Reputed to be difficulty and picky, Shri.Shyama shastry’s compositions are not quantitative(with ~300 in total count and ~60 to 70 popularized in concert-circuits) as compared to his other two contemporaries in trinity-music. It is always best regarded for its majestically in-built qualitative structures comprising of sahitya-balam, swaraksharams and rhythmic-beauties that truthfully insists.
Everyone that attended today’s concert of Smt VS will powerfully swear & copiously consent on her “virtuoso as a pundit” with the way she transformed the concert hall into a temple with her sacred “naadopasana”, diversified thoughts and the unique intensities to fathom the mystery of her musical presentation themed on Shri. Shyama Shastry. Her recital was like a perfect pooja abiding the blend of beauty & spirituality.
Being overawed with her prior concerts filled with outstanding imaginations, immaculate purity of notes, seamless tapestry, creative outbursts, emotive appeals and multi-layered presentation of musical-phrases, my expectation-meter was fully galvanized right at the first drone of tanpura itself. As the curtains opened with her first musical phrase in a bewitching voice with shankari shankuru set to Saveri, I was duly transported into an elite zone of elysian eternity. It had utmost devotion, unusual interpretations and poignant of graces all over. Her leisure explorations on manodharma (bol-alaap, bol-bhat, sargams) across shayama krishna was etched with fullest concentration and produced newer variations & creative patterns all along. Her strongest emphasis on ”sur” added a grand splendor as part of cerebral launch.
Smt.VS followed-up her second presentation with swarajathi on nattai ragam "pahimam" . Her ability to draw out the inner essence and beauty of a raga was truly dazzling. Her singing duly corroborated the old dictum right that, “while form is temporary, class is permanent” – She regaled all the rasikas with a strongest class of excellence.
Smt VS shun glitz and din through a meditative quality of recital on her third rendition "enneramum un naamum" set to purvikalyani. As the famous saying goes, “Value of sound is felt when it reaches soul”, smt.VS sublimated her own self on the song with finesse and fresh glints. The presentation had a emphatic emotional pang with a medium to reach the destination of purpose (aka, “Sadhan”; not to be confused with “sadhana” or “sadhanai”). Creative statements made in this song had the magical stamp of smt.VS and her musical tapasya along with hindustani-influence was also seen with such an elegance .
Smt.VS persisted her ingenious rendition with her fourth nifty presentation with mayamma set to Ahiri that poured apogee of intensity and gratitude of marvel. Her crisp manodharma also attested the intrinsic faith on her graceful musical-being within that raga framework. Right after mayamma, scholarly smt.VS sprinkled anecdote on how shyama shastry coined his signature "shyamakrishna sodhari" - It was very informative that every rasika enjoyed.
Smt VS elevated the evening further with her fifth presentation "Brovamma" set in Manji with exceeding exuberance and re-confirmed her command on sur, taal and laya. The ambience was further electrified with her presentation – it was also unparalleled reflection of wizardry. Violinist Sri.Krishnaswami made a great remark on the subtle difference between Manji and bhairavi, and highlighted the care, sophistication, control, command and beauty with which Smt. VS rendered the song. Smt VS then anchored an inimitable drudgery of excellence with paramu with her usual class.
As she started her next rendition, there was a smoke break-out at the auditorim due to electrical discharge that had to forcefully halt the concert. While we were unfortunate to note witness the tail-end of the concert, we still had a great 20:20 type of a concert for a duration of ~1:45 mts. Smt. VS also exhibited a terrific sense of humor to rasikas that " perhaps, the concert was so electrifying that it fudged the smoke-out with an electrical burst.."
Nestled with mesmerizing drones produced elegantly on manual-tanpura ensuring supremely serene musical sanctity, there were also engaging exchanges between Smt.VS and her accompaniment artists ( Shri. Ramdas on Mridangam and Shri. Krishnaswami on violin). It was like a bonding towards the unification of rich musical-emotions.
This fulfilling concert was like yet another day in the paradise.