VISHNUDEV NAMBOOTHIRI AT SIVAGAMI PETHACHI HALL-7/10/17

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CRama
Posts: 2939
Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

VISHNUDEV NAMBOOTHIRI AT SIVAGAMI PETHACHI HALL-7/10/17

Post by CRama »

Accompanists- Charumati Raghuraman- Violin
Poongulam Subramaniam-Mridangam
Sreesunderkumar-Ganjira
List of songs.
• Varnam-Kanada-Ata talam
• Telisirama-Poornachandrika- T (S)
• Raghuveera Ranadhira-Huseni- T (R)
• Paramapurusha Jagadeeswara-Vasanta-ST (S)
• Akshayalingavibho-Sankarabharanam-MD (R,N,S)
• Tani
• Sevikka vendum ayya-Andolika-Muthu Tandavar
• RTP-Shanmugapriya- Khanda Triputa- 2 kalai
Tamadama Parameswara Nayakiye Kamakshi Arul Puriya
RM swarams-Brindavanasaranga, Hamsanandi, Bhairavi, Sindubhairavi, Abheri.
• Yogeendranam- Slokam
• Karuna cheyvan enthu tamasam-
• Saramaina-Behag
• Sagarasayanavibho-Bagesree
• Mangalam


The concert was organised by Kalpadrumam family. The founder late Mr. Parameswaran was a devoted music lover and in his memory every year they are organising this festival. The concert was scheduled for 6.15. After initial introduction and welcome formalities, the concert started at 6.40.

Vishnudev is a rising star with great potential already proved in many concerts reviewed in this forum. Presently he is undergoing advanced training under PSN. The concert had a neat start with the varnam, and the volume was slightly loud on the whole. After the varnam, a louder reprimand came from a few rasikas to reduce the volume. The volume was gradually reduced. Second song also the volume a tad loud for the vocal and percussion team. By the third song, volume stabilised. Huseni alapana was very good without trespassing into allied ragams. The song- a favourite of Santhanam, was rendered well- but in a slightly different padantharam. I have not heard this song form any other vidwan.

Next song was the ST song in Vasanta. The song was presented in its pristine form with a volley of kalpana swarams at a very tricky edam- Jagadeeswara. It gave a peep into his manodharmam and laya control.

After this, the main ragam of the day- Sankarabharanam was unfolded in a very step by step manner- revealing the inherent beauty of the ragam through time tested pidis sprinkled with brighas and lengthy phrases lasting for 13 minutes. What appealed to me in the alapanas and in the entire concert is the serenity even while traversing the melkalam neravals, alapanans, fast brighas, swarams, which very few male young vidwans portray today. The kriti was rendered well. Elaborate neraval was done in the place Badarivana moola nayika sahita. But again swaras were done in a tricky edam-Sadasrita kalpaka mahiruha- in sadasritha and kalpaka mahiruha.(means wish yielding tree). He explained that he chose this particular edam as kalpaka mahiruha is in sync with kalpadrumam- the organisers. That was a wise choice. There were many attractive patterns in the swara prastaram. Many swarakshara prayogas in the Sadasrita also made it a veritable treat.

Shanmugapirya was taken up for pallavi. I liked his selection of this ragam as recently I have not heard many young vidwans/vidushis choosing this ragam for RTP. In the pallavi sahithyam, he intelligently wove the names of the founder of Kalpadruma and his wife (Kamakshi). TNS and TNS Krishna came to my mind at this juncture. TNS is his Paramaguru. But in his alapanas, TNS style sancharams were not visible. He follows Semmangudi style- his another Paramaguru, but not in his entirety. The raga was explored in all its splendour and the pallavi was presented with elaborate tanam and neraval. The long keezhkala swarams were much refreshing. The climax was in the trikalam which was a combination of all the ragams taken up for ragamalika swarams. That again showed his strength in vyavaharam. The entire pallavi consumed 45 minutes. After the pallavi I left and got the remaining songs names from a whatsapp group.

Charumati Raghuraman is an asset for any concert. She follows quite admirably in the song portion. Her alapanas and returns are marked by clarity, vidwat and appropriate vallinam mellinam. The seasoned percussion duo provided excellent support to make the concert a memorable one. Once the volume was stabilised, it was sunadam and suswaram only. Sreerunderkumar as usual, produced much magic with his Ganjira.

The concert lasted for a little less than three hours. A concert with no anavasiyam ( term used by the legend Palghat Mani Iyer) and no bahalam (eraichal or galatta).

rajeshnat
Posts: 9907
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: VISHNUDEV NAMBOOTHIRI AT SIVAGAMI PETHACHI HALL-7/10/17

Post by rajeshnat »

CRama wrote: 09 Oct 2017, 21:05 Karuna cheyvan enthu tamasam-
...
The concert was organised by Kalpadrumam family. The founder late Mr. Parameswaran was a devoted music lover and in his memory every year they are organising this festival. The concert was scheduled for 6.15. After initial introduction and welcome formalities, the concert started at 6.40.

...
The concert lasted for a little less than three hours.
I think Karuna cheyvan enthu tamasam- is in ananda bhairavi
What a long introduction but if there is still 3 hours and if concert goes till nearly 09 40 , that should bring rains to chennai,
Thank you crama for your lovely review. Nice song list by vishnu
I did not know about the family of kalpadramum

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: VISHNUDEV NAMBOOTHIRI AT SIVAGAMI PETHACHI HALL-7/10/17

Post by arasi »

Rajesh,
I thought Yadukula kAmbOdi...

rajeshnat
Posts: 9907
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: VISHNUDEV NAMBOOTHIRI AT SIVAGAMI PETHACHI HALL-7/10/17

Post by rajeshnat »

arasi wrote: 10 Oct 2017, 01:50 Rajesh,
I thought Yadukula kAmbOdi...
Arasi
You must be right , it just slipped . There are two karuna cheyvan, one in yadhukulakambodhi and another in shree ragam. Anyway let us wait for crama

CRama
Posts: 2939
Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: VISHNUDEV NAMBOOTHIRI AT SIVAGAMI PETHACHI HALL-7/10/17

Post by CRama »

Karuna cheyvan was in Yadukulakambodi.

malavi
Posts: 159
Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 14:47

Re: VISHNUDEV NAMBOOTHIRI AT SIVAGAMI PETHACHI HALL-7/10/17

Post by malavi »

Karuna chaivan endu thamasam is usually sung in Sri ragam also.Neyyattinkara Vasudevan sir used to sing in Sri ragam.For mohiniattam dance it used to be in Sri ragam in Kerala.

Sivaramakrishnan
Posts: 1582
Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 08:29

Re: VISHNUDEV NAMBOOTHIRI AT SIVAGAMI PETHACHI HALL-7/10/17

Post by Sivaramakrishnan »

Good review, CRama.
I couldn't attend this concert in person due to some compelling reasons but was thankfully kept posted by CRama on the key points. Yes, shanmukhapriya is not very commonly taken up these days and Nambudiri deserves a special pat for it. Also for Raghuveera in Huseni - a kriti almost forgotten. I have also observed that songs famed by Maharjprm Santanam are rarely attempted by vocalists.
CRama, why no comments on Poongulam?

The noble debate on 'Karunacheyvaan' has a ready answer that it was originally tuned in Sri and Chembai popularized it later in Y kambodhi. Both are equally sublime.

Interesting to note that 'Kalpadruma' was suitably interpreted to glorify the sponsors. Good deed for a good cause!

CRama
Posts: 2939
Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: VISHNUDEV NAMBOOTHIRI AT SIVAGAMI PETHACHI HALL-7/10/17

Post by CRama »

Sivaramakrishnan wrote: 10 Oct 2017, 17:31 CRama, why no comments on Poongulam?
CRama wrote: 09 Oct 2017, 21:05 The seasoned percussion duo provided excellent support to make the concert a memorable one. Once the volume was stabilised, it was sunadam and suswaram only.

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