Few things can equal the sense of pleasurable anticipation and wellbeing that the strains of mangala isai radiate on a sun-warmed Margazhi morning.
The Academy chose, fittingly, to open its morning concert series at the 89th Annual Conference and Concert session with a nagaswara kutcheri by vidwan Injikudi E.M. Subramaniam accompanied by vidwans Pollachi Chandrasekar (nagaswaram), Mettupalayam M.S.Ravikumar (tavil) and Gangaikondachozhapuram G. M. Sudarsan (tavil).
Renowned for his musical vision shaped by a constellation of gurus, Subramaniam has been widely lauded for his all-round expertise, complemented by the finest values of classicism. A melodic vocabulary steeped in aesthetics is the high point of his presentations.
At this recital, one saw another facet of this gifted artist, namely his prowess in laya. Melam has always cherished the pallavi at the heart of its creative space. A product of long-standing tradition associated with temple ritual, its template is the sama kaala pallavi embellished with ragamalika swaras, played during the veedhi valam procession around the temple tank. Over time, through the genius of great melam vidwans, this form evolved into a legendary test of laya vidwat.
Set in Natakuranji, Subramaniam’s piece-de-resistance was a ragam-tanam-pallavi with a tattakara pallavi (where the structure was articulated by rhythmic sollus and not by sahitya) set in misra jati triputa tala (2-kalai). The piece was inspired by a pallavi composed by vidwan-musicologist B.M. Sundaram. The detailed RTP, reminiscent of the grand expositions of a glorious past, took up nearly a third of the concert’s duration.
Evocative arching glides at key prayogas such as ‘gmpgrs’, ‘mgrgm mGs’ and ‘ndpdn nDm’, firmly sustained karvais, time-honoured pidis sculpted strongly, the progression and cascade of elements of briga and jaru — all these coalesced to make the alapana a majestic prelude. Adhering to melam paddhati, the pallavi’s anuloma-viloma segment traversed madhyama, dhurita and vilamba kala, then madhyama, dhurita and tisram of the dhurita kala.
The thani was a laya enthusiast’s dream come true. Thundering across a dazzling spectrum of nadais and sollus that were grouped and regrouped in stunning permutations, the two tavil artists matched wits and repartee that kept even the most skilled talam-keepers on their toes.
The recital began with the varnam ‘Anname’ (Arabhi, Tiger Varadachari) and two Thyagaraja kritis ‘Sri Ganapathi’ (Saurashtram) and ‘Intha Kannanandamemi’ (Bilahari) with select rounds of kalpanaswara, followed by ‘Dudukugala’ (Gowla) from the Thyagaraja pancharatna.
Post-tani, the enchanting hues of Misra Yaman surfaced in ‘Giridhara Gopala’ (Meera bhajan). The dance of notes in Lalgudi G. Jayaraman’s Kathanakuthuhalam tillana infused it with an irresistible joie-de-vivre. Arunagirinathar’s Thiruppugazh ‘Oru Pozhuthu,’ which celebrated the glory and grace of Lord Muruga in Chakravaham and Madhyamavathi set to kai tala pidi tala (12 beats) concluded the concert.
