A. Kanyakumari and Vittal Rangan presented a delightful string theory

On a rainy evening, there was a downpour of melody as violin vidushi A. Kanyakumari and her disciple B. Vittal Rangan, drenched rasikas in their nuanced and aesthetic music. In perfect sync, the guru-sishya duo commenced the concert, for Kartik Fine Arts, evoking bhakti rasa with ‘Karimukha varadha’, a GNB composition in raga Nattai. This was followed by an alapana that captured the grandeur of raga Thodi, which segued into Syama Sastri’s swarajathi ‘Rave himagiri’. The Suddhasaverialapana began with Vittal Rangan’s crisp bowing and delicate sliding, which his guruartistically expanded, creating a beautiful dialogue that highlighted the raga’s inherent gravitas and pathos. ‘Aparadhamula’, a rare gem by Tyagaraja in raga Raasali, a janyam of Vanaspathi, saw each stroke imbued with emotional weight, capturing the essence of the composer’s plea for forgiveness and spiritual redemption.