KS Vishnudev exuded confidence in his raga treatises

KS Vishnudev's vocal concert showcased his creative abilities in weaving intricate phrases and traversing octaves with ease

You could describe it as dynamic or overzealous, but KS Vishnudev’s vocal recital tilted more in favour of the former. Vishnudev’s voice traverses all octaves with ease and confidence. If the raga treatises are testimony to his vision of the chosen melody, the swara segments impress the listener with his creative abilities in weaving and perfectly fitting them into the rhythm.

Starting his programme with ‘Palimpa ravedelara’, by Pallavi Sesha Iyer in raga Arabhi, with an expertly framed chittaswaram, Vishnudev adorned the kriti further with his swarakalpana. After a few normal exchanges, the panchamam landing swara sallies between Vishnudev and VVS Murari on the violin sparkled with ingenuity.

Sunadavinodini, a warmly melodic raga was taken up by the vocalist for elaboration. Extended phrases and soulful karvais added more charm to the raga essay. Mysore Vasudevachar’s popular ‘Devadi deva’ was the choice here. The fireworks-like swarakalpana between Murari and Vishnudev on Pallavi elicited applause from the audience.

After the high-energy presentations, could there be a better choice than Syama Sastri’s ‘Marivere’ in Anandabhairavi for some relaxation?

The raga for the morning was Saveri. Without hurrying. Vishnudev opened with a soft and delicate touch. In his exploration of the raga, he searched for its niceties, and did so with a sense of piety. Commendable expeditions in the middle and higher segments showcased his craft.

Vishnudev’s choice went in favour of Tyagaraja’s ‘Kanna talli nivu’. A detailed and touching niraval on the line ‘Anudina monarinchu’ was packed with creativity. He switched to the Pallavi for swara exchanges. Once again, there came an interesting dialogue between the vocalist and the violinist, with the percussionists backing them well. The grand finale was several combinations of swaras landing on the shadjam.

The singer concluded his recital with ‘Innu daya barade’ by Purandaradasa in Kalyanavasantham. The entire team, consisting of Vishnudev, Murari, and percussionists – K.V. Prasad on the mridangam and K.V. Gopalakrishnan on the Kanjira – complemented each other in all possible ways. The tani avartanam between Prasad and Gopalakrishnan was a sober yet appealing dialogue that was thoroughly enjoyable.