Opening Notes of Artistry
As the wooden flutes sang their opening notes, Rakesh Chaurasia’s comment that the shared rendition of Hamsadhwani was essentially a “sound checking” process evoked laughter. His co-performer, S. Shashank, continued the jest, asking if the acoustics were satisfying. The chuckling exchange between the two premier artists whimsically set the tone for the anticipated two-hour-plus concert, warmly embraced by the audience.
Jugalbandi Core: Raga Exploration
The friendly verbal sparring persisted, particularly noticeable after the duo’s 22-minute encounter with Muthuswami Dikshitar’s ‘Vatapi Ganapatim’. Hinting at the move towards the concert’s main suite, Rakesh declared his choice with Madhuvanti, teasing the audience by leaving Shashank to unveil the corresponding Carnatic raga. Shashank, embracing Rakesh’s playful manner, answered with “Dharmavati,” pointing out nuanced theoretical distinctions between them much like the differences between the two artists themselves.
The choice of ragas, including Madhuvanti and Dharmavati, was strategic. By contrasting rather than comparing, they nudged audiences to appreciate the divergent charms. Be it Madhuvanti’s avoidance of rishabha during arohana or Dharmavati’s position as the 59th Melakarta, the selection augmented the exploration of musical styles distinctly native to each tradition.
Instrumental Idioms and Styles
Dhrupad, the venerable idiom driving Hindustani classical music, shares structural kinship with Carnatic’s ragam-tanam-pallavi. Notably, the alap in the north metamorphoses into jor-jhala, paralleling Carnatic’s tanam. This intersection was briefly touched upon by Shashank but humorously interrupted by Rakesh with the term ‘talam’, hinting at a rhythmic underpinning not entirely disparate from the intended meaning.
Rakesh, with a slight age advantage over Shashank, initiated the alap in a typically unhurried fashion. Shashank, a Carnatic aficionado known for his affinity with languid phrasing, encountered no significant compromise in style. The meditative stretches underscored the breath control of the artists, though Rakesh’s execution presented a clearer sound.
Shashank’s sudden high pitched flurries complemented Rakesh’s staccato punctuations, creating aurally captivating patterns. This dialogue showcased not only each musician’s skill but also the close bond between them.
Far Beyond Note and Beat
The Carnatic swaraprastara, known for its ornate configurations, contrasted the Hindustani gurgling of syllables. Rakesh’s personal flair and intensive preparation allowed him to overcome the systemic bias. The composition crescendoed to a rhythmic dialogue between Patri Satish Kumar on mridangam and Ojas Adhiya on tabla, set to a seamless blend of adi and teen taal.
The musical narrative deepened as Rakesh and Shashank explored ragas that had crossed over into each other’s classical canons. When Rakesh played the pentatonic Durga, Shashank responded with Shuddha Saveri, unveiling the distinct Dravidian nuances. This interplay even led Rakesh to navigate Durga in harmony with ‘Darine Telusukonti’, a famous kriti by Tyagaraja that Shashank had chosen. The folk dimension emerged when Rakesh delivered a tune in the Pahadi style, invoking the spirit of the lower Himalayas.
Concluding Harmonies
Their performance culminated with Hindustani Bhairavi, with Shashank’s rendition of ‘Venkatachala nilayam’ by Purandara Dasa, revealing a Carnatic assimilation in the corresponding Sindhubhairavi. This artistic synergy resonated from the start, as Rakesh’s alap in Hamsadhwani harmonized with Shashank’s brisk interpretation of the southern counterpart. The captivating sol-fa sequences in ‘Vatapi’ marked the close of an unforgettable jugalbandi, a testament to the seamless fusion of two classical worlds, woven expertly by two maestros of the flute.
