With Herambh and Hemant, Vinay Varanasi, Sai Rakshit, BS Prashanth and Chandrashekhar Sharma. | Photo Credit: Courtesy: Madrasna
Twin brothers Heramb and Hemant presented the Sankarabharanam package in the second part of their concert, which had elements of universal appeal, befitting the unusual theme: birds in Carnatic music. The third part of Madrasan’s five-part ‘Prakriti’ series showcased how winged creatures enhance the aural beauty beyond their mere presence in the song.
Shyama Shastri’s ‘Sarojadala Netri’ was the main presentation by the Bengaluru flutists, which came after an elaborate alapana of tanam based on purist joy and generosity. As artistic director Vinay Varanasi said, the work praising Meenakshi has not one but two references to divine parrots – Shukapani and Shukashyamaala.
Yet the overall presentation was not inspired by literature. The wind instruments anyway produce only swaras, and Heramb began with the anupallavi (which mentions Shukpani). In fact, the siblings finished the composition in just three minutes and moved on to the swaraprastara. Violinist Sayee Rakshit matched the serene beauty of the flutists, who soon changed ragas. Hansanandi (by Heramb), Hansanadam (Hemant) and Hansadhwani (Sayee) brightened the line-up. Their vocal quality alone was appealing, but the listener was reminded that ‘Hans’ means a swimming swan.
Interesting Grahabhedam
The twins then resorted to an interesting Grahabhedam, explaining that the main ‘sa’ and ‘pa’ of Sankarabharanam are nature notes, believed to be derived from the peacock and the cuckoo, respectively. And when Heramb explained how certain changes in the notes would give rise to ragas like Kharaharapriya, Thodi and Kalyani, his brother kept the rhythmic flow going by tapping his two-wrists on his lap, etc. Soon, Sankarabharanam was back and a crisp kanakku ended the solfa sequence. The 12-minute tani avartanam between BS Prashanth (mridangam) and Chandrasekhar Sharma (ghatam) was effortless with the emphasis on resonance and rhythm than arithmetical complexities.
At first, Shankarabharanam’s alapana seemed largely traditional, but the duo’s interpretation made the phrases even more melodious. The two brothers together sketched the raga for 18 minutes and the violinist’s response was equally proportionate. The flutists added a western touch to the tanam, to which Sai’s response was apt. Shankarabharanam, contextually, is a major scale across continents and the concept of nature in this case should not be restricted to the Deccan alone.
Raga named after a bird
The 135-minute Kachari on stage, adorned with potted plants and leaf artefacts, began with a raga that bears the name of a bird: Mayuradhwani. Thyagaraja’s ‘Ragasudharasa’ was well rendered, with the fluttering of the notes at the end of the pallavi effectively symbolising the peacock dance. The subsequent notes had a kaleidoscopic quality, even as they formed a variety of patterns. Yet the compere in the all-young team could make it clear that Mayuradhwani is popularly called endolica in modern times.
Anandabhairavi, with its oscillations, came in as the second raga during the rendition of ‘Marivere Gati’. It reinforced an introduction that highlighted the kriti’s connection with the goddess in Kanchipuram and the famous chirping of the parrot in its premises. The beautiful dissonance of the Misra Chapu taal further added to the space of Shyama Shastri’s kriti.
The gentle touch of the wings of Vishnu’s vehicle forms the theme of the third part. After Thyagaraja’s ‘Gnanamosaga Rada’ come the words ‘Garuda Gamana’ or the walk of the great eagle. Its meditative meaning, as mentioned Dhruva CharitamSlow came in the alapana, but the kriti was reasonably fast. The swansong was Annamacharya’s ‘Narayana Te’ in Behag. Judiciously, it also attempted to return to the themes of the first two concerts in the nature series: mountains (Nagadhar: Krishna lifting mountains) and flowers (Panchanabha: God with lotus from his navel).
