Sanjay Subramaniam @ BGS Bangalore, Feb 04 , 2011

[badari]

Organised by Rama Lalita kala Mandira

Vocal: Vid. Sanjay Subramaniam
Violin: Vid. Nagai Muralidharan
Mridanga: Vid. Srimushnam Raja Rao
Ghata: Vid. Giridhar Udupa

Song list

1 Varna - kAnaDa
2 Kanjadalayatakshi
3 Hari hari Enni Samarane jesite - saraswati
4 samodam chintayami - shudda dhanyasi
5 dina rakshaka - ahiri
6 nanda gppala mukunda gokula - jamuna kalyan - adi - MSD
7 haridevuale utsavani - RAGA ? - Thyagaraja
8 RTp - Kambodhi - tishra triputa
pallavi: erana sami pagavari
ragamalika: Ananda bhairavi, hamsanandi, bhupala, natakuranji, saveri hamsadhwani, simhendramadhyama, mohana , hindola , raga?, varali, surati
9 dasara nindisabeda - raageshri
10 thumbame - kapi
10 uyyala nugavayya
12 maname kannamu
13 pavamana - mangala


request for review of concert and corrections to my list .

[gardabha_gana]

Organised by Rama Lalita kala Mandira

2 Kanjadalayatakshi - (kamalamanohari)
4 samodam chintayami - shudda dhanyasi (udaya ravichandrika -so it seems)
7 haridevuale utsavani - RAGA ? - Thyagaraja (also yamuna kalyani)
10 uyyala nugavayya (nilambari)
request for review of concert and corrections to my list .

ragas AFAIK are in parenthesis
eagerly waiting for squims before commenting

[Enna_Solven]

7. hari dAsulu veDalu muccaTa ganiyAnandamAye dayALOn (yamunakalyAni)
O The Most Compassionate Lord (dayALO)! It has been blissful (AnandamAyE) seeing (gani) the charm (muccaTa) with which devotees (dAsulu) of Lord Hari proceed (veDalu).

10. uyyAlalUgavayya srI rAma (neelAmbari)
O Lord (ayya) srI rAma! May You swing (Ugu) as I rock You in the cradle (uyyAlala).

[squims]

Attended the concert too. Really enjoyed it. Will write up a complete report in a while.

[arasi]

sAmOdam cintayAmi: Swati Tirunal
dIna rakshaka: Ahiri Ponniah Pillai
tunbam nErgaiyil yAzh eDuttu: desh Bharatidasan
manamE kaNamum maRavAdE bhImplAs (??)

[braindrain]

the list:

Vocal : Sanjay Subrahmanyan

Violin : Nagai Muralidharan

Mrudangam : Srimushnam Raja Rao

Ghatam : Giridhar Udupa

Song list:

01 ninnE kOri ( varNam ) – kAnaDa – ??

02 kanchadalAya dAkshi – kamalA manOhari – Dikshitar

03 hari hari hariyani smaraNa jEsitE – saraswathi - Walajpet Venkataramana Bhagavathar( A,S )

04 sAmOdam chintayAmi – Sudha dhanyAsi – Swathi Thirunal ( A,N,S)

neraval & swara @ ‘ Syanantura nagari shObhAyamAna dEham’

05 dIna rakshaka ninnu – Ahiri - Ponnayya Pillai ?? ( A )

06 nanda gOpAla mukunda – yamunA kalyANi – Dikshitar ( A,S,T )

07 haridAsulu vEDalE – yamunA kalyANi – Thyagaraja

08 RTP – kAmbOji – tisra triputa

pallavi line ‘ Erana sAmi pagavAri bOdhincherO ‘

rAgamalika swaras in ‘Ananda bhairavi, hamsAnandi , bauLi, nAtakurinji, sAvEri , hamsadhwani , simhEndra madhyamam , mOhanam, hindOLam, varALi, surutti

09 dAsara nindisa bEDa – rAgESrI – Purandara Dasa

10 tumbam nErkayil – dEsh – Bharatidasan

11 viruttam ( jAnAdi rAma ) – nIlAmbari

uyyAla lUgavayya -nIlAmbari – Thyagaraja

12 manamE kaNamum maravAthE – bhImplAs – Papanasam Sivan

13 mangaLam – saurAshtram – Thyagaraja

[kunthalavarali]

"pallavi: erana sami pagavari
ragamalika: Ananda bhairavi, hamsanandi, bhupala, natakuranji, saveri hamsadhwani, simhendramadhyama, mohana , hindola , raga?, varali, surati"

hindolam, Mukhari also there was no sindhubhairavi as mentioned in one of the postings.

Varnam - Kanada Tirovattiyur Thyagaiyar- Adi

[squims]

Sorry for the late report, but here are my thoughts on the concert:

In the past, I've said that while I have the utmost respect for Sanjay Subramaniam's vast knowledge, I am not always impressed by his actual performances (having incurred the wrath of many in the process). There is an undeniable strain on his voice when he sings anything beyond the rishabham of the taara sthaayi. And I've observed a few swara sthaanam/shruti slip ups as well.
That being said, I did immensely enjoy this particular performance of Sanjay's. Barring the occasional strain in the voice, I had absolutely no problems with his execution on this occasion. The music was melodious and engrossing. Definitely the best of the concerts that I've attended of Sanjay's.
The Kaanada varnam was new to me. Nice opener. Kanchadalaayataakshi is an old favourite of mine. Was nice to hear it in a concert after a really long time. The Saraswati was technically proficient but a few more phrases to really bring out the bhaavam in the raagam would have been appreciated.
Pardon my dismal memory, but other than the fact that I did enjoy the Shuddha Dhanyasi, I really can't remember much else about that piece.
The Ahiri aalaapanai was soulful. Really enjoyed it. And I was expecting the usual 'Maayamma' in it, but was pleased to hear that another kriti was chosen. Would have loved to hear neraval and swarams in it, but it didn't happen.
And now, the Yamuna Kalyani aalaapanai, easily the best thing about the concert for me. I thought Sanjay did a wonderful job of completely bringing out the subtle beauty of the raagam. The Muthuswamy Dikshitar kriti was a first time listen for me and I loved every bit of it. The swarams in just the first speed were much appreciated. 'Haridaasulu' followed this. He also sang swarams for it, in just the second speed, as though it were in some way a continuation of what he had done with the previous kriti. Was a bit surprised by this pattern of singing another piece after the main in the same raagam. Has any other artiste done it before?
The Kaamboji aalaapanai was pleasant. Some of the brigas were executed to great effect. The taanam was highly enjoyable, but a bit more restraint would definitely be welcome. In Sanjay's excitement, phrases like 'tu to tu too du' entered the taanam. Those really irk me. Stuff like this happens with most singers now, but I just can't accept it. There's a recording of a lec dem of Vedavalli maami where she talks about the right way of singing a taanam. All current performers should definitely listen to that and try to apply those thoughts in their singing. It does make for far more interesting listening.
The pallavi was simple, but for the ateeta eduppu (starting on the second drutha of the of the taalam), which was clever. While I did enjoy the quick succession of raagamaalika swarams, this format has started to tire me a bit. I would prefer that just three or four raagams were chosen and those properly elaborated instead of the race to finish the swarams of each raagam within one aavarthanam. He did not return to the pallavi in Kamboji again. He finished with the Surutti.
Among the tukkuda pieces, I enjoyed the Desh. The others were pleasant enough.
The usual Mangalam for the conclusion.
On the accompanists:
Nagai Muralidharan gave apt support on the violin. Particularly enjoyed his Yamuna Kalyani as well.
What can I say about Srimushnam sir? He played perfectly as always. His tani was simple and highly effective. As my friend said 'achchukattaagi ittu'.
Giridhar Udupa is another artiste that has always impressed me. He's a very sensitive player and knows how to use the sound of the ghatam to proper effect.

Overall, a really good concert.

[arasi]

Thanks for the review, Squims (your name a blend of SQUIbbles and MumbleS too?!). So, mumbles isn't the domain of vocalists alone
It was a special concert for me and spouse since our live concerts season of the year is almost coming to an end. On our way to the concert, we were wondering if Sanjay would sing nILAmbari. His Anandavalli (ST's) at Kalakshetra was such a treat. As the concert progressed, we did not think he was going to. Then came uyyAla at the end!
I agree with you. YamunA kalyANi (s) was riveting--a double scoop delight. The uttarAdi touches in the rAgam for the sanskrit Nanda gOpAla of MD and the southern piDis in the one before Tyagaraja's brought a freshness to the dual presentation. Incidentally, Maharajapuram Santhanam's charming nanda gOpAla had made an impression on me. Sanjay's version had more depth, it seemed.
I noticed this season that Sanjay paints different landscapes in every one of his concerts now. Of course, as you say, his repository of songs is vast, just as with many seasoned vidvAns. Yet, how many of them dare to/or are interested in presenting new or newly polished old gems as he does? Playing it safe is not in Sanjay's books, it seems. No safety-net singing as I called it elsewhere He does not repeat old favorites until they become stale. Newness with him does not mean just novelty. It is his looking at his music in new ways without deviating from the deep-rooted richness of tradition. It is very much part of him.
I am very pleased when any performer sings my favorites--usually the not-oft-sung songs but I do not like chits and performers obliging if a song has been repeated too often. After the viruttam, Sanjay did honor the chits and I was a tad disappointed. He would have sung some not so popular songs at the end perhaps, if not for the chits, I guess.
I heard several spirited concerts of his during the season. This one was a bit ruminative and that was fine too. The Ahiri (dIna rakshaka-- which he sang in MA last year) and the kAmbOdi (the plain kind--hari and edukula are my favorites too) were soulful as well.
A concert like no other of his, and that's the way to go, in my books.

Bilahari,
You would have loved this one

[kunthalavarali]

Thanks for the review Squims,
The phrases (that you have mentioned) in the tanam were really good and reminded me of MMI. I wonder if music should be restrictive and rigid. As long as the melody is not lost such phrases reveal the freedom of musical expression much like the flight of a lovely bird in free space in the sky. As Arasi mentions about the YK piece, the kambodhi tanam was also riveting.

[bilahari]

I was just going to say - this concert looks like a winner! The yamunAkalyANi in particular I'd have loved to hear. Sanjay's kAmbOji RTP in San Diego (2007) is fresh in my memory for the sheer imagination, and his rAsa vilAsa in MA (2008?) was also delightful. I'm always up for a kAmbOji!

[gardabha_gana]

Arasi and squims have captured the concert well. I like sanjay's concerts as they are traditional - will usually start with a not so often heard varnam - will have R,N,S,RTP in the right mix, and will not be a safety net concert. Usually, I would have heard only very few of the krithis before and will have a right mix of shudhha madhyamam and prati madhyamam ragas. This concert stayed true to the above and yet was so very different and reposeful - was indeed a very nice experience. I think he loves singing in Gayana Samaja. The two I attended last year (Vid. Neela's 75th b'day kutcheri and the samaja's conference kutcheri) - were unique in their own way. Few points:
* Glad that the hall was full but not overflowing like the Bombay Jayashree/TMK concerts. We could experience the concert with little people movement
* Nagai was very good in support. And I enjoyed Raja Rao sir especially when he played so gently for the Ahiri and YK piece
* Initially I felt that YK was a misift as one of the main pieces and in retrospect feel that I was wrong - I think this was a bold set of ragas
* I am stunned with the different kind of pallavis that I have heard in GayanaSamaja from Sanjay. The last one he had 3 sets of 3 ragas each w/o swarams, this time it is a slew of ragas (wish they were fewer and longer) and before that he had triputa in different jathis during the 75th b'day kutcheri.

arasi m'am - didn't know you were at the samaja - would have liked to meet you and thank you for all the wise postings on this board.

[arasi]

Gardabha_gana,
Thanks for the compliment which I may not deserve! I did ask Jayan and Badari if you were there. I also saw sappri, Gnaanam and another member of Rasikas.org there.
There was a lot of apprehension about traffic in the area due to the three day Sahitya Festival in nearby Chamarajapet which accounts for a full auditorium but not an overflowing one. Early exits of a few were also due to the fear of getting caught in the traffic.

kunthala varali,
That yamuna kalyani still lingers on in our minds and as a result, we feel that Ahiri, kAmbOdi and the rest had to stay away from the
limelight! We all take Sanjay's tAnams for granted too

For Braindrain's review of the concert, please go to KPJayan's blog.

[squims]

How many are attending tomorrow's Malladi brothers' concert? Would definitely like to get acquainted with the rasikas.org members!

[badari]

I would be there...

[arasi]

I am not sure if the concert is starting at the usual time of 5-45 or earlier. I didn't quite catch the announcement. Please post the info here for those who want to attend.

[gardabha_gana]

Today's concert is at 5 PM and NOT 5:45. (Malladi) I am attending.

[Sundara Rajan]

In response to Squim's question if any other artist has sung two succesive pieces in the same raga, I remember one KVN's concert in Madras in early seventies when he sang elaborate panthuvarALi followed by a composition in pUrvikalyANi and further down the line another composition in panthuvarALi ! I am not sure if the later one was in response to a request.

[ksrimech]

4 samodam chintayami - shudda dhanyasi (udaya ravichandrika -so it seems)

They are not the same ragas. Suddha Dhanyasi comes under mElam 22 (kharaharapriyA) and udayaravichandrikA falls under mELam 9 (dhEnukA). The respective rAgAnga rAgams are SrI rAgam and dhunibhinnaSaDjam, respectively. This song of maharAjA svAti tirunAL is in SuddhadhanyASi only!

[gardabha_gana]

Thanks ksrimech. I had purchased a book - RIG - raga identification guide when i went for the music season at MMA. Since sanjay sings mostly not-so-common krithis, i took it along with me. I had jotted it down as suddha dhanyasi - and after the song was sung - looked it into RIG which said udayaravichandrika. Guess i was indeed right

I looked at the net - and looks like both versions are sung.

[gardabha_gana]

Gardabha_gana,
Thanks for the compliment which I may not deserve! I did ask Jayan and Badari if you were there. I also saw sappri, Gnaanam and another member of Rasikas.org there.
There was a lot of apprehension about traffic in the area due to the three day Sahitya Festival in nearby Chamarajapet which accounts for a full auditorium but not an overflowing one. Early exits of a few were also due to the fear of getting caught in the traffic.

I did meet badri at the bajji counter and met squims on Malladi day. In fact, you may have seen me - as I was with my family of 8 - 3 kids and was the only one hauling bajjis making noise before the concert I was in the 3rd or 4th row on the right in the "general" area. The sahitya sammelana sure made traffic and parking difficult. Best wishes on your CD release in Nada Inbam, and it would be great if you can share the function on YouTube

[arasi]

Thanks, Gardabha_gana!
Yes, I had to walk by the snack counter--boy! some things haven't changed over the decades, like the aroma of fried stuff at the Gayana Samaja Sorry, we missed each other. It was after the concert that I met Mr and Mrs Jayan and Badari at the curb.
Hope things go well. If not the event, Neela Ramgopal's concert will be shared on the forum with rasikas who want to listen to it.

[ksrimech]

Thanks ksrimech. I had purchased a book - RIG - raga identification guide when i went for the music season at MMA. Since sanjay sings mostly not-so-common krithis, i took it along with me. I had jotted it down as suddha dhanyasi - and after the song was sung - looked it into RIG which said udayaravichandrika. Guess i was indeed right

I looked at the net - and looks like both versions are sung.

Quoting from a RIG doesn't make udayaravichandrikA and SuddhadhanyASi one and the same or the song have two versions. samOdam chintayAmi is always sung in SuddhadhanyASi. There is only one know song in udayaravichandrikA being muttusvAmi dIkSitar's SrI guruguha mUrtE chitSaktisspUrtE. May be there is a maisUrU mahArAja composition in that rAga. muttusvAmi dIkSitar clearly states the name of the rAga in the phrase atmOdayaravichandrikE. In the SuddhadhanyASi kRti subrahmaNyENa rakSitOm, muttusvAmi dIkSitar again clearly states the name of the rAga in the phrase kRttikA suta SuddhadhanyEna.

Ref: http://www.medieval.org/music/world/car ... murte.html.
http://www.medieval.org/music/world/car ... toham.html

udayaravichandrikA goes only by the arOhaNa: S G2 M1 P N3 S and avarOhaNa: S N3 P M1 G2 S.
SuddhadhanyASi goes only by the arOhaNa: S G2 M1 P N2 S and avarOhaNa: S N2 P M1 G2 S

Please not the different niSAdam in the two rAgas. There are no two versions of the song. It is sung only in Shuddha DhanyASi with kaiSika niSAdam!

[Sundara Rajan]

I was not present at this concert and so I cannot vouch for the raga in which Sanjay presented the song. Little refernce hand books do make mistakes in ragas as well as composers' names, as I have found in the Raga Ready Reference by Kannan (2001 edition that I have ). This little book cites sAmOdam chintayAmi as suddha danyAsi. However, the book of Swati TirunAL's compositions by one L. AnnapUrNa, Narmada Publications , Madras assigns Udaya Ravichandrika raga to the composition sAmOdam chintayAmi ! Sorry to throw a monkey wrench in to the discussion !

[kunthalavarali]

"There is only one know song in udayaravichandrikA being muttusvAmi dIkSitar's SrI guruguha mUrtE chitSaktisspUrtE.

Sri Rangaramanuja Iyengar in his book on"Sri Krithi manimalai, (part 1) lists the well known Thyagaraja's entha nErcina as udaya ravichandrikA. Please note that he also mentions that udayaravichandrikA has another name SuddhadhanyASi.

Further Ksrimech mentions that "They are not the same ragas. Suddha Dhanyasi comes under mElam 22 (kharaharapriyA) and udayaravichandrikA falls under mELam 9 (dhEnukA)" while RRI has said that URC is a natabharavi janyam.

[ksrimech]

Thanks Kuntalavarali. I would recommend you also check sangIta sAmpradAya pradarSiNi. subburAma dIkSitar makes a note about the niSAdam difference. He also specifies other than the niSAdams there is no other difference in the two rAgas. There is only one song with SrI guruguha mUrtE with the kAkali niSAda prayOgam. I'm not talking about the songs with kaiSika niSadam!

Here is a translated version: http://www.ibiblio.org/guruguha/ssp_cakram1-4.pdf (Pages 101 and 476).

I don't think entanErchinA is sung with a kAkali niSAdam. It is sung only with kaiSiki niSAdam (i.e. as SuddhadhanyASi)

If the niSAda does really make a difference, why did muttusvAmi dIkSitar sing in these different rAgas? Even if I have had a chance to meet RRI, I would have asked him the same question.

Also, SuddhadhanyASi can also be derived from naTabhairavi (mELam 20). mELams 20 and 22 only differ by dhaivatam (mathematically)! I will still maintain URC is derived from mELam/rAgAnga rAgam 9.

If you still feel I'm wrong, I apologize for wasting all of your times. Let karnATaka dEvagandhAri be AbhEri, let chenchurutti be tarangiNi and ShuddhadhanyASi be URC, we will not loose anything.

[arasi]

Krishna,
Only our marbles
With or without names, all the above rAgAs and aka-s are pleasant to hear!

[arunk]

This udayaravichandrika vs. suddha-dhanyasi confusion has been discussed many times. In Dikshitar's scheme it is different. In Thyagaraja's scheme they are same. I think (not sure - dont have my references with me now), both have some history as in mention in texts in that the merging/confusion in Thyagaraja's scheme isnt very recent (as say with abhEri).

Dikshitar is quite clear on the difference. The raga with N3 is quite beautiful and haunting, and IMO unfortunately very under-utilized in CM (unlike in tamil film music where Ilayaraja has used the scale with great success - heard of srotaswani/srotaswini?).

Arun

[narayan]

If you still feel I'm wrong, I apologize for wasting all of your times. Let karnATaka dEvagandhAri be AbhEri, let chenchurutti be tarangiNi and ShuddhadhanyASi be URC, we will not loose anything.

ksrimech, two slightly different issues here. One is calling the same thing by two different names (e.g. the kaisika nisadam ragam of enta nercina being called suddha dhayasi or udaya ravicandrika) and the other thing is the ragam itself having changed over time (as is claimed to be in the case of nagumomu and mAyE and some other songs). The first is just a question of nomenclature and it seems (as arunk says) that different people called it different things (a rose by any other name, etc. etc.). The second is a more serious matter! SrI guruguha mUrtE by dIkSitar is probably so rare that no one is tempted to sing it with kaisika nisadham, so we are OK so far.