SuryaprakAsh@kalArasanA(Rani Seethai Hall)on Dec 21st,2011

[rajeshnat]

SuryaprakAsh@kalArasanA(Rani Seethai Hall)on Dec 21st,2011
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"There is a boundary to men's passions when they act from feelings; but none when they are under the influence of imagination."
- Edmund Burke

Vocal : Suryaprakash
Violin : nAgai Muralidharan
Mrudangam : Tanjore Murugabhoopathi
Ghatam : EM Subramaniam

Concert duration/Day : ~ 3 hours and 15 mins /Wednesday
Concert Type : Nirvana (open ended with no program to follow)
Sabha/Hall : kalArasana/Rani seethai Hall

1. tatvamariya tharamA (R,S)- reetigowlai - PApanasam sivan
2 mins alapana sketch without violin return
5 mins swaras
2. shree mAthrubhUtam (R,S) - kannada - MD
4 mins alapana and 3 mins violin return
5 mins swaras

3. O rAma nI nAmamEmi rucirA (RS N S) - poorvikalyANi - BR
8 mins neraval in "tumburu nAradulu Dambu mEEraga"
8 mins swaras
4. sarasa sAma dhAna (S) - kApinarAyani - T
9 mins swaras

5A. Punniyam Oru kOTi (R N S T) - keeravAni - PT
18 mins alapana and 8 mins violin return
neraval in "aNNai kAmakshi pOLE aNbE vaDivAi vanDAR" for 13 mins
19 mins swaras
5B. tani for 19 mins

6. RTP in chArukEsi
pallavi line was "theN pazhani malai velavA kA vA iRu thisaiyiN isai ketka"
8 mins alapana
8 mins Tanam without and with mrudangam
pallavi with trikAlam for 5 mins
16 mins swaras in charukEsi , bEhAg ^^^ , nAyaki vvv , chandrakowns ^^^ and varAli vvv where behAg and chandrakowns had the hindustani style in vada( ^^^ ) thisaiyin isai ketka swaras() and nAyaki and varAli had then ( vvv ) thisaiyiN isai kEtka swaras

7. paramasivAthmajam - yamunAkalyAni - MD
8A. viruththam "peTRa tAi tanai maga marandAlum" - sindhubhairavi + ked gowlai + subhapantuvarAli + mAnd- tiruarutpA'
8B. vAnathiN meedu - mAnd - ramAlinga Swamigal

9. mangalam (pavamAna + vazhiya senthamizh)

The concert was for 3 hours and 15 mins , barring the mangalam there was just 8 exquisite numbers , loved the concert more for the expansive elaboration and overwhelming classicism .

[rajeshnat]

Few Highlights :
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# reetigowlai had a very unique swara patterns and the contrast of kannada was lovely with really wonderful bowing by shri muralidharan

# O ramA in poorvikalyAni popularized by Somu has a lot of emote and real power packed sangathis ,suryaprakash sang beautifully with very noteworthy percussion . Also kApinarayani patterns of swaras were very noteworthy of not any repetitive patterns that he sang before

# KeeravAni as a main gives in general a feeling of extreme satisfaction. I was thinking it would be kaligiyunte , but he announced that he would sing a no dedicated to his holiness mahaswami being his jayanthi. It was an exquisite keervAni right intersect of emote and controlled aggression in neraval and swaras drawing so many bAle and besh from co artists. Shri muralidharan kept up very well with his razor sharp speed and controlled aggression. KeeravAni krithi alone was for an hour and then another 20 mins for tani.

# In the chArukEsi pallavi , it was a really wonderful team effort , particularly after a long round of tani without mrudangam and when muralidharan sir played with bhoopathy joining and taking another round with mrudangam was lovely. Every swara was noteworthy for expansion particularly chandrakowns and varAli when muralidharan and suryaprakash both dazzled.

# In the tukkadas loved the yamunAkalyAni MD krithi , it was a rare paramAshivAthmajam .This is a lovely number and really brought a calming feel after an explosive pallavi. Wonderful rendition with real sowkhyam.Murugabhoopathi played beautifully for this yamunAkalyAni giving a contrasting pattern, did give a dhrupad touch.

# Viruththam was noteworthy with the subhapantuvarAli being the pick , I am not such a big fan of vAnathin meedu , would have preferred say any other bharathiyAr song than this.

# nagai muralidharan was wonderful accompanist, incidentally for almost all songs in reetigowlai, poorvikalyAni , keeravAni and few rAgamALiga like varAli and chandrakowns ,suryaprakash singing non stop for about 5 to 6 mins like Prof TRS ,and then handing over to muralidharan and he returning longish returns brought a great charm as though listening a small mini violin concert . I particularly liked muralidharan's return in chArukEsi. He had tuned his violin so wonderfully that there was lovely melody. I wish Shri Muralidharan did not ask more volume or feedback , some time during the concert he did ask.

# The percussionist gelled well , the energy of bhoopathi was not that high in keeravAni but everything before and after inclusive of tani was well done .His patterns were lovely in yamunAkalyAni where it was a very very dhrupad style playing. EMS gave lovely support and in tani it was really good response to murugabhoopathi's play.

This concert was a ticketed concert and rasikas did stay till end .With rani seethai hall's excellent acoustics (the best) ,It was an Overall manOdharmam (imagination) intensive presentation .It was an excellent concert for 3 hours and 15 mins with just 8 numbers.

[fduddy]

O ramA in poorvikalyAni popularized by Somu has a lot of emote and real power packed sangathis
Do you mean Somu's rendition has power packed sangathis? I doubt very much. It is a highly emotive rendition by one and only Somu and in my opinion the most beautiful rendition. Had it been power packed it would have lost the soul and essense of that kriti.

[nri]

Thanks for the review; you bring a near-live listening experience of a concert in few written passages.
Was the pallavi line - "then pazhani malai velavA" ?

[rshankar]

Rajesh - was the viruttam 'peTRa tAi tanai maga marandAlum' - popularised by Smt. MSS?
And vAnattin mIdu was composed by rAmalinga svAmigaL - we have discussed it earlier.

[Nick H]

Oh dear...

Suryaprkash knows that I have been waiting for just such a concert, and sent me a specific invitation --- and I went home in the afternoon to nurse a sore throat. Very sad to have missed it.

[kamalamba]

Rajesh, I was there but did not spot you!!
Indeed, wonderful concert. You have said it all.

[cienu]

Congratulations to Suryaprakash. Thanks for the review Rajesh in the busy schedule of yours

[rajeshnat]

O ramA in poorvikalyAni popularized by Somu has a lot of emote and real power packed sangathis
Do you mean Somu's rendition has power packed sangathis? I doubt very much. It is a highly emotive rendition by one and only Somu and in my opinion the most beautiful rendition. Had it been power packed it would have lost the soul and essense of that kriti.

Somu emotes more . There is a video recording that Shri Venkatakailasam put up of a chembai mahOtsavam where Suryaprakash sang the same no. You can see in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUR6csqS ... 3B64CD716B . I have not had a chance to hear this youtube link fully, but this rendition was somewhat close to the above, though bit more expansive

[rajeshnat]

Ravi and NRI
Made those corrections as you had suggested , my typo error

[rajeshnat]

I liked that line "The concert emphatically established that Suryaprakash has his place at the high tables of Carnatic music". Also factually the sub main O rAmA is madurai somu popularized one(neither TVS or MMI have not sung that for sure).
http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article2763496.ece