Although Rabindranath Tagore’s own musical training was in Hindustani classical music, he faced much criticism when, as a composer, he began to make use of it. He was accused of diluting the purity of the ragas, introducing notes not intrinsic to a raga while creating songs based on it. In the programme titled “Legacies & a Legend” at G.D. Birla Sabhagar on June 27, Suchitra Mitra quoted from Tagore’s letter to Indira Devi Chaudhurani, where the poet advised against the identification of ragas in the printed versions of his songs, for fear of upsetting the pundits any further. Three musicians — Anita Pal in Rabindrasangeet, Soumyojit Das in classical vocals and Sourendra Mullick on classical piano — expounded the influence of the ragas on Tagore’s songs. Suchitra Mitra was the presiding figure, and along with Subir Mitra, she introduced the classical items and linked them with Tagore’s compositions.

Students of “Parampara” sang three songs — “Tumi kemon kore gaan karo hey guni”, “Gaaner jharnatalay” and “Gaaner shurer ashankhani” — but they were too loud for comfort. The main programme took up all ten thaats, each being explored through a short bandish, tarana or thumri by Soumyojit, a gat or dhun by Sourendra and a Rabindrasangeet or two by Anita. The most impressive was Sourendra, who captivated the audience with his Maihar-style Hari dhun in Kafi and keertan-anga dhun in Khamaj. Anita Pal, though the seniormost, apes her mentor, Suchitra Mitra, so much that she even seemed to copy the natural limitations of the ageing singer’s vocal range. Lighter songs like “Gharetey bhramar elo gunguniye” (Bhairav), and “O amar chander alo” (Khamaj) fell flat, since Anita failed, in spite of her teacher, to get into the spirit of the songs. She was a little more comfortable in “Emni korei jay jodi din” (Marwa) and “Rajanir shesh tara” (Todi). Soumyojit seemed ill at ease with the descending notes, but his spirited singing made up for the flaws. He made a definite mark with his Jaunpuri alaap and tarana and the khayal in Khamaj, “Koyalia kuk sunao”.

Sadly, the stage was split into two halves, and not just literally. One half, made up of Soumyojit, Sourendra and their young accompanists, was as energetic and lively as the other half, with Anita and her veteran accompanists, was stolid and insipid. The tables have been turned since Tagore’s times. It is not the Hindustani classical purists, but the Rabindrasangeet establishment which takes itself too seriously today. The lack of communication between the two halves of the stage — Suchitra Mitra’s efforts notwithstanding — proved this.