SANJAY SUBRAMANIAM AT MUSIC ACADEMY 28/12/19

Review the latest concerts you have listened to.
Post Reply
CRama
Posts: 2939
Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

SANJAY SUBRAMANIAM AT MUSIC ACADEMY 28/12/19

Post by CRama »

Accompanists.
S.Varadarajan- Violin
Neyveli Venkatesh- Mridangam
Guruprasad- Ghatam

List of songs.
• Varnam- Manasaa- Saveri- Ata talam
• Ganapatiye karunanidhiye- Kharaharapriya- PS
• Makelara- Ravichandrika- T (R,S)
• Gangeyavasanadhara- Hamirkalyani- ST
• Palimsu Kamakshi- Madhyamavati- SS (R,N,S)
• Tani avartanam
• Bettada melondu manaya madi- Narayani- Akka Mahadevi vachana
• RTP- Begada- Adi talam
• Pallavi sahithyam- Murugayyane Panniru gayyane
Valli Deyvanai Manaalane
RM swarasm- Durbari kanada, Mahati.
• Kavadichindu
• Tillana


It was a stellar concert from Sanjay and his team as can be expected from him. High energy level, manodharmam, perfect planning, sruti sudham, cooperative voice, dedication, very good rapport with the co artistes all take his concerts to a different level.

The Saveri ata tala varnam is new to me. There was the mudhra Venkateswara. I presume it is of Patnam Subramania Iyer. As I type this time is 11.50 PM. I don’t have the patience to google further. Hence I leave it like that. Ganapathiye karunanidhiye will definitely bring memoirs of the legendary vidwan TRS. Sanjay did full justice to the song singing it with all the sangatis. But no swarams.

Raga alapanas of Ravichandrika, Madhyamavathy and Begada were superb. Such an elaborate alapana of Ravichandrika is very rarely heard. The raga bhavam came out very well without any ambiguity. The alapana of Madhyamavathy was top class. I think I have never heard this ragam from Sanjay. The alapana reflected the characteristic pidis of the ragam with his brighas, long akara sangatis, voice modulation and an emotive appeal. A telugu slokam starting Rajadhiraja on Kamakshi added to the devotional fervour. As expected, the kriti Palimsu Kamakshi came with its customary sangatis. (I have a special attachment to the customary sangatis in each kriti. Hence I write every where). The song was presented in the appropriate kalapramanam in an unhurried manner with its swara sahithyam. Elaborate neraval on the lines Kaanthamagu peru ponthi combining with the words kaapadina tallli sada was very intelligently executed with unfailing raga bhavam and sahithya bhavam and laya control. The swaras were however done on the pallavi. No mel kala swaras were done- may be to give time for the pallavi.

The Akka Mahadevi vachana was new to me. It conveys very philosophical thoughts which Kannada knowing people would have relished very much. I did. It had a folkish tune much suited to the verses.

RTP in Begada was expected by me for quite sometime. And Sanjay fulfilled that longing. The alapana was a mixed bag for me. The alapana had the characteristic phrases of the ragam in abundant measure, but also had some phrases and articulation which were not to my liking. But his fans do applause for each such sangati. Tanam was elaborate and neraval was also given full justice. In the ragamalika swarams, he showed enough shades of Maruthamalai ma maniye, Athisaya ragam etc. On the whole the RTP was presented well with enough time allocation of 45 minutes.

S.Varadarajan scored well in his raga alapanas, neraval and swara returns. His long experience of accompanying Sanjay, admirable thick and thin shades, manodharmam etc are great assets that boost the concert. Neyveli Venkatesh embellished the concert to a great extent. His following the kritis with anticipation, understanding, unobtrusive follow up, sunadam, right amplification are big factors that take the concert to a different level. In today’s tania vartnam, first round he played only using toppi and that received wide applause from the fans. Ghatam Guruprasad also replied to that using his right fist alone. That showed his long experience of jelling with any Mridangam vidwan.

An excellent concert.

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

Re: SANJAY SUBRAMANIAM AT MUSIC ACADEMY 28/12/19

Post by arasi »

Thanks C.Rama, for your erudite review of Subramoni's concert (why not Subramoni too? The name of Subrahmanyan has so many versions!).
Let alone my missing all of the season's concerts, especially those of thalaivar, this particular one with favored bEgaDa and madhyamAvathi truly is a super miss for me :( Incidentally, whether it be a two and a half hour concert like this one, or four hour ones--as you say, Sanjay's planning is impeccable that we feel satisfied with a sense of niRaivu with his performances of any length.. Many of us also look forward to his flights of imagination in discovering hidden facets of our beautiful rAgAs--like finding a new vein in the endless mines of richness.
We don't often get reviews at Rasikas of his concerts. Thanks for writing one, C.Rama.

Pallavi line--panniru kaiyanE(ten+two handed one)

kunthalavarali
Posts: 425
Joined: 03 Mar 2010, 01:30

Re: SANJAY SUBRAMANIAM AT MUSIC ACADEMY 28/12/19

Post by kunthalavarali »

rAjAdhi rAjan makuTI is the third charanam of the same krithi (rarely sung part of pAlincu kAmAkshI ). It is in this charanm that Syama Sastry's Mudra comes. The other day at IFAS he sang again the rarely sung charanam (yOgamulabhyasincina) as viruttam prelude to the main song buddhi rAdu. Interestingly the composer's mudra comes in this charanam. There may be many more such beautiful examples!

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

Re: SANJAY SUBRAMANIAM AT MUSIC ACADEMY 28/12/19

Post by CRama »

arasi wrote: 29 Dec 2019, 10:59 Pallavi line--panniru kaiyanE(ten+two handed one)
Thanks arasi madam for your comments. The above was a typo.

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

Re: SANJAY SUBRAMANIAM AT MUSIC ACADEMY 28/12/19

Post by CRama »

Thanks Kunthalavarali for your additional information.

hema
Posts: 124
Joined: 20 Dec 2010, 23:28

Re: SANJAY SUBRAMANIAM AT MUSIC ACADEMY 28/12/19

Post by hema »

RTP in Begada was expected by me for quite sometime. And Sanjay fulfilled that longing. The alapana was a mixed bag for me. The alapana had the characteristic phrases of the ragam in abundant measure, but also had some phrases and articulation which were not to my liking. But his fans do applause for each such sangati. Tanam was elaborate and neraval was also given full justice. In the ragamalika swarams, he showed enough shades of Maruthamalai ma maniye, Athisaya ragam etc. On the whole the RTP was presented well with enough time allocation of 45 minutes

I feel the begada was rather disappointing. Too much shouting, climbing up and down, applauses, going off-key many times. I felt his Ravichandrika, Akkamahadevi’s vachana were rendered really very well. Madhyamavathi was good. I felt he has such beautiful phrases, why so many brikas, and rap type of singing. Actually I felt quite sad that he was playing up to the gallery.

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

Re: SANJAY SUBRAMANIAM AT MUSIC ACADEMY 28/12/19

Post by arasi »

'aDakki vAsikkaNum' , one should temper one's playing, is/was a popular expression in performances, especially about percussion.
I suppose Sanjay's fans could do that but when they hear music sung with such abandon, they get carried away, and can't help themselves :)

Post Reply