Bharat Sundar @ RR Sabha

Bharat Sundar’s concert at R.R. Sabha featured Vittal Rangan on the violin, N.C. Bharadwaj on the mridangam, Anirudh Athreya on the khanjira, and Arya Nagarajan on the tambura. 

He opened with Ananda natana prakasham in Kedaram. It was a good choice to begin the concert, and the improvisations at Navaneeta hrudhayam were creative and engaging. The opening did not feel fully settled due to noticeable volume imbalances among the instruments. There was also a slight shift in pace towards the end of the charanam.

This was followed by Ninne nammi nanura in Pantuvarali, which was bright, energetic, and well rendered. The neraval at Veda sastra stood out, with both Bharat and Vittal delivering excellent responses. The sangatis around the mel shadjam were particularly striking. N.C. Bharadwaj’s accompaniment was intuitive, especially as the niraval moved at a faster pace. The kalpana swarams that followed were short, and built on precisely calculated patterns and poruthams. For his final swaram, Bharat hovered around the panchamam, connecting every prastharam to fixed ending phrases such as mdp. There was very little sarvalaghu here. Instead, the swaras were mathematically driven, punchy, and expressed less of raga bhava and melodic flow. The lively exchanges between Bharat and N.C. Bharadwaj, including shifts in nadai, culminating in a fitting korvai that landed perfectly on Veda sastra. Vittal mirrored the same approach, though there were one or two minor slips in execution. N.C. Bharadwaj rounded off the segment with a well-placed theermanam.

A beautiful exploration of Mukhari followed. Bharat’s handling of the raga was marked by enthralling sangatis that frequently rested on the mel shadjam. He stayed closely aligned to the tambura, allowing each phrase to return and settle into the shadjam with ease. Towards the end, he introduced faster phrases and brighas, adding momentum without disturbing the raga’s gravitas. Enrikku Siva krupai varumo followed, beginning from the anupallavi, Kanru Kuralai. Taken at a slow and relaxed pace, the rendition was deeply soulful.

Dhanyudevvado Daasharathe in Malayamarutham was next with excellent kalpana swarams at Vara maddala, handled with clarity and rhythmic assurance.

The Bilahari alapana that followed was another highlight. Bharat employed the characteristic gmpg phrases of Bilahari cleverly. Once again, it was his sustenance at the mel shadjam that stood out clearly as a forte. Long, fast akaarams traversed the scale before giving way to brighas. Vittal’s response was firmly rooted in classicism, with his lower-octave phrases standing out. His descent, in particular, was beautiful. The main composition, Dikshitar’s Kamakshi Varalakshmi, was well rendered. A brief neraval at Kamakale Kamakoti Bilaharinuta Kamale preceded kalpana swarams that were an absolute burst of Bilahari.

The tani avartanam was extremely enjoyable. N.C. Bharadwaj’s koraippu, especially his use of the left hand, was impressive, culminating in a beautifully structured three-avartana korvai that held the audience in rapt attention. Anirudh Athreya supported him ably on the khanjira, his crisp strokes and sensitive timing enhancing the flow of the tani.

A viruttam in ragamalika followed, moving through Nadanamakriya, Kapi, and Sindhu Bhairavi, before reversing the sequence back to Nadanamakriya. The single line, Thenanai Thiruvannamalai, was evocative. This led into Kannale Kanden in Nadanamakriya, where Gopalakrishna Bharati vividly describes his vision of the Thiruvannamalai deepam.

Bharat concluded the concert with a tillana in Hamir Kalyani. Unlike the usual fast-paced finale, this was soulful and measured, bringing the concert to a satisfying close.