S. Sowmya, Dr. Narmada, Neyveli Narayanan, Madipakkam Murali
Mylapore Fine Arts, 6 pm - 9 pm, Dec 14th 2009
Neranammiti (Varnam) - Kanada
Vadera Deivamu - Pantuvarali (s at 'dhatru vinutu..') - Tyagaraja
Chintayama - Bhairavi (r, n & s at 'uttunga kamaniya..') - MD
En Palli Kondeer - Mohanam - Arunachala Kavi
Venkatasaila Vihara - Hamirkalyani (r) - Subbaraya Sastri
Nenarunchinanu - Malavi - Tyagaraja
Parvati Ninnu Ne - Kalgada - SS
RTP - Nattakurinji - Khanda Jhampa
(Pallavi line: 'mamava sada varade mahishasura sudani amba...'; tanam with percussion)
Tani Avarthanam
Madhava Maya - Hamsanandi - PS
Yarukkahilum Bhayama (Padam) - Begada
Smara Sundaranguni (Javali) - Pharaz - Dharmapuri Subbarayar
Pullikalaba Mayil - Kavadi Cindu - Annamalai Reddiar
Tillana - Mandari
Mangalam
An extremely fulfilling three-hour performance that was complete in all respects... three great raga alapanas, great kriti selections, a full 1-hr RTP, padam & javali, kavadi cindu. Sowmya was in great form overall. The mind-boggling tanam, to me, was easily the highlight, enhanced by Narayanan's brilliant percussion support. Narmada too was in a great mood, enhancing the concert very well. This is a concert that will easily make it to any "Season's Top Picks" list.
Sowmya @ MFAC, Dec 14th 2009
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fuddyduddy
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Ramasubramanian M.K
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Echo Gnanasonnyam's review-- My own "take";
Artiste of extraordinary, virtuosity, poise in concerts,adherence to the concert format structure(without having to be compulsively different!!).
The whole list of songs if you care to analyse was a careful blend of composers,ragas and songs.
The Bhairavi raga delineation is a classic clinic for young learners as to how to develop the raga--iconoclasts may "chafe" at such "ladder-like" expositions- as being too pedestrian and mundane-but within the contours of these :steps" Sowmya wove some excellent sangathis and always made it a point to touch the lower octave(even the Ma in the lower octave was clear and pitch perfect rather than a partial "hiss"!!! as I have heard some artistes do).The neraval and swara prasthara ( Uttunga Kamaniya) showed her mastery over layam and imagination "egged" by Narmada's "matching" forays!!!(It is always a pleasure to listen to accompaniments who are as wellversed in layam as the main artist--Neyveli Narayanan was not to far behind either in these exchanges.
Re; Rajaglan's query about the Chintayamam song--Chembai has given a record(or may be I heard it live from him) in the forties--- is a vintage Bhairavi Krithi of Muthuswamy Dikshithar not much in vogue these days.The song when he sang would sound with a prominent nasal accent--Chinnayamam instead of Chintayamam--for a long time I used to hum the song as Chinnayamam till somebody corrected by me( In those daysI could not tell the difference between a Thygaraja krithi and Dikshithar kriti nor the languages they composed in to correct myself!!!). I can hear the forumites "chuckle" age does not seem to have improved my undertsanding much!!
Re; Syamala's query about the Mandari Thillana--I asked Sowmya at the end of the concert and she said she does not remember but was taught this by Mukthamma(the Begada padam also was Mukthamma's legacy!!).It was not composed by Dr. Ramanathan as iIthought--the kavadi chindu may have been tuned by him--he was great in the folk songs.
What I liked about Sowmya and I believe she inculcates this spirit to her students as well--is the genuine Guru Bhakthi--sense of gratitude both towards Prof. Ramanathan as well as Mukthamma and her sense of fidelity in adhering to the Patantharam without resorting to adventurism. At the same time wherever the opportunity presents itself she is not averse to spontaneous improvisation without deviating from the spirit of the krithi or raga.
Lastly question to 108 talas I thought the Pallavii was Kanda Jathi Rupakam(2 kali chowkam-chathusra nadai--1-4-3(Thattu-four fingers and rupakam). Would like to stand corrected!!
Artiste of extraordinary, virtuosity, poise in concerts,adherence to the concert format structure(without having to be compulsively different!!).
The whole list of songs if you care to analyse was a careful blend of composers,ragas and songs.
The Bhairavi raga delineation is a classic clinic for young learners as to how to develop the raga--iconoclasts may "chafe" at such "ladder-like" expositions- as being too pedestrian and mundane-but within the contours of these :steps" Sowmya wove some excellent sangathis and always made it a point to touch the lower octave(even the Ma in the lower octave was clear and pitch perfect rather than a partial "hiss"!!! as I have heard some artistes do).The neraval and swara prasthara ( Uttunga Kamaniya) showed her mastery over layam and imagination "egged" by Narmada's "matching" forays!!!(It is always a pleasure to listen to accompaniments who are as wellversed in layam as the main artist--Neyveli Narayanan was not to far behind either in these exchanges.
Re; Rajaglan's query about the Chintayamam song--Chembai has given a record(or may be I heard it live from him) in the forties--- is a vintage Bhairavi Krithi of Muthuswamy Dikshithar not much in vogue these days.The song when he sang would sound with a prominent nasal accent--Chinnayamam instead of Chintayamam--for a long time I used to hum the song as Chinnayamam till somebody corrected by me( In those daysI could not tell the difference between a Thygaraja krithi and Dikshithar kriti nor the languages they composed in to correct myself!!!). I can hear the forumites "chuckle" age does not seem to have improved my undertsanding much!!
Re; Syamala's query about the Mandari Thillana--I asked Sowmya at the end of the concert and she said she does not remember but was taught this by Mukthamma(the Begada padam also was Mukthamma's legacy!!).It was not composed by Dr. Ramanathan as iIthought--the kavadi chindu may have been tuned by him--he was great in the folk songs.
What I liked about Sowmya and I believe she inculcates this spirit to her students as well--is the genuine Guru Bhakthi--sense of gratitude both towards Prof. Ramanathan as well as Mukthamma and her sense of fidelity in adhering to the Patantharam without resorting to adventurism. At the same time wherever the opportunity presents itself she is not averse to spontaneous improvisation without deviating from the spirit of the krithi or raga.
Lastly question to 108 talas I thought the Pallavii was Kanda Jathi Rupakam(2 kali chowkam-chathusra nadai--1-4-3(Thattu-four fingers and rupakam). Would like to stand corrected!!
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108talas
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- Joined: 02 Nov 2006, 17:19
RMK
First of all I didn't attend the concert. I just gave f/back based on the lyrics of pallavi chosen
Re: Khanda jathi jampa wil have - 1 laghu (5 counts) + 1 anu drutham(1 count) + 1 drutham (2 counts) - toal 8 counts (this tAlam is same as of ' Sari yavarrammA - Bharivavi - Kriti by Sri ShyAma Saastrigal) - One can not call it as Laghu + Roopaka tAlam though.
Khanda jathi roopak will have - 1 laghu (5 counts) + 1 drutham (2 counts) = total 7 counts
First of all I didn't attend the concert. I just gave f/back based on the lyrics of pallavi chosen
Re: Khanda jathi jampa wil have - 1 laghu (5 counts) + 1 anu drutham(1 count) + 1 drutham (2 counts) - toal 8 counts (this tAlam is same as of ' Sari yavarrammA - Bharivavi - Kriti by Sri ShyAma Saastrigal) - One can not call it as Laghu + Roopaka tAlam though.
Khanda jathi roopak will have - 1 laghu (5 counts) + 1 drutham (2 counts) = total 7 counts
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srinivasrgvn
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Ramasubramanian M.K
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- Joined: 05 May 2009, 08:33
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sathya_vrathan
- Posts: 110
- Joined: 27 Nov 2006, 16:56
the thillana might be ponnaiah pillai's; sowmya sings it often.
Last edited by sathya_vrathan on 25 Dec 2009, 12:53, edited 1 time in total.