Shertalai K N Rengantha Sarma @ Muthiah Bhagavathar Day 15.11.2017

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

Shertalai K N Rengantha Sarma @ Muthiah Bhagavathar Day 15.11.2017

Post by Sivaramakrishnan »

Muthiah Bhagavathar Day
organised by Narada Gana Sabha & Harikesanjali Trust

@ Narada Gana Sabha (Mini Hall), Chennai.

Talk on Muthiah Bhagavathar by Sri Harikesanallur Venkataraman 6.30-6.45 p.m.


Shertalai K N Renganatha Sarma– Vocal
B U Ganesh Prasad - Violin
Shertalai K Ananthakrishnan - Mridangam
Nerkunam S Shankar-Kanjira


Time: 6.45 - 8.45 p.m.
Sruti- 1 kattai (C)
(Both E Sruti and Tambura instrument used)

Compositions of Harikesanallur Dr L Muthiah Bhagavathar

1. Khamas- Daru Varnam - Maathe Malayadhwajapandya samjathe-Aadi
2. Janaranjani- Ganapathe Sugunanidhe- Aadi
3. Mandaari- Ennaaluthiruguthunu - Khanada Chapu
4. Sahaana- Maanamukaavanu- Rupaka
5. Vijayasaraswati- Saranam Vijayasaraswati Maaye- Aadi
6. Kathanakuthuhalam -Giripriyam Gangadharam -Aadi
7. Hamsaanandi - Sachaamara Ramaavaani- Rupaka
8. Yadukulakamboji- Ratnabhushani-Aadi
9. Karnaranjani- Vaanchathonuna - Rupaka
Mangalam

The programme was jointly organised by Narada Gana Sabha and Harikesanjali Trust to commemorate the 140th Birthday of one of the renowned Vaaggeyakaara-s of the Twentieth century who made a mark with his highly innovative approach to various aspects of music.

Memorial address
In his brief address before the start of the concert, Sri Harikeasanallur Venkataraman - a scion of the Muthiah Bhagavathar family spoke about the man and his music with special referrnsence to the doyen's academic and promotional initiatives for propagation of Carnatic music. Bhagavathar had the
rare distinction of being the first Vidwan to be awarded a doctorate in music. His connectio in n with the Royal families of Travancore and Mysore yielded many benefits for music and musicians. Bhagavathar was perhaps the one to sow the seeds of organising music festival in Chennai. His teaching of the celebrated Daruvarnam Mathey Malayadhwaja to M S Subbalakshmi, composing the famous English Note for Madurai Mani Iyer, his close relationship with Mahakavi Subramanya Bharati, association with Ramnad Sankarasivam and several other anecdotes made Venkataraman's address interesting and informative.

The concert
Shertalai Renganatha Sarma, one of the foremost Vidwans of today presented a concert dedicated to Muthiah Bhagavathar. He opened with the much anticipated Daruvarnam in Khamas in all its grandeur. A brief and true delineation of Janaranjani preceded the kriti on Vinayaka who is described as Rinavimochana in this composition. A few rounds of swaras at the Pallavi made it
compact. The song in Mandaari on Lord Karthikeya was new to me. Neraval and swaras at Pannagaabharanasivabaala Subrahmanya were brilliant.

Next was a comforatable aalaapana in Sahaana with all its niceties for the kriti - Maanamukaavanuthalli Mahishaasurasudani - popularised by Madurai T N Seshagopalan -a sishya of Ramnad Sankarasivam.

Saranam Vijayasaraswati and an energetic Giripriyam set the ground for the main suite in Hamsanandi with an impressive aalaapana. The kriti Sachaamara Ramaavaani is a rare one in praise of Goddess Lalithaamba who is described as flanked by Lakshmi and Saraswati. The Pallavi sahitya is taken from Lalitha sahasranamam and that is the special significance. Neraval and swraparastaaras were at the Pallavi passage and followed by Tani making the rendering complete.

The post-Tani segment consisted of Rathnabhushani in Yadukulakamboji and the concluding one was the evergreen Vaanchathonuna in Karnaranajani which is just a sample of Muthiah Bhagavathar's penchant in discovering new ragas.

It was a really satisfying experience to listen to Renganatha Sarma whose recent performance in the Radio Sangit Sammelan at Kolkata has received wide attention and appreciation. His adherance to sampradaya and an unhurried, elegant approach to concert presentation have made him a much sought after artist.

Ganesh Prasad's accompaniment on violin contributed much for the success of the concert. His returns for all segments of rendering were perfect and not dominating at any point. Ananthakrishnan and Shankar followed the right 'decibel discipline' and offered unobtrusive rhythmic support including a smartly packaged Tani. It was a rare case of the audience asking for more volume!

An attractive banner of Harikesanjali as backdrop and a portrait of Muthiah Bhagavathar on the stage gave just the right ambiance for the occasion. There was a good audience turnout.

Vocalist
Posts: 1030
Joined: 19 Feb 2006, 18:53

Re: Shertalai K N Rengantha Sarma @ Muthiah Bhagavathar Day 15.11.2017

Post by Vocalist »

He is a good performer, he covered a number of ragas, and he did touch on several deities by the looks of it. But I am not so sure this was planned as well as it could have been. Given that it was a multi-faceted composer like Muthiah Bhagavathar, was there no Tamil language compositions, no thillanas, no ragamalika, no patriotic songs, and no folk songs??

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

Re: Shertalai K N Rengantha Sarma @ Muthiah Bhagavathar Day 15.11.2017

Post by CRama »

Looks like a very good programme with a talk on HMB by a scion of the great Doyens' family. Ranganatha Sharma is always sincere, dedicated and scholarly in his concerts. He has got a wide repertoire. Now that he has settled in Chennai, it is bonus for us. We can hear him often.
The credit for popularisimg the compositions of Bhagavatar should duly go to Vidwan TNS as all the above songs have been rendered by him. Before that, only very few songs like Sudhamayee were popular.

HarishankarK
Posts: 2216
Joined: 27 Oct 2007, 11:55

Re: Shertalai K N Rengantha Sarma @ Muthiah Bhagavathar Day 15.11.2017

Post by HarishankarK »

MMI and TVS have popularised HKM songs much more than TNS

TNS - no doubt about it that he has a great repertoire of HKM but not sure if he popularised it

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

Re: Shertalai K N Rengantha Sarma @ Muthiah Bhagavathar Day 15.11.2017

Post by CRama »

HarishankarK wrote: 17 Nov 2017, 13:29 TNS - no doubt about it that he has a great repertoire of HKM but not sure if he popularised it
I just presume that you have not heard much of TNS music. TNS has released two commerciql casettes in 80s of HMB composItions. and later one singer casette under HMV. All the above songs are imcluded in those casettes. Sachamara he has sung in a live concert. He has sung many more songs in many live concerts. If somebody had sung Vanchatonu na, it was he who first sang and popularised it in the early 80s.

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