Gayathri Venkatraghavan - San Diego - 28th Mar 2010

[bilahari]

Gayathri Venkatraghavan - Vocal
V.V. Murari - Violin
Mannargudi Easwaran - Mrudangam
E.M. Subramaniam - Ghatam

Duration: ~ 2 h

Approximate Songlist:

01. sarasUDa (varNam) (S @ charaNam) - sAvEri - Adi
02. jAlandara (S @ pallavi) - vaLaji - rUpakam
03. muktA kundEndu - slOkam
janani ninnuvina (R, S @ tAmasamu sEyaganE) - rItigowLa - miSra cApu
04. parAku jEsina mIkEmi - jujAhuli - Adi
05. srI rAma nAma - aTANa - Adi - PS
06. pacchai mAmalai pOl - viruTTam
O rangasAyI (R, N @ bUloka vaikunTa, S, T) - kAmbOji - Adi (2)
07. yAdava nI - kApi - Adi - PD
08. pagagum guru - bhajan - Adi

GV began her concert with the sAvEri varNam, singing the purvangam in two speeds and the uttarangam in the second speed. She sang a few brisk rounds of swaras for both the varNam and the subsequent vaLaji. I felt the vaLaji swaras could have been more elaborate, and as I have mentioned elsewhere on this forum, I see little value in a few quick rounds of swaras in any piece. The concert really got going with a beautiful, thorough rItigowLa alapanai with all the classical phrases of the raga. There was a particularly beautiful S,,, S(tara)... NDP,,, in the ragam (I was tired of noting sangathis after the Trichur Brothers concert which had immediately preceded this, so please excuse me for the lack of technical details). GV delivered the ragam and the krithi with plenty of bhAvam, and the swara-sahitya lines were especially moving, with V.V. Murari accompanying in the lower octave. Elaborate swaras were rendered in two speeds at tAmasamu sEyaganE, with GV decorating the nishadam especially beautifully in the first speed.

I heard parAku jEsina for the first time, and it was a nice, sprightly piece. Soon thereafter, GV embarked on a raga alapanai of kAmbOji. The kAmbOji ragam was expansive and evocative, but since Manasi had also sung an elaborate kAmbOji the day before, I was rather worn out. I was rejuvenated by GV's rendition of O rangasAyI that followed - she sang the krithi with tremendous bhAvam and in a good, slower kalapramanam, giving each sangati its due respect. The neraval that followed at bUlOka vaikunTa was outstanding and the highlight of the concert. GV's neraval in the first speed was especially moving, with tara G centered phrases, and patterns like MGM GRG RSR used fittingly in constructing the neraval. The subsequent swaraprastharam was excellent, with phrases culminating in DND and PND used to good effect. Some of the tara sthayi patterns like GM,M - RG,G - SR,R were also very interesting and aesthetic.

MAE and EMS played a short but engaging thani avarthanam, concluding a wonderful presentation of O rangasAyI. MAE was especially brilliant throughout the concert (as he always is, really), and his anticipation in the kAmbOji neraval and kalpanaswaras was awe-inspiring. He played ever so sensitively for the rItigowLa krithi, allowing ample moments of silence between strokes. His playing really elevated the concert this morning. EMS's support was also admirable.

V.V. Murari was quite good on the violin, and I liked his mandra sthayi accompaniment for krithis (if I remember correctly, some of his neraval returns were also in the lower octave). His raga responses were faithful to the ideas put forth by the vocalist and his bowing was uniform.

GV's music continues to impress me. I like her patient approach to music - her raga alapanais are never rushed and brigha-laden, she gives ample pauses between raga phrases (yup, I'm going to harp about this incessantly), she sings krithis clearly and emotes well, and her kIzh kAla swaras and neravals are very well done. In addition to the bhAvam that her music exudes, GV has good manOdharma. And a good voice to boot.

In this concert, though, I wish she had presented at least one more neraval. I'm sorry I keep harping about neravals but after NSG's extraordinary neraval in gurulEka eTuvanti (which was the first item in a concert with four neravals), I am convinced that substituting all these insubstantial few-quick-rounds-of-swarams in the first few pieces of the concert with a thorough neraval would function much better to create a suitable ambience for a concert. Even if it means taking the road less travelled... but that can make all the difference, eh?

All in all, this was a very good concert and it is unfortunate that organisational delays reduced the time for this concert and prevented GV from presenting either of the two pallavis she had prepared.

[prashant]

Did the slOka before the rItigauLa piece have the starting words 'muktA kundEndu kaurAm'? - if so, this is from dEvi chaturshashti upachAra pUjA stOtram by Adi Sankara.

muktA kundEndu kourAm maNimayamakuTAmrakta tATaNgayuktAm
akshara pushpa hastAm abhaya vara karAm candra chUDAm trinEtrAm
nAnA alankAra yuktAm sura makuTA maNidyOdita swarNa pITAm
sAnandAm suprasannAm tribhuvana jananI cEtasAm chintayAmi

Words courtesy www.rajalakshmiaudio.com

[bilahari]

Ah, that was it - thank you, Prashant! She sang the alapanai, then the slOkam, and picked up the krithi from jananI. It was very beautifully done.

[mahavishnu]

Bilahari, perhaps the last song was the Meera Bhajan pag ghungroo bAndh meera nachire? This was popularized by MS in her version of Meera bhajans.

thanks for all your lovely San Diego reviews.