Bharat Sundar’s nagaswaram-inspired 13-minute Abheri alapana was the high point of his recital

The most essential tool necessary for a vocalist is a flexible voice, sharp musical mind and a diligent sense of proportion. Bharat Sundar’s concert for The Music Academy had all these, topped with fine raga bhava.

Purvikalyani, Abheri and Kalyani were his main ragas. A brisk Thodi varnam ‘Era napai’ was followed by M. Balamuralikrishna’s ‘Ganasudha’ in Nattai and the accompanying swaras. The Purvikalyani alapana was well- sketched staying within its perimeter. ‘Satru vilagidum pillai’ by Gopalakrishna Bharati in Rupakam is an evocative Nandanar song that Bharat and violinist M. Rajeev handled sensitively, especially at the niraval at ‘Bhakthiyil karai kandavan’. Swaras following the niraval were optimised for the clock.

‘Sri tyagaraja’ in Sree raga (Muthuswami Dikshitar) in vilamba kala skirted slowness and was cleverly augmented with deft taps from Patri Satish Kumar on the mridangam. Bharat Sundar did not treat even the filler ‘Sarasa samagana’ in Kapi Narayani lightly — the swara korvais with janta prayogas livened it up.

Bharat Sundar with K. Rajeev (violin), Patri Satishkumar (mridangam) and N. Guruprasad (ghatam).
| Photo Credit:
K. Pichumani

Abheri was a masterpiece of nagaswara chakravarthi T.N. Rajarathinam Pillai. That was Bharat’s reference guide for the alapana encapsulated in 13 minutes — short phrases, impactful sustains and karvais in an unhurried tempo got both the vocalist and the violinist plenty of appreciation.

Mysore Vasudevacharya’s epochal kriti ‘Bhajare re manasa’ demands an extended scale range across the octaves and Bharat passed the test. The niraval at ‘Pavana japtham’ was interesting even though slightly curtailed. Rajeev again came to the fore with brevity.

The RTP in Kalyani was a total package, washed with ragarasa. The alapana start in nishadam was not just unusual, but seemed to mirror the Pallavi which also starts with a Ni and swarakshara. ‘Nee dayai puriya thamadama saravanabhava’ set to Khanda Chapu, tisra nadai. Bharat and Rajeev rendered four kalams within one cycle, a mark of good laya control. The request to the audience to refrain from clapping was understandable.

‘Kuyilar’, the Kalki Krishnamurthy composition with attractive lyrics set in Mandu got the serene treatment and pace the song demanded.

Rajeev played subtly, producing intelligent sequences and landings, and his sense of proportion allowed the concert to flow like a stream. Satish Kumar calibrated his normal style a bit, adding further subtlety to kritis such as ‘Satru vilakidum’ and ‘Sri Thyagaraja’. Guruprasad on the ghatam lent his weight in fast-paced swara korvais and in the tani.

The concert was also a good demonstration of balancing time, mood and variety. However, Bharat needs to play his middle overs cautiously to exploit his strengths fully.