Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Review the latest concerts you have listened to.
Post Reply
Sundarnrao
Posts: 50
Joined: 21 Apr 2011, 12:28

Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Post by Sundarnrao »

The lush leitmotif on swamimalai abided an idyllic ambiance for a soul-stirring concert to be witnessed as part of KS-13. Hoarded with a spiritually charged voice and devotional aura, Smt. VS opened the recital with an evocative swaminatha Sthothram and galvanized into naattai based “swaminatha paripalaya”. Be it the illustration of the raga kernel or the inclusion of all the key phrases or enlacing the reminiscence of all purified/popular passages of forebears of Carnatic music, Smt.VS performed poignant pleasantries of naattai.

Sri Swaminatha on Kamas was the next recital of the evening and had illuminating imaginations disserted through persuasive alaaps, fluent sargams and expressive bol-alaaps. Before the excitements of rasikas could get normalized, Smt.VS launched ramapriya based sami sada rendition and uplifted brilliant leaps of alaaps & sargams as part of improvisational quota.

Bilahari based Sri balasubramanya was her fourth presentation that shifted gears in higher order with both sweetness and swiftness to sustain the spirits of rasikas. Smt. VS then transported the audience with an emotive vritham that had a colored raag-mala and got deep into kalyan based Charana kamalaalayathai bandish with a sensational feel on the soul of kalyan raga.

Soaking rasikas with a cosmic vein on kalyan, smt. VS further reinforced aromatic depth through her main presentation Thaamadhamein (todi) and uplifted every aspect of raga flavors through a detailed elaboration of raga with badhats, multi-octave sancharas, meend-maands, behlawas, bol-taans, bol-sargams, bol-alaaps, sargams and taans. Accompaniment players (Dr.Hemalatha on violin; Shri. Shertalai Ananthakrishnan on mridangam and Shri. Trichy Murali on ghatam) also had their share of spellbinding support during this rendition.

Swaminathena (vrindhavani sarang) was a perfect smoothie after a heavy bout of todi. Being a musician with global mindset, smt. VS ensured systemic phrasing of multi-colors (during her crispy alaap) across all the recognized musical systems in india without disturbing the classical purity.

Smt. VS then rendered a rare arunagiri passage through a string of raag-malas and ventured into her concluding bandish set to sohini ( niraimaadha). Smt. VS developed brilliant passages of sohini to attain the climax and gradually harmonized all the rasikas into normalcy after a joyous journey of swamimalai.

It requires illustrious training, musical maturity and doctoring skills to be able to even attempt a rare theme like swamimalai. Hats-off to smt. VS for manifesting yet another success on KS-13 and looking forward to many more on the KS Series.

arasi
Posts: 16873
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Post by arasi »

Sundarnrao,
In CM, the expression is--and that's what it means really: a song is 'sung' in a particular rAgA. A song is not 'based' on a rAgA. At least, it is expected that the performer sticks to the rAgA and does not meander into others, unless it happens to be a rAga mAlikA or a rare indulgence in bhEdam-s! We do not just base a kruti on a rAgam--we stick to the rAgam all through.

Vijayalakshmi S is a seasoned artiste and a member here, and we at Rasikas.org are happy that she wrote a very good review on Anayampatti's concert, joining the artistes/reviewers' milieu here.
Last edited by arasi on 17 Sep 2012, 16:28, edited 2 times in total.

mahavishnu
Posts: 3341
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 21:56

Re: Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Post by mahavishnu »

Arasi, thanks for your kind words of caution and advise for a reviewer, who appears to have attended the same Hindustani concert everytime Smt VS sings about a very distinct South Indian Ksetram :)

Sundarnrao: I am even beginning to get used to your liberal and sometimes dubious usage of the thesaurus. But pretty please. As noted in an earlier thread, it is not right to refer to a thiruppugazh or kriti as a bandish. I could refer to the mela kanakAngi as Chromatic Dorian; it wouldn't be wrong but it would just be silly.

And the thiruppugazh you refer to is: "niRaimathi mukamenum oLiyAlE", with reference to the deity of Swamimalai as "kurumalai maruviya perumALE". Very apt choice, given the theme du jour.

Best wishes to Smt VS who seems to have a habit to presenting excellent Ksetra themed concerts!

arasi
Posts: 16873
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Post by arasi »

Mahavishnu,
Theme du jour?? :)
Now we are traveling way beyond the VindhyAs. Alors!

These 'through the northern glass' reviews of a CM concert at first intrigued me, and I read them through. Now, I just pick the lines here and there to get an idea of what all krutis Viji sang.
I get a bit giddy. It's like my knowing Gulliver but reading about him as the folks in Lilliput saw him ;)

mahavishnu
Posts: 3341
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 21:56

Re: Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Post by mahavishnu »

Mme Arasi, that was deliberate ;)
but you can stay very much in South India for its usage; perhaps we need a Ksetra Puduvai series.

arasi
Posts: 16873
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Post by arasi »

Of course! And I didn't have to deliberate on it ;)
Loved your:
dubious usage, pretty please and attending a hindustani concert every time!

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

Re: Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Post by satyabalu »

* Dr.V.S deserves all the praise for her presentation of 13 KSs in short intervals. (I am reminded of SKA.S.Rajam being mentioned as a person responsible to have picturised the Rupams of Trinity taking cues from the stalwarts like HMB, Subba Rao ...-out of description of what their profiles were looking like -from the perception of their gurus as they had understood.When asked why he had not patented those pictures he had to say"patent yeelam pannaley, Irunthuttu pogattume yendru vittuvittein.The pictures are accepted globally &I am proud of that."No wonder such largesse is implanted/ingrained in his prime disciple Who has taken upon herself the noble mission in giving free KS series- Not purely a commercial venture.
*But I am afraid by dwelling more on a sincere &discerning rasikas's view who is generous in praise using superlative phrases we are not giving due recognition to the kalakar for her tireless efforts in KS presentations fitting in concert format sparing a lot of time ,thanks to her lineage &repertoire of MD Koti PS Arunagirinathar.....More to come.
*This KS -Swamimalai -is the fourth arupadai veedu after Tiruchendur, Palamudirsolai&Tiruparangunram(Madurai).
This is the analysis of Kshetras covered:-
*Panchalinga Kshetrams-Kanchi,Chidambaram.(Guruvayur-for Vayu?)
*Divyadesams-Tirupathi, Srirangam, Chidambaram(Govindarja) Madurai(Alagarkoil),Kanchi.Chennai( Parthasarathy)
*Bhooloka vaikuntam-Srirangam.
*Bhooloka Kailasam- Chidambaram.
*Navagraha sthalam-Vaidiswaran Koil(Angarakan),Tiruchendur-Guru? Tirupathi-Sukra? Tiruvallidhayam-(opp to Lucas-Padi) (Guru parihara Kshetram spelt out in Agasthya Nadi)-Chennai.
*Ambalam-Ponambalam-Chidambaram,Velliambalam-Madurai.
*Mukthi Kshetram-Tiruvarur (for being born) ,Kanchi ?
*Sankara Peeda-Kanchi ,Sringeri?(In alphabetical order)
*I could observe a new dimension in her approach to Todi quite different from what I had listened to in Sree Krishnam Bhajamanasa(Guruavayur) Is it also in PS kriti "Tamadamein Samy" the useage of Ghandharam is plain (quite unusual for Todi perhaps befitting the song is meant more for dance )?.I am open to correction.Forgot to mention- in her Sri Balasubramanya-Bilahari-MD one could observe a lot of similarities with Sri Rajam's handling Sri Madhurapuri Viharini-in a concert abroad !
Last edited by satyabalu on 19 Sep 2012, 22:31, edited 7 times in total.

arasi
Posts: 16873
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Post by arasi »

Satyabalu,
I agree with your sentiments. Your above post is exactly the kind of review she deserves. I'm afraid in the other kind of other-worldly eulogy, the merit of the artiste gets obscured.
It's not as if this review is the first of its kind.They are dressed up, adoring and are filled with lofty sounding words (as seen in the dozen or so reviews). They sound as though they come from yonder.The venues and more importantly, the content of the rich tamizh traditional hymns are lost in the haze.
Any rasikA is to be appreciated, for sure, but when the musical experience he conveys does not express the content of the concert and the contribution of the artiste, it comes across to many as a mere exercise in fancy writing which really does not do justice to the effort and talent VS puts into it (I haven't seen his reviews on anyone else's concerts).

All this means that we think the same as you do ;)

mahavishnu
Posts: 3341
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 21:56

Re: Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Post by mahavishnu »

thanks, Satyabalu.
(Guruvayur-for Vayu?)
It should be Kalahasti, no?

kittappa
Posts: 116
Joined: 22 Sep 2011, 13:21

Re: Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Post by kittappa »

Kalahasti is the vAyu kShEtra not Guruvayur. Guruvayur is not even a vaiShNava divya dEsham.

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

Re: Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Post by satyabalu »

*All this means that we think the same as you do ;) Arasi! This forum requires somebody to initiate the write up like "Manja Pillayar!" :clap: Let it continue. My bone of contention is that We will have to move on further to the main topic of review of the concert soon after 'vigneshwar puja" :!: -->

arasi
Posts: 16873
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Post by arasi »

Viji,
Just tuned in to www.radioweb.ind and heard Ravikiran speak on Venkata Kavi.

They also played your singing enda vidamAgavum nI nanda mukundanai in kAmbOdi. You sing it so sweetly...

vijisubra
Posts: 31
Joined: 13 Jan 2009, 10:21

Re: Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Post by vijisubra »

Thank you Arasi. Love the way you keep abreast of all thats happening-- the world is indeed flat :)

arasi
Posts: 16873
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Post by arasi »

Kind of you to think that way Viji, but I am lagging behind in everything now, it seems :( I am happy though that I chanced upon your singing that day!

HR
Posts: 197
Joined: 12 Feb 2009, 09:53

Re: Smt. Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam KS-13 @ NGS on 9/9/2012

Post by HR »

The song list for Kshetra Swamimalai -

Swaminatha Karavalamba Stotram followed by
Swaminatha Paripalaya – Naatai – Adi – M Dikshitar
Sri Swaminathaya - Khamas - Khanda Chapu – M Dikshitar – R , N , S
Sami Sada – Ramapriya – Adi – Kotiswara Iyer- R, S
Sri Balasubramanya - Bilahari - Misra Chapu - M Dikshitar
Tiruveraga Navaratnamalai Virutham (Ragamalika) followed by Charana Kamalalayathai - Kalyani - Chhanda tala (Thiruppugazh)
Tamadam aen Swami – Todi – Adi – Papanasam Sivan – R , S , T
Swaminathena - Brindavana Saranga - Adi – M Dikshitar
Virutham : Kandar Anubuthi – Arunagirinathar - Ragamalika
Thiruppugazh- Niraimadhi - Hamsanandhi - Adi
Mangalam

  • - Neraval and Swarams in Swi Swamanithaya at the Charanam line ‘Gajamba Ramanaya’
    - Swarams in Sami Sada in the Pallavi
    - Swarams in Todi in the Pallavi line . The Dhaivatham Swaraksharam for ‘Tha’madham aen Swami was employed interestingly and intelligently in the swarams
    - The Hamsanandi Tiruppugazh was sung in two speeds

Post Reply