Sumithra Vasudev’s performance on 4th day of the Kalasagaram’s 56th Annual Festival belongs to the former where sukham predominates.
Published Date – 06:00 PM, Tue – 28 November 23
Hyderabad: A good performance is one where sukham predominates and vyavaharam is just enough to reveal the vidwat of an artiste. While the melodic aspect serves to please and entertain, the other just pricks the brain. It is not only from the point of view of the audience but also from that of the vocalist that vyavaharam has to be minimum in a performance.
Sumithra Vasudev’s performance on 4th day of the Kalasagaram’s 56th Annual Festival belongs to the former where sukham predominates. Sumithra is a puritan and brings refinement and nuances of soothing sangeetha in her concert.
Sumithra does not indulge in excessive mathematical exposition which becomes obsessive. She was accompanied on the Violin by Dr Hemalatha, Mannarkoil Balaji on Mridangam and M Chandrakanth on Ghatam.
Sumithra began the concert with a Varnam in Sama “Nerajanow” of Patnam Subramanya Iyer in Adi Thalam. The second item was a Saint Thyagaraja krithi in Saveri “Thulasi Jagathjanani” was a neat presentation.
After a brief Ragaalapana in Kamas, Sumithra took “Seethepathe Naa Manasuna” another Saint Thyagaraja Krithi. Sumithra took“Prema JoochiNaapai” for neraval and presented all aspects of neraval singing and swarakalpana in second speed was well rendered.
The next item was a rare Navavarnam which is seldom sung in concerts these days, “Sri Kamalambike” in Ghanta, a 20th Mela Natabhairavi Janya,in Adi thalam was presented in its purest form. The next item was a filler, “Kanakavea Karuna” in Sri of Koteeswara Iyer was again a neat presentation. This krithi also had well structured Chita Swara.
Sumithra elaborated Kalyani which was very pleasing and took “Bhajare Chitta Balambika” a Muthuswami Dhikshithar’skrithi in Misra ChapuThalam. This song is in praise of Balambika of Vaitheeswaran temple. In the charanam, “Devim Shakthi BhijodbhavaMathrukaarnaSharirinim” was taken for neraval. The neraval was carried throught the different stages and octaves and rounded off with a swaraprasthara mostly fee flowing sarvalaghu with lively rhythm oriented tail ends. All the nuances of Kalayani was brought out in the neraval. Swarakalpana in two speeds, a good sarvalaghu patterns were exhibited in the swara singing.Mannarkoil Balaji was superb in the thaniavarthanam ably supported by M Chandrakanth on Ghatam. The duo presentedt he thani very well.
Annamacharyakrithi in Atana, “E Surulu a Munulu” was The next item was a RTP in Keeravani, after a well-planned and rendered Ragaalaapana and Thillana, pallavi line coined as “Mandhahasavadanekeervani devi mudhamdehi”. The pallavi was set in kandajathithriputathalam was well rendered. During the swaraprasthara ragas, Nagaswaravali, Amrithavarshini and Hamsanandi were chosen in two speeds. This
was well appreciated by the audience.
The concert ended with a couple of tailenders. A good support by the violinist DrHemalatha throughout the concert and equally good percussion support from Mannarkoil Balaji and Chandrakanth.
