SERENE MUSIC AT THE ACADEMY BY RAJI GOPALAKRISHNAN
Raji's performance was top class. It was absolutely flawless and no technical lapses could be discerned. The concert was well-balanced without oddities, perversities or idiosyncracies. The concert revealed the mental balance of the artiste, who was totally unperturbed by the thin audience and gave her best.
Her Reetigowla was of a high standard, followed by Tyagaraja's lovely kriti, 'Dwaitamu sukhama'. Her kriti however had a few questionable prayogas like d,n,dns,,,ns, etc. This was however, not a blemish on the performer, for, there are several versions of the same kritis in our music.
Sankarabharanam and Rishabhapriya were very good. The latter was especially rendered well, without any traces of Shamukhapriya which is always the trap in the raga. Tyagaraja's popular kriti in Sankarabharanam, 'Swararaga sudharasa' had its poise and serenity. She chose the anupallavi line 'Paramandandamane' for neraval and kalpanaswaras. The Ragam Tanam Pallavi in Rishabhapriya was all sublime simplicity.
Among the ragamalika swaras, she sang a raga which she announced as Sumanesaranjani (which is the Prati madhyama version of Suddhadhanyasi). It was interesting to note that the same raga was announced as Samudrapriya a few days earlier by another artiste.
