys the status of Melakarta but suffers from neglect. Many of the vowels used with ‘ri’ and ‘ni’ were clever pieces. Charumathi’s melody was beautiful too, adapted to Kalapramanam with an easy-going style and without the frenzied play.
clear consistency
Two original works followed – ‘Ecambresa Nayake’ (Karnataka Shuddhasaveri; Dikshitar) and ‘Senthil Auravan’ (Karharapriya; Sivan). Perhaps Saumya’s idea was to present a rich tapestry in a short span of time. Both were greeted; There was clarity in every accompaniment, a staple of his performance. The Kannada raga Alapana had many shades of elegance, mainly around the vowel ‘ga ma da’ and some around ‘da’. With the right emphasis and context, such uses are ornamentation. His absolute clarity in the brief Rapid Accra deserves a closer look from the youth.
Charumathi’s four-minute Alpana was a complete sweep of all the good things about Kannada. ‘Bhajare Bhaja Manasa’ by Thyagaraja (Mishra Chapu) has a hectic course and fits the mood perfectly. The vocals in ‘Bhusama Shantam’ were further evidence of a thoughtful approach to singing, which both Charumathi and Neyveli Narayanan (Mridangam) responded very competently. Swara sections have become mechanical and loud and vice versa was welcomed.
The percussionists get a raw deal in a brief concert, reducing the gradual production to their Tani Avataranam, but veterans Narayanan and KV Gopalakrishnan (Kanjira) use all their skills to make it count, including Multiple channels are also included.
The emotional ‘Madhava Maya human form’ in Hansanandi constitutes the short tukda phase. It is probably a good concept to fill a short concert of this nature with regular acts in the middle, as Soumya did (compared to the customary volley of Tukkadas at the end), to give the full feel of a concert. Charumathi’s meager presence in a spectrum of psychotic conditions far outweighed her immense talent. She also has the gift of knowing how to balance play length with aesthetic impact.
The critic specializes in Carnatic music.
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