Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006

Music Season
The Chennai December Festival

Shines with nuances

SVK

Mellow interpretations made Savitha Narasimhan's music sweet.

SAVITHA NARASIMHAN

If no aspect of music is in excess in a kutcheri, it is an indication of refinement in the artiste as in Savitha Narasimhan. A clear stream of musical expression ran along aesthetic pathways. She gave a mellow touch to her interpretation wherein every note radiated joy. Though she elaborated Todi, the brief raga outline of Sahana was a portrait of pastoral beauty idealising traditional purity. The alapana brought alive both the shades of Sahana's elegance and the mesmerising melody intrinsic to the raga. This aspect percolated to the rendering of the Tyagaraja kriti "Emaanadhi Chchevo" which shone with pearly lustre. In Todi alapana, Savitha indulged in subtle variations of emphasis on deliciously sound sancahras. She rendered the song, "Gaja Vadana," encompassing all the structural excellence with its lovely chittaswaram.

The appreciative level of the listeners was lifted by a succession of four Tyagaraja kritis — "Tulasi Dala" (Mayamalavagowla), "Mokshamu Galada" (Saramati), "Neevaada Ne Gana" (Savaya) and the Sahana piece at the beginning. The Saramati kirtana was presented with a clear vision of its emotional value. In short, Savitha's music sweetly blended with every delicate vocal nuance.

The mridangam accompaniment by K. Parthasarathy carried melodic resonance with a gentle and graceful touch . There was not a single unmusical beat in his play. R.S. Sudha was the violinist. Aesthetic appeal in music should be appreciated in terms of expressional depth. In its absence, music does not touch the soul. The light vocal touch is one of the manifestations of kutcheri technique. While this trend has come to gain preponderance in the objectives of an artiste, it gives an illusion of solidity to the concert.