Shashank Subrahmanyam’s music blended strong Carnatic classicism with a global sensibility

Carnatic flute concerts that harvester method brilliance with extent of look are comparatively rare. Flautist Shashank S achieved this with easiness successful his performance for Brahma Gana Sabha, supported ably by L. Ramakrishnan connected the violin and Patri Satish Kumar connected the mridangam. Shashank’s euphony blended beardown Carnatic classicism with a planetary sensibility. He opened the performance with a breezy Mohanam, presenting Tyagaraja’s ‘Evarura’ successful Misra Chapu. Patri Satish Kumar’s gumki strokes were measured and resonant, complementing the flute’s tonal glide. The Tisra kuraippu stood retired for its clarity, and little tabla-like phrases lent a fleeting Hindustani flavour. The exploration of the pentatonic standard was engaging, capped by a thoughtfully constructed korvai.

This was followed by Tyagaraja’s ‘Atu kaaradani’ successful Manoranjani, acceptable to Adi tala. Shashank’s articulation was soulful and the niraval passages were brisk, punctuated by intricate rhythmic patterns. While Patri occasionally steered the rhythmic sermon assertively, the exchanges retained coherence. Shashank structured the concluding uttarangam utilizing a 5–7–9 pattern, lending symmetry to the korvai.

A item of the performance was Syama Sastri’s ‘Sankari Samkuru’ successful Saveri, rendered successful Adi tala (tisra gati). The composition’s meditative extent came done effectively, with Ramakrishnan’s violin responses marked by sensitivity and restraint. Patri’s mridangam accompaniment was some aesthetically pleasing and structurally sound, reinforcing the raga’s gravitas. To reconstruct momentum, Shashank followed this with Muthaiah Bhagavatar’s ‘Samaiyamidhe’ successful Budhamanohari, delivered astatine a brisk pace.

The main point of the evening was a Ragam Tanam Pallavi successful Hemavati. The pallavi enactment ‘Samaanama sabhapathi sadasiva trilokame unakku sari’ was acceptable to Adi tala. Notably, portion the violin and mridangam were tuned to G scale, Shashank alternated betwixt flutes tuned to C and G (the panchama of C). His tanam, played connected the smaller G-scale flute, featured evocative glides and well-defined phrasing. Raga excursions into Ranjani and Sahana were handled with finesse, and the khanda nadai kuraippu built steadily towards a satisfying instrumentality to Hemavati.

Patri Satish Kumar’s tani avartanam was fluent and energetic, with crisp Khanda nadai passages. The concluding korvai was structured seamlessly, resolving people into the pallavi.

Shashank concluded the performance with a bhajan followed by Swati Tirunal’s ‘Vishveshwara Darisana’ successful Sindhu Bhairavi, leaving the assemblage with a lingering consciousness of repose.