Sri.Neyveli Santhanagopalan @Fort H.School, B'lore,on 7/4/11

[squims]

Vocal: Sri. Neyveli Santhanagopalan
Violin: Sri. T K V Ramanujacharlu
Mridangam: K V Prasad
Ghatam: Sukanya Ramgopal

1. Evvari bodha(Varnam) [S] - Abhogi - Adi - Patnam Subramaniya Iyer
swarams @marubAri
2. Shobillu saptaswara [N S] - Jaganmohini - Rupakam - Tyagaraja
Neraval and swarams @ dhara rksAmAdulalO
3. Raamabhadra - Anandabhairavi - Adi - Bhadrachala Ramadasu
4. Devadeva jagadeeshwara [R N S] - Purvikalyani - Adi - Swati Tirunal
Neraval and swarams @ vAraNa paravrdha tApa shamanacana
5. Vanchatonu raa - Karnaranjani - Adi - Muthaiah Bhagavatar
6. Kaddanuvaariki [R N S T] - Todi - Adi(2 kalai) - Tyagaraja
Neraval and swarams @baddu tappaka bhajiyincE bhakta pAlanamu sEyu
7. Intha soukhyamani - Kaapi - Adi (2 kalai) - Tyagaraja
8. Viruttam - Hamirkalyani, Darbari Kaanada, Hamsaanandi, Desh
9. Raama mantrava japiso - Jonpuri - Adi - Purandaradasa
10. Mangalam - Sourashtram - Adi - Tyagaraja, followed by, Mangalam Kosalendraya (shlokam) - Madhyamaavathi

NSG sir's voice was in very bad shape today. Anything from the taara sthaayi shadjam upwards was putting his voice on incredible strain. That being said, he still gave a vidwat-poorna and aesthetically pleasing concert.
The perennial Abhogi varnam for opener. Swarakalpanam in it was a pleasant surprise.
The Jaganmohani was emotive.
Bhadrachala Ramadasu krithi for filler.
Then came what was undoubtedly the highlight of the concert for me. The Purvikalyani aalaapanai. It was unbelievably good. It also seemed like his voice troubled him the least during this. The raagam was overflowing with bhaavam. Really nice. The neraval and especially the swarams, were really innovative.
Todi was a repeat for anyone who had attended his Gayana Samaja concert a few days back, but I really can't complain, because he just sang it so well that I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Viruttam was really nice. Loved all the raagams he used in it. The ever popular Raama mantrava japiso and mangalam concluded the concert.

On the accompanists:
TKV Ramanujacharlu was perfection personified. I was spellbound by his raaga aalaapanais as he matched NSG sir with aplomb.
K V Prasad and Sukanya Ramgopal added luster to the concert through their sensible playing. The tani did not feature mind bending kanakku or nadai bedham, but was still technically proficient and extremely pleasing.

Overall, I can't get the Purvikalyani out of my head!

[mahavishnu]

Squims, thanks for your diligent reviews.

[gardabha_gana]

Met squims during the thodi. Vidyarthi Sir's voice really robbed us of a great concert. Nice to see a traditional fare - and unlike squims am not that affected by a lack of an RTP if there is a neat, well planned and executed concert. Nice purvikalyani and thodi. Haven't heard deva deva jagadeesha after KVN While the song selection and everything else was good - the voice bothered me and prevented him from getting to the higher octaves. His vidwath and the finer aspects were self evident and it made the concert enjoyable.

TKV, IMO was brilliant! I always have enjoyed his playing.

[badari]

The perennial Abhogi varnam for opener. Swarakalpanam in it was a pleasant surprise.

Every concert that I have attended ... he has sung Kalpana swara for varna... no surprises for me ..

the actual surprise that I had was the way he ended the main part of the varna... I was expecting kalpana swara.. and it flowed... through

[srikant1987]

Does TKV reside in Bangalore?

[squims]

the actual surprise that I had was the way he ended the main part of the varna... I was expecting kalpana swara.. and it flowed... through

Yes! It was done so well.

[arasi]

srikant,
In Tiruchy, I think. Isn't he with the AIR too there?

[VRV]

Vidyarthi's sowkyam should have masked any difficulties he had with his voice. One artist who consistently delivers excellent concerts.

Keep it up NSG ji.

Vinod Venkataraman

[bilahari]

Well said, VRV. While everyone raves about the NSG of 1990s (indeed, those concerts are magnificent), I have been listening to him since 2005 and although his voice does consistently struggle in the upper octave, the sheer sowkhyam of his singing makes everything else immaterial for me. There is not a single NSG concert I have not loved, and I have heard him many times in many countries!

[squims]

Agree with VRV and Bilahari. I said the same thing myself in my previous concert report of NSG sir.
Anyway, does anyone have any recordings of the 1990's NSG? Would love to listen to his singing from back then!

[mahavishnu]

There was one recording that cool-ji posted a few years ago on a thread related to sowkhyam. It was NSG singing mAkelarA; just brilliant. It should be in the archives of this site; not sure what search parameters I would use. Probably the best vocal rendition of that song that I have heard.

Squims, There are several commercial releases from the 90s. Here's a good list: http://www.emusic.com/artist/Neyveli-R- ... 44921.html

I might be in the minority, but I actually prefer NSG's present day voice. It has so much weight and shruti suddham that everything else seems secondary. He is also a more seasoned performer and there is so much perfection in his execution. And then there are days, when the voice warms up and the music just flows. I most recent experience of that was in Cleveland a couple of years ago, where he sang a beautiful keeravani followed by a Kannada RTP. Vinod, I think you might have been at this kutcheri.

[arasi]

Mahavishnu,
What you said is worth repeating. Yes, when NSG's voice warms up, the music just flows.

[VRV]

Ramesh,

I was there at the Cleveland concert. The Kirvani was absolutely sublime and mesmerizing. Doing gymnastics with the voice or an instrument (in terms of speed or brigha laden expressions) is exactly what I call it "Gymnastics". Being able to render the kriti with all its aplomb and poise is what distiguishes the master musician. A kriti like O' Rangashyahi in Kambhoji transports you to a different plain when sung in the most Sowkya kalam possible both for the rasika and let us not forget the accompanist. Not to long ago I heard a Saveri kriti by NSG at Parthasarathy sabha. His voice was troubling him then too. But the essence of the ragam was captured entirely by the artists on stage. The kirtanam slips my mind at this time. I had heard it a long time ago live by DKJ/T Rukmini and Raghu in Bombay sometime in the late 70's.

Vinod Venkataraman

[bilahari]

VRV, he sang the majestic sankari sankuru at Parthasarathy Sabha. Oh, and the nIlAmbari RTP in that concert! No words...

[bilahari]

Squims, I will put up some links to NSG of the 90s. A while back, Sri Nageswaran had put up a brilliant concert of his from 1995 featuring a sublime bilahari and SaNmugapriya. What a mix of blazing manOdharma, sowkhyam, shruti shuddam... There are another couple of concerts on Sangeethamshare that are well worth a listen, too.

Mahavishnu, I think I still prefer NSG's voice of the 90s, but the music, as you say, is now on a different plane altogether.

[squims]

A while back, Sri Nageswaran had put up a brilliant concert of his from 1995 featuring a sublime bilahari and SaNmugapriya.

Oh that would have been awesome! I adore both raagams! Could you please post a link to that as well?

[bilahari]

Reposting a couple of items from that concert:

vAtApi:
http://www.mediafire.com/?e6bwst04z73fuhi

srI cAmuNDESwari - bilahari:
http://www.mediafire.com/?5r682leh2x8hdgy

SaNmugapriya alapanai:
http://www.mediafire.com/?menp9dfgtpyi4eo

marivErEdikkEvaraiyyarAma:
http://www.mediafire.com/?18nh677sfyp72yj

Enjoy!

[srikant1987]

Squims, kpjayan's website says the jugalbandi's going to be held today Has it been swapped with KJ Yesudas's programme -- if not, what is the programme today?

[squims]

K J Yesudas is singing today. Not going to that one. It's just going to be insanely crowded and I'm not gonna enjoy the music anyway.

Thanks for all the uploads bilahari!

[gs1968]

I have never seen TKV Ramanujacharyalu play in person.But on youtube he has a series of violin lessons which I enjoy watching. I also think that he is a station artiste at AIR Trichy.I remember thinking with a name like Ramanuja-how appropriate that he lives in Trichy!