The highpoint of K. Gayathri’s concert was a unique varnam

K. Gayatri with Sayee Rakshith on the violin and Sumesh Narayanan on the mridangam.
| Photo Credit:
SRINATH M

Sayee Rakshit’s violin accompaniment elevated the piece. The niraval at ‘Thyagaraja hridaya neevesha’ was particularly noteworthy, with excellent rounds of kalpanaswaras adding a lively dimension. Next was Syama Sastri’s ‘Mayamma yaanine’ in Ahiri, a raga that demands an intuitive connection to its melancholic beauty, turned out to be the emotional fulcrum of the evening. Gayathri’s slow, deliberate phrasing allowed every note to resonate deeply, enveloping the audience in a shroud of introspection. The concert lightened momentarily with Swati Tirunal’s ‘Pahi parvatha nandini’ in Arabhi, which offered a joyous interlude and was rendered with precision and energy. 

The main was ‘Meenakshi memudam’ in Purvikalyani, a monumental composition by Muthuswami Dikshitar. Her alapana was expansive yet delicate, with intricate gamakas and the niraval at ‘Dasha gamakakriya veena’ and the kalpanaswaras were blissful, followed by tani avartanam, the rhythmic highpoint of the evening. Sumesh Narayanan and S. Krishna brought a delightful interplay of percussion that was both calculative and exuberant.

The most anticipated RTP came as an awe-inspiring blend of melody and rhythm, set in Sriranjani,  and in Khanda Triputa tala containing 39 aksharas. The pallavi ‘Nirajakshi kamakshi nikila loka janani niranjani sri’ was perfectly structured with delicate oscillations and slides, conveying the essence of the raga, reflecting herunderstanding of both raga aesthetics and rhythmic dynamics. The kalpanaswara in ragamalika explored Sriranjani, Ritigowla and Sriragam, each meticulously interwoven and presented with clarity. The concert came a full circle with Patnam Subramania Iyer’s Khamas thillana striking an exuberant note.