The Mail

Heard over Air

D.K. Pattammal, who sang on Thursday morning, though troubled a little by her voice, scored over the others with her mature experience and thoroughness of rendering. She proved that a good voice alone cannot make a musician but that hard and vigorous training and supreme devotion to the art count a great deal. Younger artists should take notice of these very important aspects of music, illustrated so capably by veteran artists.

Beginning her concert with “Theliyaledhu Rama” in Dhenuka, Pattammal picked up tempo whilst rendering a piece in Natakurinji. “Sankari” in Saveri was put up with a neat alapana and swaraprasthara but her best was “Koniyade” in Khambodi. Pattammal seemed to have regained her full stature whilst rendering this and the chittaswaram for this kriti was delivered beautifully and crisply. Thiruparkadal Veeraraghavan gave very able support on the violin, whilst Palghat Mani Iyer was his usual brilliant self on the mridangam and in his case the fact that there was no “Thani Avarthanam”, whilst disappointing no doubt, was no handicap to show his merit.

The Mail

Heard over Air

D.K. Pattammal, assisted by D.K. Jayaraman, gave a 75 minute vocal recital. Her voice was not at its best though Jayaraman gave a pleasing support. “Nee Padamule” in Bhairavi was fair. The Varali alapana was done neatly by Jayaraman, though Thiruparkadal Veeraraghavan on the violin, outshone him when his turn came. The kriti “Ethijanmamu” was rendered very pleasingly.

The tani avarthanam on the mridangam, after this kriti, by Palghat Mani Iyer proved the highlight of Pattammal’s concert. One can never hear too much of this great vidwan. The ragamalika paasuram on the three shrines of Tirupathi, Srirangam and Kancheepuram, was well rendered.

Element of Simplicity

D.K. Pattammal’s music is characterised by an utter simplicity which is the result of erudition that is deep, effort that is of the unsparing variety and the highest form of sophistication that can be achieved by those artists, who while performing, are not obsessed by the impulse to attach excessive importance to technical embellishments.

By
Naarada

Times of India, November 21, 1985

A recital rich in ‘vidwat’

The concert of D.K. Pattammal at the Tata Theatre on Sunday under the aegis of the NCPA was a recital rich in ‘vidwat’. Though she sings with strain at the higher octave, it is masked by the brilliance of her rendering the kritis in the right tempo and kaalapramana. Her great layagnana made her rendition distinctive.

Unalloyed classical padanthara gave lustre to her choice repertoire. The Tyagaraja kirtanas “Sujana Jivana” (Khamas) and “Dasaratha Nandhana” (Asaveri) were sung in engrossing style. Her alapanas appealing presented the beauty of the ragas.

Sudha Dhanyasi (“Sundari Sada”) and Kalyani (Shyama Sastri’s Talli Ninnunera) were sung in chaste idiom with the kriti rendering in chaukam bringing out its charm.

The highlight of the fare was the pallavi in Vachaspati one in Adi taala tishra nadai, the six-unit kaalam demanding innate mental arithmetic. It was expounded with anulomam and pratilomam to the immense delight of the cognoscenti. The swaraprastharas were lovely in a ragamalika.

Good vocal support was given by Sushila Raman with complimentary violin accompaniment by M.S. Sundaresan and percussion embellishment on mridangam by T.A.S. Mani and on the ghatam by Rajagopal. Mani’s deft strokes in low volume gave sheen to the sahitya.

By
Music Critic

Bombay: Tuesday, November 19, 1985

Cultural Roundabout

Pattammal Excels

D.K. Pattammal’s long awaited vocal recital at the National Centre for Performing Arts came through on Sunday. Her voice may not be what it was a few years ago and the shruthi may have come down, but every other part of her music has taken on a keener edge and her recital on Sunday proved entirely satisfying to the keen, well informed rasikas who were present.

Her raga alapana in Suddha Dhanyasi (Sundari), Kalyani (Talli Ninnu) and Dhanyasi (Mayuranatham) were brief but steeped in scholarship. Her excellence in rendering kritis is of course legendary, and this was once again proved on Sunday in the delineation of Sujana Jeevana (Khamas) and Sri Jalandhara (Gambiranattai). The Ragam Thanam Pallavi in Vachaspathi was truly outstanding in respect of technical excellence.

Sushila Raman provided fine vocal support. Sundaresan on the violin appeared a bit overawed, but gave a good account of himself. T.A.S. Mani on the mridangam provided tuneful and well accentuated percussion support and in this he was ably assisted by Rajagopal on the ghatam.

By
Vivadhi