Suryaprakash@chromepet-vasantha mantapam on Dec 30th,2013

[rajeshnat]

Suryaprakash@chromepet-vasantha mantapam on Dec 30th,2013
--------------------------------------
Vocal : Suryaprakash
Violin : Mullaivasal Chandramouli
Mrudangam : TR Sundaresan(disciple of yella venkateshwara rao, he is based out of singapore)
Kanjira : S Venkataramanan

Concert Type : Nirvana- no concert to follow
Day/Duration : Monday / 3 hrs and 10 mins
Crowd : The hall was full about 100+
Sabha/Hall : Sree Rama subramania swamy sabha/Vasantha mantapam

Ticket : Donations welcome, this sabha is like aastika samajam thiruvanmiyur , where as you enter some one takes the pen and gets ready to write the donation amount assuming every rasika will pay. I paid but not sure if it is free or ticketed

1. erA nApai "varnam"- tOdi - patnam
2. rAma bhakthi (S) - suddabhAngla - T
6 mins swaras

3. ardhAnAdhEEShwaram (R S)- kumudhakriya - MD
6 mins alapana and 2 mins violin return
3 mins swaras
4. SiRRam SiRukAlE - sAveri - Andal thiruppavai

5. manavyAlkincharA (S) - nalinakanthi - T
6 mins swaras

6A. O RangasAyee (R N S T)- kAmbOdhi - T
17 mins alapana and 7 mins violin return
neraval in bhoolOka vaikunTam iti yani for 14 mins
14 mins swaras
6B. tani for 16 mins

7. RTP in brindavana sArangA
13 mins ragam and 7 mins violin return
7 mins taanam
29 mins pallavi and swararagamALiga in brindavana sAranga+ jog+ chandrakowns+ nAyaki+ darbAri kAnadA
pallavi line was "brindAvanam idhuvO kannan kuzhaloodiya"

8A. viruththam pachai mA malai - nattaikurinji+
arangamanagarulaneN- ranjani
muruga thirumAL marugA - jonpuri??? +
shanmugha - aananda ragam???
8B. azhagiya mayiLiL - aananda ragam - anayampetti adisesha iyer or madurai somu (help me lji)
9. eppo varuvaro - jonpuri - gkb
10. nee nama roopamulaku

[rajeshnat]

Apart from epicenters of chennai (mylapore-alwarpet-mambalam), i personally take a bit of interest to hear concerts outside of these core areas . There were few discussions and posts that we all discussed few years back of how if sabhas dont crowd in the epicenters there can be good response , it was indeed a case in chromepet . In the last few years I have seen it happening for a neyveli concert in KKNagar, few concerts in nanganallur and also few concerts in annanagar .

The concert was slated to start at 06:30 pm, the violinist arrived way bit late - but however despite a delayed half an hour start, the team gave a brilliant concert for 3 hours and 10 minutes.

I think team play is a very important measure of concert success . But I personally find team play should not be a point where all 4 ensembled contribute in equal measures- that becomes a bit of cliche to me . It some how is not as best when few are more aggressive and the remaining are less aggressive . That boils down to who has to be aggressive . I personally prefer violinist to be less and the mrudangam to be more aggressive . The vocalist has to be aggressive(no choice there) and the kanjira usually is less aggressive than the mrudangam artist . In short aggression route or rather "controlled aggression" is a way to go when adopted by vocalist and mrudangam artist . I have had enough musical data point to understand and assimilate the vocalist suryaprakash, but what came as a bit of surprise is there is a great vidwan TR Sundaresan who has that sort of extraordinary fast fingers and vibrancy and with he and suryaprakash taking us in an Controlled aggression ride was lovely.

The start in era napai- todi varnam was bit of virissal - a cracking sound that was loud especially chandramouli violin was bit too high in volume . Todi let me down . But from rama bhakthi samrajyam it zoned to one of a kind of concert. Suryaprakash assertion in sudda bangala especially few phrased swaras like da sa ri ga ri ... ri , with long jaarus was superb with a fantastic rolling fast fingers of Tr sundaresan.

The vocalist stamina can always be proven when he takes a dikshitar krithi and with a detailed alapana and short burst of swaras the ardanAdheeshwaram in kumudakriya was lovely, there was a phrase nandi and ofcourse it appeared apt for sundaresan. The contrast of saaveri tiruppavai was nice and when he took the 5th gear - no no 6th gear nalinakanthi it was brilliant , THe cascading swara patterns of nalinakanthi of suryaprakash and sundaresan with a few crescendoes like mmi was superb.

The main was kAmBodhi . Alapana was very intense and I liked it . The violin return was concise and the super big krithi of O rangasayee was taken. MMI and TVS have not taken O Rangasayi, but what rasikas donot know is suryaprakash has learnt from atleast two vidwans from Semmangudi school. I dont know who taught him is that tirukkodikaval rajamani iyer or MA venugopal (both are from semmangudi school), it was grand . THe neraval in O rangasayi was sung beautifully and the swaras were high energy .

THe best of best was indeed his Pallavi in brindavana saranga . Usually with a very grand krithi like o Rangasayee 98% musicians will wind up but he singing this pallavi where his voice reached a kind of perfection was lovely. The raga alapana in brindavana saranga was aesthetic, the taanam for 7 mins especially was superb that too in second high speed where sundaresan played exceptionally well . In the ragamAliga swaras I liked the jog alone so much infact it was 5 to 6 mins of non stop vocal swaras and then only violin was played for a minute. The candrakowns and nayaki were excellent , the darbari was bit of a low scoring drop as compared to other 3 ragas. Overall for this pallavi and swara ragamaliga for 50 mins , the concert was worth it. The jog itself was unique for me to be at the concert.

The viruththam was a blend of dedication to both Lord rama and Lord muruga , keeping in line with the samajam and the idols where rama and muruga are there. I particularly liked the ranjani part the most (arangamanagarulaneN)and the last madurai somu aananda ragam number - azhagiya mayiLil was great . I lost a bit of interest when some one asked him to sing eppo varuvaro. Time was 10:10 PM and i had to be back to home.The last concert where I attended in december season where it crossed 10 pm was when shri TNS sang in the academy during his sangeetha kalanidhi concert where he took the 4 raga rtp. I am glad we have musicians taking even now , thanks to the free hand given by suburban sabhas than the core city sabhas which have gone in evening I and Evening II route.

Mullaivasal chandramould was in full form post kAmbOdhi. Felt his volume was on the high side for few numbers that too when he and suryaprakash was roaring in KAmbodhi i felt a certain bit of uneasiness.

I have never heard TR SUndaresan. He is a student of yella venkateshwara rao??? , he is just a magician. Fantastic kalapramanam and the beats are so exquisite and the speed is phenonmenal. Sundaresan and Suryaprakash appeared like a table tennis korean /chinease double pair smashes after smashes - Controlled aggression at its best . The sabha patron said Venkataraman's guru and father is ck shyamsundar who has played for madurai somu. I never knew that. He was on his own the most during tani but predominantly he gave the baton to sundaresan which was really wonderful . SUndaresan staying at singapore is as big a loss as trichy sankaran staying at toronto

Barring a slightly higher volume by violinist and also for few sangathis in kambodhi where the vocalist and mrudangam trespassed from controlled aggression to over aggression the concert was topnotch. OVerall an excellent to outstanding concert for 3 hours and 10 mins.

[Lakshman]

murugA tirumAl maugA is by Tanjavur Shankara Iyer and in harikAmbhOji.

[rajeshnat]

Lji
The viruththam line had those phrases. He did not sing tsi krithi
May I know the composer of azhagiya mayilinil in aananda raagam

[sankark]

I didn't see this listed in kutcheris.com where was it listed/publicised?

[rajeshnat]

sankark
It was published in the hindu paper - page4 , the next day that is dec 31st- jayanthi kumaresh played veena , that was also only listed in the hindu.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

It was a pleasant surprise to see rajeshnat at the concert. His comments on suburban concerts are true and organisers of events in places like Chromepet deserve special praise- it's no easy task.

Coming the SP's concert, I was a bit disappointed at the acoustics which took away the niceties. rajeshnat (I have never come across such a committed rasika)took all out efforts to get things in order but the 'sound boy' seemed to be rather indifferent. The violin dominated; perhaps the artists were keen on their job.Situation bettered only after the concert was half way through!

I have noticed that SP is a 'pulser' of sorts and carries the audience along with him! Nalinakaanti had the audience in ruptures! When many were expecting 'Kaana kankodi vendum' for Kambodhi in the typical MMI style, SP took up 'O ranga sayee' but rendered it well.

The todi varnam in 'built-in trikaala' mode was interesting. There is an old recording of Chowdiah (violin solo) of this varnam (often broadcast in Chennai A radio -isai pettagam- on Sunday mornings)

Kumudakriya, however appealed to me most.

I had to leave (due to unavoidabe commitments) when the Brindavanasaranga alapana was on. I understand from rajsehnat's review that the going was great.
A welcome treat for 'Chromepetites' for isai vizha!

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Well, Sri RT R Sundaresan on the mridangam had a good hand in brightening up the concert. As rajeshnat says, his is a fresh bani.
Venkataraman on kanjira supported aptly.

[vasanthakokilam]

>Sabha/Hall : Sree Rama subramania swamy sabha/Vasantha mantapam
I used to be pEttaivAsi a very long time back so curious, where about in Chromepet is this?

[shripathi_g]

Likewise. Was this held in Radha Nagar?

[Sivaramakrishnan]

yes, vasanta mandapam, sri ram samaj, Radha nagar, chromepet.

[rajeshnat]

For those who donot know radha nagar, after you alight from chromepet station walk in station road , you hit a gandhi statue very close to that is this place.

[Lakshman]

azhagiya mayilinil is by Madurai Somu.