The song list and my semi-expert comments are below. I had to travel next early morning and hence this delayed posting from memory. I request and welcome experts to chime in and add or correct where needed.
Artistes:
Sanjay Subramanyam, S. Varadarajan, Neyveli Venkatesh, all dressed up in nice uniform white and working in unison like the Jamaican relay team lead by Usain Bolt
Song List:
1. yadukula kambOdi Ata Tala Varnam (not sure whose composition this is).
2. mAmava sadA janani – kAnaDA – Rupakam – Swathi Thirunal; S, N
3. Maruvakudaiya Mohanaanga Naapai – Mohanam – Adi (this song had the GarbhapurIvasA mudra); R, S, N
4. kAru bAru – Mukhari – Adi 2 Kalai – Thyagaraja
5. Akshya Linga Vibho – Sankarabharanam – Misra Chapu – Deekshithar; R, S, N. This was the main and included the thani
6. Thillai Chidambarame Allaamal Veru Illai Sudandhirame – Kapi Narayani – Maarimutha Pillai
7. RTP – AbhEri – Adi 2 Kalai; the pallavi line were Subramanya Bharathi’s “veLLaithAmaraip pUvil iruppAL, Veenai Seyyum Oliyil IruppaaL”.
8. Yedhaiyaa Gathi – Chala Nattai – Adi - Koteeswara Iyer
9. enna rakshisO – Subha PantuvarALi – Rupakam – Purandarar
10. Slokam in “peTRa thAi thanai maga maRandAlum”, followed by “Uppum Karpooramum’ ; and then came “Innamum Orudharam” in Behag, Adi by GK Bharathi
11. Paasuram “mannu pugazh Kousalaithan Mani Vayiru Vaitthavane” – rAgamalikA, Rupakam
12. Mangalam
Excerpts:
• In mAmava sadA janani, Sanjay infused a variety of sangatis in the pallavi & anupallavi; his kalpanaswaram in the chraram portrayed many enjoyable variations of the swara pattern ‘ma dha ni saa” and “ni pa ma gaa”.
• The Mohanam song was beautifully rendered and included a brief and brisque alapana and radiated Mohanam’s beauty throughout; Sanjay displayed his breath control when he held a note for 7 or 8 full aavardhanams! It was simply breath-taking
The listeners may have gasped for breath but NOT the master!! • In kAru bAru, while Sanjay depicted Mukhari delectably, he gave us just a brief alapanaa and no kalpanaswarams in this song.
• Akshaya Linga Vibho was preceded by a leisurely Sankarabharam alapana which was very therapeutic and bloodpressure-reducing
When he forayed into the upper speed neraval, we felt the creative giant waking up! Sanjay also packed many long, deep, and energy-packed ‘OOmkarams’ which even in the lower registers traveled all the way to back of the concert hall! Sanjay did elaborate neraval in the usual “Badaree Vana” and included very interesting gopucha swara patterns such as Saariga, Saamaga, Sapaamaga, Sadhapamaga’. Sanjay landed on the stock swara pattern ‘Gamapaamaga, Rigasaariga’ but showed his prowess in mixing these very innovatively and delectably. Varadharajan matched Sanjay well in the alapana and later in the neraval & swarams, with the same leisure and therapeutic style. In the Thani, Venkatesh exploded and showed his control in accelerating the rhythm patterns and then decelerating them back. Venkatesh, you were amazing in reading/anticipating Sanjay’s nadais & variation and readily proact, act, react!• The RTP was amazing, taking the raga to a new level, making us say this was not AbhEri but AhAbhEri! The ragamalikaa swarams included Poornachandrika, HamirKalyani, and finally Chala Nattai which Sanjay nicely used to transition to the next song Yedhaiyaa Gathi’ in the same raagaa.
• The last 2 songs and their slokams were sahithya-bhava and raga-bhava laden. Both were rAgamalikAs The moving ‘Petra Thaai Thanai Mahan Marandhaalum’ prelude included Kambhoji, Lathangi(?) prior to the Behag song. The touching pAsuram song included SArangA, Hindolam, Nilambari, and a few rAgams I missed (readers please fill-in).
In summary, it was an awesome kutcheri that left us very satiated and wanting more at the same time. Can’t wait for his NJ concert on Sep 23rd.