Madurai Sri TNS @ Dikshithar Akhandam, March11,2012

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Neeraja veni
Posts: 41
Joined: 26 Jul 2009, 00:05

Madurai Sri TNS @ Dikshithar Akhandam, March11,2012

Post by Neeraja veni »

Madurai Sri TNS @Dikshithar Akhandam, Bharathiya sangeetha Vaibhavam
Music Academy mini hall, March11, 2012
Madurai Sri. T.N.Sesha Gopalan- Vocal
Sri S.D.Sridhar – Violin
Sri. B.Sivaraman - Mridangam

1.Chetha Ganapatim vande – Ragavardini (Ragachoodamani) – Misra chapu
2.Sringara rasamanjari- Rasikapriya (Rasamanjari)- Rupakam
3.Kanchadalayadakshi- Kamalamanohari-Rupakam
4.Thyagarajo virajathe- Atana-Rupakam
5.Namasthe paradevathe –Devaranji-Rupakam (Alapana)
6.Chethasri –Dwajavanthi-Rupakam
7.Kodandaramam anisham bhajare- Kokilaravam- Adi
8.Sri madurapuri- Bilahari-Rupakam
9.Sri Rajagopala-Saveri-Adi
10.Sri guruguha –Sudhasaveri-Rupakam
11.Santhana Manjari shankari- Santhana manjari ( a.k.a. Sucharithra-63rd mela)-Adi
12.Sri Sathyanarayanam- Shubhapanthuvarali-Rupakam
13.Anandamruthakarshini –Amruthavarshini-Adi-
14.Sarasijanabha sodari –Naga gandhari -Rupakam
15.Meenakshi memudam-Gamakakriya- Adi
16.Sri Abhayambha-Sri-Adi
17.Sri Kamalambike -sri-Eka
18.Sarvamangala mangalye slokam- Mangalam

I went with a lot of expectations to listen to Sri TNS- Dikshithar combination and was amazed at Sri TNS’s repertoire. He was dishing out so many kritis from his hat! It was quite a learning experience since he shared information about some kritis with the audience. And to hear so many vivadi melas in one concert! ( Ragavardhini-32nd, Rasikapriya-72,Santhanamanjari/Sucharithra-67th).But all were quite pleasing to the ears. He announced the name of some of these ragas and went on to (briefly) explain that Rasikapriya , according to Dikshithar had the effect of nullifying the angaraka dosha and Dikshithar had composed the kriti in such a ragam(the last seventy second vivadi mela) which had Vivadi dosham in arohana as well as avarohana and ``that too with a prathi madhyamam to top it all’’ , but with such perfection and beauty – probably to prove his point that such imperfections can be modified to create a beautiful form –as beautiful as the Devi herself. Whatever the theory was , Sringara rasa manjari sounded very beautiful.

He had a few sruti slips initially, but the concert picked up with Atana. I have heard some take Atana by the horns, rip it open and devour it. But here it was treated with a soft approach and dignity.

Devaranji alapana was a surprise. He sang it quite elaborately in a concert which otherwise had very few brief alapanas . He candidly admitted that it is very difficult to sing this and ``only those who sing it will know the difficulty!’’ The alapana was good but the kriti itself sounded very different from what I have heard before. I like the flat note beauty of Devaranji but Sri TNS sang it with a liberal dose of gamakams.

Sarasijanabha sodari was melodious.Kodanda Ramam in Kokilaravam is gathering momentum, as I can see. I heard it in last year's akhandam ( a lovely kriti) and read from CRama that it was sung in the morning session too. I was rather disappointed with the way sri sathyanarayanam was treated- so brief, a tad lengthier than a thukkada! And that too From Sri TNS who is known to sing shubapanthuvarali so well.

Meenakshimemudam was the main krithi with a brief alapana and one of the shortest niravals I have heard but he displayed his legendary skills in the swarakalpana department. Very fluent, decisive.

I liked the way he sang Sri back to back. The way he seamlessly blended one Sri raga Kriti (Sri Abhayamba) with the other Sri raga Kriti(Sri Kamalambike) just as I was wondering why he was suddenly changing the pace of the Kriti, I realized that he started another kriti in Sri ! It was a touch of creativity, that he chose to sing 2 krithis in the same ragam but 2 distinct kalapramaanams.

My personal favourite in the entire concert was the excellent chethasri in Dwijavanthi. It was really beautiful and full of bhavam.

I was quite disappointed that there were no fulfilling alapanas. It was just not possible when so many kritis were taken up and that too quite a few heavy weights like Chetha sri, Sri sathyanarayanam, Meenakshi memudham, Anandamruthakarshini, Sri Rajagopala ,etc.
Tani was very short due to time constraints.

Due apologies to CRama for replicating his review.

CRama
Posts: 2939
Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: Madurai Sri TNS @ Dikshithar Akhandam, March11,2012

Post by CRama »

Thanks Neerajaveni for the detailed review of TNS concert. Why apologies to me? I am only too glad to see your review as elaborately as normally I do for TNS concerts.
Yes. his concert stood tall for all the reasons you have narrated. The swarams for Devaranji were very attractive.
As I have indicated in my opening para, yesterday's programme, was not to showcase one's virtuosity in alapana or swarams. So maximum number of kritis were presented restricting alapanas.(Your lament about Sree Sathyanarayanam).
In which concert he had rendered Devaranji alapana earlier?

satyabalu
Posts: 915
Joined: 28 Mar 2010, 11:07

Re: Madurai Sri TNS @ Dikshithar Akhandam, March11,2012

Post by satyabalu »

Thanks Neeraja Veni !You have explained it so well"" explain that Rasikapriya , according to Dikshithar had the effect of nullifying the angaraka dosha and Dikshithar had composed the kriti in such a ragam(the last seventy second vivadi mela) which had Vivadi dosham in arohana as well as avarohana and ``that too with a prathi madhyamam to top it all’’ "
* Also curious to know was there any Neraval in Bilahari kriti @"odyana peedas thithe sakala kaley"

CRama
Posts: 2939
Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: Madurai Sri TNS @ Dikshithar Akhandam, March11,2012

Post by CRama »

There was no neraval for the Bilahari kriti.

malavi
Posts: 159
Joined: 06 Feb 2010, 14:47

Re: Madurai Sri TNS @ Dikshithar Akhandam, March11,2012

Post by malavi »

Thank you Neeraja veni for your detailed description of Sri.T.N.S.concert in Dikshitar akandam.
Sriguruguha is raga Devakriya in Dikshitar sampradayam though it is generally known as suddhasaveri.It is in the phrase "budevakriyamoda".

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