Kshethra Sangeetham-9: Dr. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam

[Sundarnrao]

“Music fills the infinite in every soul” is the perfect axiom that sleekly sums up the spirit of the concert by Dr.VS through her gleaming artistry, magnificently supple & lush voice, capriciously inspiring improvisations, succulent phrases, enlightened elaborations and divine stage presence along with her ensemble of accompanists. Deeply dominant with KS-9 theme on thirupathi, the exquisite choice of song-selection assured her paramount penchant and testimonial lifetime dedication for the art.

Discourse with a sentient slant and enthused fortitude on the thirupathi really inured deific spectacle of the lord and as the curtains opened with the first presentation “Sriman Narayana”, a spirited transcendence exuded in the hall as that of a live dharshan of Lord Venkateswara with Smt. VS’s overpowered creativity, beamed virtuosity and surpassed lyrical-clarity with idiosyncratic emotional-appeal. Her voice was wondrously resonant and modulated to different moments to maintain scrupulous care of chastity.

Smt. VS’s bonafide musical character was groveling from the second presentation “tarateeyagarada”. It had a neat flow of manodharma lines with precision clarity on sur. Her reputed parampara and ardened sampradhaya stamped an illustrious flinch to the concert.

Renditions are magical as it stirs every atom of the body to be able to transport the soul into trance. So was her overpowering third presentation “alamelumanga”, where Smt.VS delivered a combination of sowkya bhaavam along with spontaneous outpour of creative-stocks on “garudathmaja”. Her nifty ecstasy was at its best.

Great masters are hailed for their focus on the gayaki and the same was clearly evident on Smt.VS’s fourth presentation “Nammazhwar Paasuram” followed by “Venkata shaila”. Smt.VS’s expositions and interpretations of gayaki structured a detailed approach as that of a great-master par excellence. She demonstrated “Ekaar” and “Aakar” syllables to embellish the beauty of kedar. Audience were enthralled with very inimitable tracks of kedar locutions.


Her fifth presentation “shanka chakra” was at its melodic supreme where Smt.VS comprehended an additional emotional excellence and caressed the song like unfurling all the petals of a flower. It was presented at an effortless ease with her mesmerizing vocal prowess filled with inevitable and intricate sensitivities controlled within the raga scaffold.

Smt. VS’s golden voice conveys the spirit of peace & unity to any form of listener and takes them to the abode of divinity. So was her energetic packer on sixth presentation “sri venkatesam” where her inspiringly influential voice created a blissful awareness for the soul. She crafted delicate sargam taans and built a musical bastion on “Dha” strikingly.

Smt. VS’s distinctive styles and rigorous hardship on sadhana was clearly visible through her extraordinary interpretation of seventh presentation “ Kulasekarazhwar pasuram” followed by P.Sivan’s Srinivasa thiruvenkatam, building an aesthetic compatibility of raga in-addition to inducing serene and devotional atmosphere at the hall. Smt. VS introduced characteristic phrases and beautiful musical possibilities on her 8th presentation “bayara” (jawali) to synthesize syncretic spirit of musical emotions through her cosigner “kaapi” colors. Garuda Gamana, her 9th composition had soporific textures of malkauns and a hewed expressive entreaty. Smt. VS then concluded with a soothing mangalam.

The combined support ably provided by the accompanists amalgamated a wonderful blend and transformed towards a rapturously unified-tone for the concert by melting their individual instrumental traditions.

A famous person once described that, he had never heard Tansen – but saw, tansen in Ustad(s) salamat-nazakat ali. Same way, a probationer like me who never witnessed late Sri. S. Rajam sir was able to feel/relate the impact of his clarified presence in Smt.VS. Vicariously, this concert was a bravura with loads of learning and drenching discoveries of irrefutable musical perspectives for all the rasikas.

[vasanthakokilam]

Thanks for the good review, Sundarnrao.

What is KS-9 ?

[rajeshnat]

What is KS-9 ?

Kshetra sangeetham -9

[rajeshnat]

third presentation “alamelumanga”, where Smt.VS delivered a combination of sowkya bhaavam along with spontaneous outpour of creative-stocks on “garudathmaja”.
....

Her fifth presentation “shanka chakra”

....
her 8th presentation “bayara” (jawali) to synthesize syncretic spirit of musical emotions through her cosigner “kaapi” colors .

I am assuming 3 and 5 were alamelumanga -kalyAni - AC and shankachakra - poornachandrika - MD

8th javAli I dont know, help me out SundarnRao

[vasanthakokilam]

Thanks Rajesh. Updated the title.

[Sundarnrao]

Dear RajeshNat, You got it right on poornachandrika composition. "alamelumanga" that Smt. VS presented was set in bhairavi. "baayara" was the javali set in kapi and it was the first time I heard too and hence, not able to furnish more details on the composition/composer etc. But the melodic structures were beautifully woven on kapi May be carnatic experts visiting this thread can help you more details.

[satyabalu]

*Kapi javali is by Tirupathi Narayanaswamy.
*Sri Venkatesam-Todi- is a rare one of Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar in sanskrit.(Has he composed any other in Sanskrit?)
*Besides handling of elaborate neraval @ "Mara janakam, Madhava namakam"the swaraksharam "Maa"was fully explioted during swara phrases ending with all swaras in Ar &Av.by succession.Afterall, rakthi ragas like Thodi offer scope.
*The artists' freedom was much in evidence esp., during Tani to choose their own time-I feel for a thematic presentation tani could have been shorter -lending that much extra space to accomodate more kritis!
*Pasuram "Chediyaya valvinaigal tirkum Tirumalay........adiyarum vanavarum arambayarum pirandu iyangum----PADIYAI kadanndu" yun pavala vai kanbon?"set in Bilahari(bringing thunderous applause for both VS&HL )Bagyashree,Valaji(spl appreciation for HL)&Hamsanandi.
*During Valaji exposition,Dr.VS literally chreographed the scene of pilgrims taking by foot to uphill -as one like me would have experienced -Children going far ahead of their parents in steps keep coming down the steps to be with their parents and go up again ..and so on..-her plying with the word "Padiyai 3/4 times back &forth in Valaji brought this live.
*What kshetram next?

[HR]

Here is the entire song list ...
• Sriman Narayana – Bowli – Adi - Talappaka Annamacharya
• Terateeyagarada - Gowlipantu - Adi - Thyagaraja - S
• Alamelumanga - Bhairavi - Khanda Chapu - Talappaka Annamacharya – R , S
• Nammazhwar Pasuram - Venkatasaila Vihara - Hamirkalyani - Adi - Subbaraya Sastry - R
• Sankha Chakra - Poornachandrika - Rupakam - Muttuswami Dikshitar - S
• Sri Venkatesam - Todi - Tisra Ekam - Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Iyengar – R , N , S , T
• Kulasekarazwar Pasuram - Srinivasa Thiruvenkatam - Hamsanandi – Adi - Papanasam Sivan
• Javali – Bayara – Kapi – Tirupati Narayanasami
• Garuda Gamana – Hindolam – Rupakam - Talappaka Annamacharya
• Venkatesa Mangalam

- The concert commenced with the verse from Sri Venkatesa Stotram – Vina Venkatesam Na naatho Na naathah Sada Venkatesam Smaraami Smaraami....
- The kalpana swarams in the Bhairavi Kriti were rendered in the anupallavi phrase starting with the words – Garudachalaa Dheeshu Ghana Vakshamuna Nundi
- Venkatasailavihaara - Hamirkalyani was preceded by the Nammazhwar pasuram "Kundram Endhi Kulir Mazhai Kaathavaan - Andru Gnaalam Alandha Piraan . . . .” . The pasuram was rendered in Bahudari . There was a transition to Hamir Kalyani at the end of the pasuram, followed by a bright rendition of Hamir Kalyani Raga Alapana
- The Neraval and Swarams in the Sri Venkatasam – Todi were rendered in the Charanam phrase – "Maara Janakam Maadhavan ..."
- Srinivasa Thiruvenkatam – Hamsanandi was preceded by the Pasuram – “Chediayaaya Val vinaigal Theerkum Thirumale – Nediyaane Venkatavaa Nin Koyilin Vaasal ... “ as a ragamalika in Bilahari , Bhagesri and Valaji . The pasuram was linked beautifully to Hamsanandi using the words “ Alamelmangai Manaalane ... “ following it with Srinivasa Thiru Venkatamudaiyaan