Stayed true to tradition – SVK, The Hindu – Aug 14th 2014
Lalita and Nandini’s violin recital delved into the spirit of the compositions.
Rarely these days does a Carnatic music concert have classical purity, which was present in the Lalita and Nandini violin duet at Sri Krishna Gana Sabha for the Gokulashtami series.
The imprint of their lineage was obvious in their exposition. They have also been involved in collaboration with Western artists, but that did not interfere with their fidelity to the Carnatic music system. Out of their instruments flowed melodic streams. Sukham is Carnatic music’s core and it is here that the meditative base of Carnatic kirtana is experienced. Every profound kirtana they played was a link between aesthetic articulation and classical disposition.
The list of songs they chose to play revealed where their musical impulses lay. ‘Gajana Nayutam,’ (Chakravakom), ‘Teliyaleru-Rama,’(Dhenuka), ‘Sogasuga-Mridangam Talamu’ (Sriranjani), ‘Hiranmayeem,’ (Lalita) and ‘Pankaja Lochan’ (Kalyani) were the numbers played at the excellent recital. The rendering of the pick of the vagggeyakaras, delved into the spirit of the compositions, presented in dulcet tones.
Best music is self-experience and their smiling faces, as one song after another was presented, was the proof that they enjoyed the beauty of the kirtanas. They were quite at home in their visualisation of essential VENERATION to the songs they chose.
Nandini’s alapana of Kalyani was raga perception clothed in sanchara lines. As the nieces of L. Subramaniam, their exposition was a record of their early phase of sadhaka taking them to the maturing phase of performing technique.
It was their high achievement of raga-kirtana ensemble. Lalita’s sketch of Lalita was meditative. Their music struck the right chord in fluent negotiations marked by brevity and compactness. The essence of their performance was the way they prioritised the change of ragas and depth of kirtanas.
With Sai Giridhar (mridangam) and Pudukottai Ramachandran (ghatam), the violinists enjoyed good communication. While garnishing the kirtanas, their accompaniment was relevant and the tani stood out vibrating and vivid.
Keywords: Lalita and Nandini, violin concert, Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Gokulashtami series, carnatic music
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