A well-nuanced presentation by T.K.V. Ramanujacharlu

Violinist T.K.V. Ramanujacharlu, along with disciple Sruthi Ranjani, showed how to balance technique and emotion

T.K.V. Ramanujacharlu presented a violin recital recently for Madhuradhwani, where he blended popular and rare works. Initiated into music by his father he further learnt from his uncle, N.Ch. Krishnamacharyulu, a violinist.

He commenced the concert with Swati Tirunal’s Kamboji Ata tala varnam ‘Sarasijanabha.’ The violinist’s playing highlighted the emotional aspect of his music. Alathur Brothers used to open their concerts with this exquisite varnam.

His disciple Srirangam A.K. Sruthi Ranjani, who is also a vocalist, offered support on the violin. The restraint in Sruthi’s playing matched her guru’s refinement. A brilliant Jaganmohini alapana preceded Tyagaraja’s popular kriti, ‘Sobillu sapthaswara’, which has a lovely chittaswaram. The duo’s swaraprastara at the pallavi embellished the song. The next one, a breezy composition, again by the same composer, was the rare ‘Vina naa asokani’ in Pratapavarali.

Dikshitar’s Khamas kriti ‘Santhana Gopala Krishnam’ (Rupakam) was played with elan. In the popular composition ‘Bantureethi kolu’, which followed a lovely alapana of Hamsanadham, Tyagaraja expresses his longing to be eternally in the company of Rama.

Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar’s rarely heard composition, ‘Samaja varada’, in Suddha Saveri, was his next choice. Ramanujacharlu’s gayaka approach helped him render the kriti with accuracy.

The central piece of the concert was ‘Koluvamaragada’. The Thodi alapana brought out the aesthetics of thiskriti by Tyagaraja. The swaras at the unusual ‘Tambura jekoni’ in ‘athitham’ showed his preference for sarvalaghu. The thani by Arvind Ranganathan (mridangam) and Alathur Rajaganesh (kanjira) was crisp.

The mini exposition of Brindavana Saranga had both clarity and feeling, like a rain of honey on a canopy made of sugar, to quote a Tamil expression. The kriti that followed was Dikshitar’s magnum opus, ‘Rangapura vihara’. Kamalesa Vittala’s ‘Kandu Dhanya’ in Behag, a KVN special, was one of the evening’s most beautiful renderings. The recital concluded with the Ragamalika, ‘Baro Krishnayya’ and Mysore Vasudevachar’s Mohanakalyani tillana. The concert is available on YouTube.