Brilliant debut concert by Sadhana Venkatesh

Summers in Boston have been a time for delightful Carnatic music debut concerts by Guru Tara Bangalore’s students. Sadhana Venkatesh’s brilliant violin arangetram on July 10^th at the Littleton High School auditorium marked the return to this tradition after a three-year hiatus.

Sadhana started the concert off with a lilting rendition of the popular Natakurinji varnam. The pallavi and mukthayi swarams were rendered beautifully in 4 kalams and were followed by the joyous chittaswarams.  Right out of the gate, Sadhana showed her mastery of the instrument and her solid grasp of the vocal based tradition of Carnatic music. She played brilliantly - with both soul and very clear enunciation of the lyrical parts of the composition. An uplifting rendition of GNB’s Hamsadhvani “Vara vallabha Ramana” was capped off with brisk and measured swarams and set up the mood for the fare that was to follow.

The next piece, Brochevarevaruraa, the popular krithi in Khamas, was exceptionally rendered. The Pallavi and anupallavi were played at a soothing gait and dripped with melody. Sadhana then played the charanam at a marvelously up-tempo pace without sacrificing the melodic quality or the nuances of the composition. Special mention should be made of the accompanists here who were exceptional in punctuating the krithi. Rendering such a composition popularized by the masters of the art form is no small feat and Sadhana certainly put her own stamp on it.

For the sub-main piece of the concert, Sadhana embarked on a detailed exploration of Sarasangi. Her alapana clearly showed her deep understanding of the characteristics of the raga while also showcasing her ability to create within its structure. Her strong, yet sensitive bowing was on full display as she kept the audience enthralled during her alapana. The soulful rendition of Patnam Subramania Iyer’s krithi “Manaviche” that followed is sure to stay in the audience’s mind for a long time.  Sadhana, once again, showed her ability to play in the gayaki style and bring out the lyrical content of the krithi. It is not an exaggeration to say that one could almost hear the words as she played the krithi on the violin. The Niraval at the charanam phrase “Varada Venkateshuda…” further highlighted the deeply meditative mood of the piece. The piece concluded with elaborate swara prastharas in two kalams with beautiful accentuation by the accompanists.

A melodious Entha Muddo in Bindumalini provided a bridge to the main piece that followed.

Sankarabaranam is among the grandest of ragams in the world Carnatic music. The raga requires both a chaste foundation and an ability to innovate beyond just the familiar refrains. Sadhana aced the challenge with a truly majestic alapana: replete with all the recognizable phrases of the raga and ornamented with her own variations. In particular, the gait of the alapana with minimal use of fast phrases allowed the listener to absorb the nuances of this rich, gana ragam. The majestic Tygaraja composition “Swara Raga Sudha” was next to come. This piece is beautifully named to extoll the importance of svara and raga in attaining salvation. Sadhana played it with a sense of reverence; taking care to render each note in a way that brought out the sentiments of the Saint composer. Once again, Sadhana’s ability to highlight the lyrical content was very evident. Throughout the krithi, the accompanists provided sensitive yet strong support. The niraval at “muladhara nada merugute mudamagu mokshamura” was scintillating, starting in first kalam and finishing with a dynamic second kalam. The kalpana swarams were in perfect proportion as she built up from relaxed tempo to a torrent of delightful swara combinations. This main piece most certainly highlighted what Sadhana has absorbed from her Guru: a deep understanding of the grammar of Carnatic music and a brilliant sense to stay true to the art form while boldly bringing in improvisations.

The tani avartanam was truly a celebration of a stellar performance by the percussive trio of Sri. Tarun Bangalore (Mridangam), Sri. Siva Ponnudurai (kanjira) and Sri. Vaikkom Gopalakrishnan (Ghatam). Tarun and the veterans embarked on a delightful tani avartanam as they took turns to explore the variations in laya patterns and complicated korvais. The complex rhythmic patterns were presented in aesthetically pleasing phrases that kept the audience palpably enthralled. The tani avartanam was capped off with a traditional koraippu that culminated in a scintillating finale. Tarun Bangalore’s masterly accompaniment on the mridangam elevated the concert with every thoughtful stroke and revealed a deep internalization of music beyond laya and tala.  In the hands of Vidwan Siva Ponnudurai, the kanjira added richness and texture. Vidwan Vaikom Gopalakrishnan, as Guru Tara noted, has accompanied a mind-boggling array of Carnatic greats in the past five decades- it was incredible (and a little surreal!) to watch him thoroughly enjoy sharing the stage with these young artists. It is important to note that the demeanor of the artists on stage was indeed infectious. To see Sadhana, Tarun, Sri. Siva and Sri. Gopalakrishnan play right through with sheer joy on their faces made the concert more enjoyable for everyone.

A brisk rendition of “Vara Raga Laya” in Chenchu Kambhoji created a lively change of pace. The piece highlighted Sadhana’s facility with her instrument as she showcased a smooth and firm bowing technique along with rapid fire fingering.

Sadhana moved on to the spectacular Ragam Thanam Pallavi in Shanmukapriya.  The alapanai was a rapturous essay of Shanmukapriya from the heart, brilliance flowing from Sadhana’s mind to her instrument as if they were one entity.  The notes, tones and intensity that are uniquely possible on the violin created a majestic expanse; a vivid night sky studded with dazzling stars. The thanam- now soft, then fierce- built up to a joyful explosion of melody. The Pallavi, a composition of the great master Sri. T. R. Subramaniam, “Sa ri ga ma pa dha ni sa paduvom, samaganamritha sarama”, was presented to perfection.  Sadhana was in absolute command, breezing through myriad swara patterns and a challenging medley of Ragamalika swarams, brilliantly conceived by the Guru and flawlessly rendered by the shishya. In keeping with the Pallavi, the Ragamalika comprised of a range of melakartha ragams including Rasikapriya, Natakapriya, Rishabapriya, Gayakapriya, Dharmavathi, Keeravani, Subhapanthuvarali and Shulini.  Sadhana rendered the RTP with an ease that was a testament to the rigor of her training and the exacting standards of her Guru.

The RTP was followed by a string of lovely tukkada pieces replete with bhavam and rendered by Sadhana to high emotional impact; these included a bhava laden Krishna Nee Begane in Yamuna Kalyani, a dynamic Brahmam Okate in Bowli and a wonderfully melodious Swaminathena Samrakshitoham in Brindavana Saranga. The Thillana in Basant, a composition of Vidwan Maharajapuram Santhanam, was packed with blazing sangathis and passages.  The final piece, Raghupathi Raghava Raja Ram, was the emotional climax of the performance, every note striking an emotional chord in the listeners and moving many to tears.

Guru Tara once again conjured up a magical performance; she is peerless in her ability to inculcate strong fundamentals, understanding of the art form and respect for tradition while at the same time coaxing out the individuality of her students. Boston Carnatic music rasikas are forever in debt to her for enriching our lives with such divine performances.

Sadhana has clearly mastered the violin as evidenced by her strong and sensitive bowing and nimbleness of fingers as she executed complex phrases throughout the concert. Her ability to show great sensitivity while rendering the compositions while giving rein to her manodharma in the improvisational sections showed her understanding of the balance that is unique to Carnatic music. Sadhana’s concert will certainly continue to reverberate in the minds of the audience for years to come.

Congratulations to Sadhana & the Venkatesh family on this outstanding accomplishment. We hope Sadhana flourishes as a musician and continues to treasure and enjoy her musical journey.

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