In a grand finale to the year-long Ramnad Krishnan Centenary celebrations, an event on a cool September morning at Narada Gana Sabha Hall featured Chitravina Ravikiran. The programme was held under the aegis of Kartik Fine Arts. Brindamma used to speak highly of Ramnad Krishnan’s musical prowess; especially his Kiravani essay. As Brindamma’s disciple, Ravikiran too holds Ramnad Krishnan’s music in high esteem and the feeling came through in the concert.
Ravikiran began the concert with a Nayaki varnam. “ Ramnad Krishnan was a musician who was truly ahead of his times. His restraint and refinement allowed him to sing a Devagandhari with the same felicity as an Arabhi; whether singing a Darbar or a Nayaki, he was a Mahavidwan who presented all its subtle and macroscopic beauty,” said Ravikiran expressing his gratitude for being a part of the celebration. “I begin with this Nayaki varnam, one of the trademark varnams of the Brindamma patanthara that Ramnad Krishnan also used to render beautifully,” he added.
The nuances
Before taking up ‘Ninnu juchi,’ Ravikiran recalled how in 1957, at the Music Academy, Ramnad Krishnan (to Chowdiah’s accompaniment) had sung the kriti in raga Saurashtra. Ravikiran’s playing was fast-paced, the sweet and soft notes flowing from the glide of the slide over the strings. He followed this kriti with swaraprasthara. Next, after essaying the Phalamanjari raga alapana, Ravikiran elaborated on the raga’s nuances of which Krishnan was a master. “While Tyagaraja has composed ‘Sanatana paramapavana,’, there are two beautiful kritis of Patnam Subramania Iyer ‘Sri Venkatesa’ and ‘Palukutache’ in this raga. Ramnad Krishnan used to sing all the three kritis. He learnt ‘Palukutache’ from flautist T. Viswanathan,” informed Ravikiran before playing the song as a tribute.
Then came a Devagandhari alapana, a precursor to ‘Sri Tulasamma,’ a song associated with Krishnan. Ravikiran played a Purnashadjam raga alapana that resounded with double Nishadams and rare prayogas. The piece ‘Lavanyarama’ followed.
Centrally placed in the concert was a Kalyani raga alapana replete with panchama-shadja-varja phrases, with the kriti ‘Birana brova,’ another RK favourite, enhanced by niraval swaram. “I have heard him sing this rarely, but with full impact,” observed Ravikiran. Then came a short Varali RTP, “inspired by Ramnad Krishnan” in Kanda jati Triputa tala. The lyrics went as...‘Kanchadalayathakshi Kamakshi karuna judumu varali.’
The chitravina exponent concluded the concert with a Ritigaowa javali, ‘Nyayamu kadura,’ one of the immortal renditions of Ramnad Krishnan, and a Purnachandrika tillana. Akkarai Subhalakshmi on the violin, a faithful follower throughout, sparkled in the Purnashadjam and Varali passages. Veteran Mannargudi Easwaran on the mridangam was in excellent form, while on the ghatam, Guruprasad’s subtle strokes enhanced the thani.