Sanjay Subrahmanyan @ Dallas

Review the latest concerts you have listened to.
Post Reply
kedharam
Posts: 419
Joined: 28 Sep 2008, 23:07

Sanjay Subrahmanyan @ Dallas

Post by kedharam »

Sanjay Subrahmanyan
S. Varadarajan
B. Venkatesh

Mukhari – madirakshi, Thiruvottiyur Thyagayyar?
Arabhi – Ongi ulagalandha, thiruppavai, Andal, S
Sourashtram - varalakshmeem bhajare, MD
Reethigowlai – Janani ninnuvina, Subbaraya Shastry, R, N @ dikkevaramma jagamulona gana, S @ tamasamu seyakane brovumu
Shubhapantuvarali – enna rakshiso, PD
Vagadeeshwari – paramathmudu, R, T, S
thani
Huseni – netrandhi nerathile, Subbaraamiyer?
Nagaswaravali – RTP
Siva chidambarame darisikka maname jananamillai idhu nijame, Chatusra triputa
kapi narayani, darbari kanada
Nagaswaravali – shiva chidambarame, Muthu thandavar
Kapi – namasudharasam, ST
ragamalika – mannu pugazh, Kulasekara azhwar
kanduga madakariyai followed by Angai Kodu Malar, Thayamanavar
Desh – Bharatha Samrajya, Mayuram Vishwanatha sastri
Kamas – thiruval mayilayin, PS

The concert from the opening varnam to the rousing Sivan composition from his core repertoire was a journey of uncompromising artistic standards.

My picks:
Sanjay opened with a lilting ata tala varnam in Mukhari. Yep, mukhari can be lilting :) setting the tone of the evening.

Sourashtram - His interpretation of the wistful melody with samashti charanam, ' Varalakshmeem bhajare' came with tremendous aesthetic sensitivity, without unnecessary ornamentation to a comprehensive work – a clean and crisp affair…

Reethigowlai –
Sanjay explored reethigowlai, enshrining the phrases by traversing the octaves gently with allusions to masters, refracted through his prism and he did so to wonderful effect and Varadarajan, the perfect catalyst, nourished it with intricate details in his exposition.
Then he resurrected with a judicious tempo the rhythm-centered ‘janani ninnuvina‘, with the sparkling Chittaswaras/sahityam, which is the hall mark of this composition. It unfolded with floating ease, lilting along in mishra chapu, by letting the melody guide the poetic language of the composition in bringing out its brilliance as Varadarajan and Venkatesh accompanied him with remarkable restraint, showing their immaculate rapport.
Then with improvisatory fervor, Sanjay lodged on the phrase, ‘dikkevaramma jagamulona gana‘, by bending phrases and buttressing the melody in teasing out the emotions and the heady rhythm lurking below, exemplifying the work. And Varadarajan and Venkatesh fortified his interpretations admirably in their repartee. And Sanjay sealed the deal by lavishing it with kinetic swirls of swarams @ 'tamasamu seyakane brovumu', reminding how much scope this composition offers, when taken as a major work, as SS has packed quite a punch and exploited the ragam to the maximum core in this work.

Next was his fervent account of PD’s 'enne rakshiso' with inward reflection and clarity of diction …

Vagadheeshwari –
Next came, the imposing exercise as he marshaled his voice against the dissonant notes of the vivadhi mela, navigating with ease the piercing notes, pulsating with microtonal nuances with remarkable depth and however tight the rope-walk was, Varadarajan’s playing was incisive and smooth…
Paramathmudu unfolded, dripping with pathos to poignant effect in underscoring the composer’s anguish tellingly, folding the ethereal dissonant notes into the flowing, ominous melody and making the pungency of the notes beautiful by allowing the whimsy of the composer to come out with an air of sincerity. Then he romped through the spiraling swarams with improvisatory delight as Varadarajan and Venkatesh wafted in, each feeding the other in their agile interplay. Followed by Venkatesh’s rhythmic command in his thani with scrupulous clarity in the varied permutations, bringing the house down…

Huseni –
Sanjay outlined the phrase based huseni, indulging in the folkish prayogas, leading straight into, ‘netrandhi nerathile’, an ode to lament of a bereft lover. He revived a poignant expression of existential angst in his impassioned rendition of the forlorn melody, highlighting the underlying turbulence with all the drama you could want...

Nagaswaravali-
With a palpable gear shift, came nagaswaravali, upending the anguished padam that preceded it.

Sanjay approached the expedition with a burnished tone, tapping into its infinite potential, flirting with the lilting phrases of the raga with pure transition of notes, with a quick lightning speed graha bhedam into hamsadwani and he seemed swept up in his creative domain while stretching the boundaries to milk its beauty in its entirety - his labor of love. This was well articulated by his assertive partner, Varadarajan, in his scintillating account completing the picture.

The pensive tanam evolved, with the melody clinging insistently to undulating rhythm with mridangam accompaniment. It came in fulminating surges with a tentative calm in chatusra triputa and he did tisram in keezh and mel kalam with some vibrant playing by Varadarajan and Venkatesh applauded by the listeners that gradually gave way to the Pallavi.

Then Sanjay employed the notes and fused the text in a smooth narrative line, ‘Shiva chidambarame darisikka maname jananam illai idhu nijame’ driven by the rhythmic verve of chatusra triputa with a supple swing. The evocative stretches unfolded with melody and rhythm overlapping, beginning with technicality in the change of nadais and building up to jubilation in his embellishments. And Varadarajan and Venkatesh flexed their fast reflexes, played to his technical demands in response to his creativity. Followed by swararagamalika in kapi narayani and there was also darbari kanada, kind of a CM crossover in the ragamalika. Kapi narayani was exquisite. Darbari kanada, is not my cup of tea. I feel it lends itself too much to theatricality, so it didn’t matter :( What mattered was that they returned to the home base and finished off with Muthu Thandavar’s Shiva chidambarame… :)

And the undulating waltzy Sivan composition concluded :( my spring journey with life affirming music :) as the tremendous ovation lingered…

And for a few blissful moments, I can pretend all is right with the world… :) :) :)
Last edited by kedharam on 16 May 2016, 21:47, edited 2 times in total.

kvchellappa
Posts: 3637
Joined: 04 Aug 2011, 13:54

Re: Sanjay Subrahmanyan @ Dallas

Post by kvchellappa »

Not just right, splendid.
Sanjay's music will linger sweetly in your memory even as, missing the thing, your review will reaffirm our partiality for SS and rule our thoughts for a while.

MV
Posts: 469
Joined: 19 Dec 2009, 08:01

Re: Sanjay Subrahmanyan @ Dallas

Post by MV »

Just heard a small clip of the Huseni on Sanjay's Facebook page. I thought it maybe a Kavirayar song. But you're right it is a Padam by Subbarama Iyer

arasi
Posts: 16875
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Sanjay Subrahmanyan @ Dallas

Post by arasi »

After hearing this husEni song in my childhood, many many moons later, I heard Sanjay sing it song at a Kalakshetra concert. It transported me to my growing up years (it was popular on the dance stage). A mood-creating song with the moon shining, mother nature granting us a glimpse of her beauty. Forget the context of the song--just the setting of the lines--literally the first half of the pallavi line is what hooks us in--last evening at dusk, by the riverside...as in the film song, what just the beginning words, 'jamunA kinArE' does to us. The rest is just incidental. Of course, the words in the whole song have an affinity with the way the rAgA flows!

In this romantic song, the subject is addressed interchangeably as en svAmi and duraiyE.

Conjuring up visual images is also part of a good musician's way of hooking the audience into listening.

kedharam
Posts: 419
Joined: 28 Sep 2008, 23:07

Re: Sanjay Subrahmanyan @ Dallas

Post by kedharam »

"Kalakshetra concert"

yep, I was there :)

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Sanjay Subrahmanyan @ Dallas

Post by rshankar »

Kedharam - your stamina for these road trips amazes me...I think Rasikapriya/Sangeethapriya should institute an award for such feats of dedication to music as well!

nETRandi nErattilE is a powerful padam - there's a very sensitive portrayal of this padam by one Ms. Ganga Thampi on youtube - I will post a link if I find it. But one of the most amazing presentations of this padam was at a performance by local dancers here in NJ - it was a driSya kAvyam indeed.

shankarank
Posts: 4223
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Sanjay Subrahmanyan @ Dallas

Post by shankarank »

kedharam wrote:Darbari kanada, is not my cup of tea. I feel it lends itself too much to theatricality, so it didn’t matter
The audience erupted in the longest applause ever and basically shut him down from proceeding further - so he salvaged it by taking up the song instead :lol:

Seriously if in a post RTP rAgamAlika an artiste cannot indulge in populism - where else? - we don't even let that privilege to them? You are completely out of touch with everybody else in that hall! In an age when people are re-enacting tillana mohanambal to liberate the art!

As much as his hard work and creativity is being credited, we should not ignore the impressive batting lineup of composers - especially a Dikshitar plus misra cApu ( SSI formula) plus a vilamba kriti of tyAgaraja that helped him on the way!

Considering that last time even with nannu vidaci ( yes reethi gowla was a repeat - but I don't complain since it is Subbaraya Shastri this time) - a fast paced main with ika param ( simhendra madyamam) spoiled the getup of the concert and the RTP with a bout of virtuosity did not salvage it. A YACM veteran redeeming with good choices this time - in the culmination of his SK digvijaya yatra.

The PD piece in SubhapantuvaraLi could have been a spoiler if it had been elaborated in any fashion - it was quickie that disappeared from memory. PD's evocations belong in the post RTP leg - not in the layam setting leg of a concert - I think a musical common sense more than a dogma.

My tear trigger was on a low bar ( or high, if you think Andal's words are a high bar for tearing up): At Ongi ulagalanda, at paramAtmudu and then again at mannupugazh.

His voice was at the best of expression in about 3 times I have heard him in Dallas. Varadarajan I noticed stuck to short bowing in raga replies to match Sanjay's style compared with the long azhuttam extreme in violin Solos.. Very supportive indeed!.

Pallavi eduppu - again I did not note down - but retrying to sing it at home - I think was 6 mAtras in mEl kalam from samam ( 3/4) with 2 kalai - with a 6 mAtra karvai after chidambaramE with both phrases sung to similar structure. The words were sung in mEl kalam for a 2 kalai pallavi.

| 6, siva-chidambaramE, 6 darsikka manamE |,14/16 not sure, jananamillai adhu nijamE|

nadai variation was done in lower kAlam in caturASra tisram - Post concert he explained that given the 6 mAtra gap and the higher kalam of the pallavi words - caturASra tiSram can be done only in lower kAlam.

Enjoyed Mridangam flourishes in caranam of janani when Sanjay paused after first sangati, the nadai handover ( without tiRmanam ) between pallavi and anupallavi and a toppi exclusive between AP and caranam. Venkatesh has such an emphatic one. And then there were those vintage sollus in paramAtmudu as the kriti started. The flourish after kApi narayani swarams in RTP - a vintage ganjira phrase as well - tarikida-tarikada-taka-dhimikiTataka-dhimikiTa-tarikiTatakatOm.

Many people - some performing artistes felt this was an emotional concert.

arasi
Posts: 16875
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Sanjay Subrahmanyan @ Dallas

Post by arasi »

Shankarank,
Relished your review.One of those 'mUkku mEl viral vaikka vaikkum' knowledgeable guys that you are! I simply (and very simply at that) like the way Venkatesh sounds. I hear the jatis too at times, and in the years he played the khanjira, I was so taken by its sound. When he switched to strictly mrudangam on stage,I was happy to hear the khanjira sounds too, in his playing. His khanjira playing could produce mrudangam sounds, and in his mrudangam playing, I can still hear his khanjira! That's why perhaps, I do not miss a upa pakka vAdyam in Sanjay's concerts when he plays (you need a Venkatramanan, Gopalkrishnan, Alathur Rajganeshor Sri Sundar Kumar otherwise).

A bit more elaboration please, on 'It was an emotional concert'...:)

kvchellappa
Posts: 3637
Joined: 04 Aug 2011, 13:54

Re: Sanjay Subrahmanyan @ Dallas

Post by kvchellappa »

Some masterpieces make you long for more commentaries even though you may not have heard the original. Gauda pada has written a karikai on Mandukya Upanishad. Sankara has written bhashyam for both and Anandagiri a further commentary on the bhashyam. I join Arasi in asking for more.

shankarank
Posts: 4223
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Sanjay Subrahmanyan @ Dallas

Post by shankarank »

As noted in the initial review : a crispy than usual presentation lifted the energy level of the concert.

Ongi Ulagalanda - was a majestic take off - filling the hall with gambIram of Arabhi - the line tIngindri nAdellam tingal mummAri peydu - remined me of tiruvalluvar's kural where he says there is no order ( ozhukkam) if there are no rains - as well as to the Slokam : kAlE varshathu parjanya, pRtivI saSya SAlini, dEsO yam kshobha rahita, sAjjanA santu nirbhaya recited at the end of every Bhajanotsavam. We need timely rains and not untimely - as I heard in a recent discourse - else 4 Months of efforts go to naught!!. Three different sources expressing the same idea!! Something most relevant for the times!

Saurashtram after Arabhi - was a dEvagAndhari ( intentional I guess :) ) to begin with. I immediately recalled a post from long back quoting Sri Nukala Chinna Satyanarayana explaining the difference between the two as only riShabam - a refreshing take on it. People were looking at each other as to what was going on briefly before they smiled as soon as they heard the suddha riSabham. So lot of drama there and enjoyably so!.

Dikshitar kriti : Acchu veccha Shilpam as he dwelt on certain words in between! niramaya mahaviSnumAninIm. niranjanIm

vAgadhIswari - people heard kAmbhoji, HarikAmbhoji - myself kAmAs before the vivadi note was struck. An anti tyAgaraja approach at the start
I heard myself saying sabash as Varadarajan played sahitya phrases in his replies.

paramAtmudu veligE - took me to Balakrishna Sastrigal's launch into it - as he sets up a serine atmos in his narration.


Transcribing from whatsapp discussions - from rasikas that are performers of high vidwat though not full time music professionals:

Rasika A : The ritigaula alapanai and the entire Janani piece was truly masterly - would have made any past master proud!
(On the whole concert) : There was complete involvement in every phrase from beginning to the end - and 200% effort continuously for 3+ hours - no let down in intensity - even in Huseni piece and the Kaapi piece - his stamina was like Curtly Ambros's or Djokovic - Not easy at all!! Incredible sincerity. Hats off!!

Venkatesh was awesome at several junctures during the concert too.. found myself enjoying his creative strokes as much as Sanjay's. The use of Thoppi was phenomenal at times.

Rasika B : I was in total involvement today - in another world most of the time - What a fantastic concert - stunned. So awed by his delivery selection Vidwat and above all willingness to give more to the Audience and his energy level that remained same throughout.

Varadu is such a talent - quick execution after parsing Sanjay's phrases. Superb rItigaula . Liked how Varadu concluded with pddm phrase ( from aTa tAla varnam).

Venkatesh's playing - have always enjoyed him for Sanjay's music - phenomenal effect for a slow kriti like Janani. Use of Thoppi and clarity of strokes amazing - Super speed and Super clear korvais.
Can't stop thinking about the concert - out of the world and very moving.

Rasika C: (People picky about pickles :P ) - Was it really paras in mannu pugazh ?? Sounded like Lalitha!

Comments caught in the queue of an Arangetram dinner this weekend
Rasika D: Generally appreciative - but had some issues with vAgadhIswari - as he stuck to his traditional takes on how vivAdi notes should be approached skirting the direct route. I tried to argue - that we are in a virtuosity generation and we should allow some post modernity with tradition! ( Thinking to myself - I got my layam lineup ;) ).

kvchellappa
Posts: 3637
Joined: 04 Aug 2011, 13:54

Re: Sanjay Subrahmanyan @ Dallas

Post by kvchellappa »

A friend forwarded this review:

Review of Sanjay's Dallas concert by a lady named Subha Ramanan:
> Wow, wow, wow! What a mind-blowing concert from Sri. Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Sri S. Varadarajan and Sri Neyveli Venkatesh for the 25th anniversary of IFAA in Dallas today (or rather yesterday by the time I got done writing this) ! The men in white presented a beautiful, emotive concert that deeply resonated with the full-house audience.
>
> Starting with the rare ata tala varanam of Thiruvatriyur Tyagayyar, Sanjay was in full form. I felt like I was seated in a jet plane, ready to take off, and was clasping my arms to my seat ready for the wild and joyful ride ahead. He moved onto the Thiruppavai Ongi ulagaLanda in Arabhi with brisk swarams in the pallavi line - the jet was building speed with brisk exchanges between Sanjay and Varadu.
>
> Next came the piece to temper the audience, and to let us settle into cruising altitude with the slow and sedate Varalakshmi bhajare in Sourashtram - a gem of a composition by Sri Mutthuswamy Dikshatar.
>
> Then came a beautiful alapana of Ritigowlai. The beauty of Sanjay's voice and brilliance is that it can mold itself from full throated vigor to the "kozhaivu" needed for a raga like this, and every shade in between with absolute ease. Varadu's violin return proved his equal prowess in melting us. Then came a scholarly rendition of Sri Subbaraya Sastry's Janani ninu vina - one of my absolute favorites. The highlight for me in this whole piece was the neraval at "Dikkevaramma" - both Sanjay and Varadu brilliantly explored the pleading quality in Ritigowlai to bring out the lament of the composer in this lyric. And if this was not enough, there came an equally beautiful swara exchange at "tAmasamu sEyakanE brOvumu" with the final round leading back to Janani.
>
> Next came the mood-setting piece "Enna Rakshiso" of Sri Purandaradasa in Subhapantubvarali which was later announced during the vote of thanks as tuned by Sanjay. The soul-stirring rendition made me realize that this jet plane was taking me into further dimensions.
>
> And then came what to me has happily become a staple in Sanjay's concerts - a vivadhi raga - a category of ragas I love for their inherent haunting quality. Beautiful raga exploration of Vagadeeshwari by Sanjay and Varadu followed by St. Tyagaraja's popular "paramAtmuDu veligE". Some of the highlights in this song that drew thunderous applause from audience was Sanjay's elaborate sustain in the upper Shadja in the raga alapana, sustain in the upper pancamam in the swaras, both with absolute ease and clarity and most importantly done at points that enhanced the raga beautifully, and the super-energetic and brilliant thani from Sri Neyveli Venkatesh. There was also a fly-by-the seat exchange between Sanjay and Varadu in multispeed tisra in swaras - with an absolutely divine transition to first kala swaras that blended into the sedate mood of paramatmudu. The plane was cruising now in mystic dimensions.
>
> Though one can argue till one is blue in the face as to the importance/relevance of lyrics in carnatic music, there is no question to me that the connection to the language and lyric by the artist and the listener plays a huge role in the impact of the piece. In "nETrandi nErtthilE" a melting padam in Husseini - I felt that Sanjay's every nuance was finely in alignment with the meaning of the lyric - and my understanding of the lyrics definitely enhanced my appreciation.
>
> Then came the piece-de-resistance in Sanjay's concert - the RTP in Nagaswarali, a charming pentatonic raga. Starting with the slow opening phrases with beautiful glides that brought out the calming nature of this raga, and following it with brisk briga phrases, Sanjay's genuis was in maintaining this delicate balance of the slow and curvy with the fast and energetic phrasing throughout. Varadu played beautifully matching and enhancing Sanjay's mood. The beautiful nadam from his violin sustaining the mandara shadja while Sanjay was exploring the fast phrases around the upper Shadja gave a stunning effect. The solo from Varadu was equally enchanting. Both Sanjay and Varadu gave a beautiful glimpse of "Vatapi Ganapathy" in their raga alapanas through graha bedam into Hamsadhwani. The tanam was done to mridangam accompaniment in Adi tala. While one would think this would normally place a constraint on the free flowing web-like patterns of tanam, Sanjay of course does the opposite, and uses the challenge to explore tisram and kanakkus in the Tanam! The pallavi "Sivachidambarame darisikka varame jananamillai idu nijame" was a joy with Sanjay and Varadu playing around in tisra and double tisra exchanges leading into ragamalika in which I particularly enjoyed the Darbari kAnada - the beautiful emotive raga was presented by Sanjay with pristine gamakkas and brigas in the Hindustani style including even the slightly different enunication of the swaras. Sanjay's voice had a shining timbre in the upper ma and pa climax leading into the pallavi drawing one of the many thunderous applause from the audience. What a joy ride this was!
>
> A sweet and refreshing Kapi came next followed by a pristine rendition of Mannupugazh kousalai. Then a melting viruttam in Kharaharapriya, Mohanam, Saveri, and chenchurutti followed by Thayumanavar's composition Angai koDu malar in an interesting tala cycle composed of alternating cycles of misra-jhampai and khanda-triputa.
>
> Then came the sweet and smooth landing of the jet with the treats of Desh in Bharata samrajya, and viruttam in Kamas followed by the beautiful composition "tiruvaLar mayilai" of Sri Papanasam Sivan, before the concluding mangalam pavamAna and vAzhiya sentamizh.
>
> I felt like the joyful jet flight had taken me into lands far and beyond the mundane and mortal world. My humble salutations to the three artists for the seriousness with which they continue to hone and expand their craft and repertoire and how they do not take the audience for granted even for a single second.
>
> I was also happy (and relieved) that the sound system mix came out so well as it was the first time my husband Srinivas Vunnava was doing the sound for Sanjay's concert. :)) Very happy to see many of my students in the concert as well.
>
> The jet lag is severe but blissful as I am writing this staying awake into the wee hours of the morning.

shankarank
Posts: 4223
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Sanjay Subrahmanyan @ Dallas

Post by shankarank »

Must also mention that this event marked IFAA DFW organization's 25 years in existence - with Smt. Lalitha Seshadri ( a disciple of SSI and Dr BMK) ,founder of IFAA-DFW and whose musical debut photograph from old magazines with other peers of hers was posted in one of the threads in this forum before, was in August presence. She now lives in Austin and made it a point to be here to participate.

Post Reply