Sanjay Subrahmanyan - Boston - May 3, 2014

[Karaharapriya]

May 3, 2014
Chinmaya Mission, Andover, MA

Vocal - Sanjay Subrahmanyan
Violin - S Varadarajan
Mridangam - Neyveli Venkatesh


maguvA ninnE (varnam) - nArAyanagaula - vInai kuppiyer
siddhI vinAyakane - kalAvati - kavi kunjara bhArathi (Neraval)
shrI mAthashiva vAmAnga - bEgada - dIkishitar (Ragam)
maravakavE O manasA - sAmA - patanam subramanya iyer (Neraval, Swaram)
manavyAla kincharA - nalinakAnti - tyAgarAja (Swaram)
enthudAginAdO - tOdi - tyagaraja (Ragam, Neraval, Swaram, Thani)
Ananda vallI - nIlAmbari - swAthi thirunAl

RTP - chitrAmbari
With ragamAlikA thAnam in chitrAmbari, gaula, gAnamUrthi, kharaharapriya, hindOlam, shankarabharanam, hamirkalyAni, chArukesi, sahAnA
pallavi - Adi thAlam (4 kalai) - mAmayil vAhananai anudinam ninai manamE, mAlmaruganai shanmuganai muruganai guhanE

rAmakrishnanu - thilang - purandaradAsA
samayamidE rArA (jAvali) - bEhAg - patnam subramanya iyer
viruttham - mAnd, followed by rAmanai bhajitthAl - mAnd - pApanAsam Sivan
viruttham - sindhu bhairavi, shrIranjani, hamsAnandI, senchurutti
followed by angai kodumalar - senchurutti, nAdanAmakriyA - in mishra jAthi jhampa + khanda jAthi thriputa tAlam
viruttham followed by pAyum olI nI enakku
vanna mAdangall sUzh - rAgamAlikA
shrI rAma jayarAm - yadukula kAmbOjI (?)
thillAnA - darbAri kAnadA
viruttham - khamAs, followed by thiruvallar mayilai - khamAs - pApanAsam sivan
mangalam - saurAshtram - tyAgarAjA


This was an amazing concert, filled with energy for over 3.5 hours. The RTP in chitrAmbari was very well done, and was the first 4 kalai pallavi I have heard in a long time. I think the song list speaks for itself.

[sridhar]

I was thinking it will wrap up in three hours - but when the RTP kept going, I knew we were in for a special treat - so many post pallavi tukada items - including my favorite azhwar pasuram - I was overwhelmed and thoroughly enjoyed. I was a bit irked by the numerous chits that were being passed to him - I wonder if he sang them all; liked his comments
"ivA kathukarthellam engitta kodukira"
"paritchai madiru irukku"

at one point in the pallavi he had do a do-over. He commented
"exit-a vittuttu aduhta exit-a eduthu thirumbi vara madhiri"

[Karaharapriya]

I was a bit irked by the numerous chits that were being passed to him - I wonder if he sang them all;
at one point in the pallavi he had do a do-over. He commented
"exit-a vittuttu aduhta exit-a eduthu thirumbi vara madhiri"

Yes, there were many chits passed to him. I think manavyala kimchara and the thillAnA were from the chits, the other songs I am not sure.

Like you said, I think there was a point where he forgot to complete the 4 kalai dhrutam in the pallavi, and did two kalai instead. I am not sure whether this was inadvertent, but he used it to switch to 2 kalai Adi and sang the kalpana swarams in 2 kalai.

[sridhar]

Yes, there were many chits passed to him. I think manavyala kimchara and the thillAnA were from the chits, the other songs I am not sure.

plus the azhwar pasuram that was openly requested by someone in the audience

[fuddyduddy]

This was Sanjay at his best, both in his music and his humor!
Worth the 4 hr drive!
That thodi!!!

[rajeshnat]

Kharaharapriya
Tx for the review . One of the theories that I have in my mind is that ragas get more polished when an attempt of rtp is done . In this concert that you enjoyed along with even vageyakkara arasi , citrambari has found a place in rtp. IT looks sanjay had a more ragamaliga tanam and may have sung a shortened ragam and a short pallavi and swaras just touching citrambari, but still citrambari would have oozed with more sangathis than a traditional concert where citrambari is occasionally sung . May I know if he sang only swaras in citrambari or was there ragamaliga swaras in citrambari. There are atlmost 4 to 5 musicians who are very very sincere in attempting to extend the carnatic breadth and with citrambari (whose kid amrithavarshini is more common)sanjay has done a great job. I have searched for few days in my tape backups and googled citrambari does not yet lead to a rtp.

[arasi]

Spring Has Sprung!

The mood of the concert was remarkable.
New England had shed its winter mantle, but spring was late in coming. Now, we hear bird sounds. New leaves are unfurling in lime-green glory. Magnolia trees are bursting
with blooms. Cherry blossoms and ornamental pears punctuate this greening process with pink and white. Tranquility spreads its wings across the young green of the landscape to a backdrop of blue skies.

Sanjay's concert seemed as though it was a reflection of Nature around us--absorbing, spelling tranquility. The varNam in ancient nArAyana gowLa set the pace with a finely balanced precision for a concert of serenity. A calmness ran through his singing, and but for flashes of brugAs here and there, they were no fireworks on the Fourth of July, but glimmering fireflies.

Then in succession came one choice piece after the other: mAtA, maravakavE O manasA, and a manavyAlacincharA flowing like a river freed from an icebound-state-- with the song's spirited gait subdued somewhat and finding a restrained course.

That tODi! A carefully chiseled main piece, sculpted to the written-down rules of the regal rAgA, moving at a majestic pace and yet meandering in a contained but refreshing way, spelling out tODi's complexities and revealing the unquestionable beauty of it. And the neraval at 'ala nADu kanaka kaSipu'! I remembered the time I heard it first and was struck by its beauty. PrahlAdA's pleas are echoed in it.

Like the grecian urn, that captured a moment in music and made it available to the audience to take home as a gift.

ChitrAmbari arrived, I was intrigued, excited to make her acquaintance and look forward to knowing her. Thanks to Sanjay's RTP-s. My horizon widens.

I have heard many concerts of Sanjay and experienced special moments, but this was different. The very mood of the concert sounded as if it was drawn from Nature around here.

Sanjay in the suitable company of Varadarajan and Venkatesh makes me mark this concert as one of the unique concerts of his. Not many brigA cascades here (I like them too).

I wondered. What would have been my reaction had someone else measured out his music this way? I wouldn't have minded, I might have even liked it, but then it dawned on me. How was this concert different, at least to me? It wasn't as if the nature of this concert robbed away his verve and exuberance. It was all very much there. Only, as he would still own the vidvat while filling the auditorium with energy and flights of imagination, it was all there. But the process seemed inverted. His mood (call it by any other name) was the guiding force here.

As for Varadu, popularly known as Sanjay's shadow, he does more than follow him faithfully. Highlighting and being a team player are also his assets.

Venkatesh, from the very first moment to the last engaged himself wholeheartedly, with force and fine touches, bringing in the sounds of many instruments! The start of his tani was fantastic and I could sing it with him in my mind!

In a concert with no pyrotechnics, I could see children and adults who aren't regular concert goers (or only go to a lighter fare) enjoying the concert like others.

Yes, the pretty maids all in a row going up the stage with request chits was a distraction. But I thought, the future of CM lies in them, let there be more requests from them (not distract, but to present the artiste with them before the concert begins through the organizers).

A good hall, good sound, but the seats! Fancy-looking but uncomfortable
Still, HanumAn's darSan and Sanjay's concert more than made up for the during and after effects of sitting on them

fuddyduddy,
Wish we had met...

[mahavishnu]

Arasi, Very poetic! Thanks for sharing the live experience.
There is something about being there, don't you think?

And so many people writing in about the same concert. Feels like a Chennai or Bengaluru event

[CRama]

Arasi Madam, Wow, That was awesome. Only a poetess can put your appreciation like that. Wish to get many more such reviews from you. Your review is a definite reflection of your enjoyment of the concert. Wish you more and more enjoyments of chaste music.

I wait for Sanjay's return to Chennai.

[arasi]

Mahavishnu,
As if you are prosaic! In addition, your reviews carry a lot of educated responses to every aspect of a concert

crama,
Your reviews are eagerly read as well. How painstakingly you put down all the details of what you experience! That speaks of how much you know your music and want to share your experience with others as well.

[kapali]

Enjoyed the concert with same feelings as aptly put by Arasi. For a moment I had a doubt whether in the RTP Thanam, after Gowlai ,whether it was Thenuka or Ganamurthi!

[sridhar]

During ragamalika tAnam, Sanjay paused for a moment and said there were 16 notes in the octave and he was using all of them in the ragamalika. Of course, I think he was referring to the vivadi notes as additional swaras (beyond the 12). Can some educated folks go through the list of ragamalika ragas and confirm this - what would be the minimum number of ragas that will cover all these 16 notes?

[fuddyduddy]

Arasi - I re-lived the concert thru ur review!
Wish i had met u too..

Usha

[arasi]

Yes, Fuddyduddy...

tirumayilai vaLar kapAli, Sanjay sang. Wish I had met you too, mighty Mass vaLar (?) Rasikas.org kapali ...

[Karaharapriya]

May I know if he sang only swaras in citrambari or was there ragamaliga swaras in citrambari.

During the pallavi, he only sang swaras in chitrAmbari, no rAgamAlikA swarams.

Also, during maravakave O manasA, he turned around and smiled at Varadarajan and Venkatesh during the charanam line varada venkaTEshvaruDE. I thought this was pretty clever.

[arasi]

Kharaharapriya,
Thank you for the list and your review. My mind is a sieve which does not retain details. You should have seen my 'abhinayam' to that line acknowledging them! You are another rasikA I could have met...

[kapali]

Arasi. I also wish I could have met you and others of the rasikas.org forum. When Sanjay started singing the Papanasam Sivan song Thirumayilai Valar, I could see my wife and daughter each sitting far apart from one another and me , smiling looking in my direction! Since I have become a Mass vaasi, we can meet in another concert in the near future.

[fuddyduddy]

Just read the other reviews above about the chits getting passed! Guilty to say that both my daughters contributed to the chits getting passed
Well, what can i say - they have taken after their mom!

[arasi]

Now, with Mothers Day just two days away, I hope it's a compliment. If not, make the bouquet a bigger one

So, two of the pretty maids were your daughters?

[fuddyduddy]

the 2 kutti ones with studious glasses were mine

[vasanthakokilam]

what would be the minimum number of ragas that will cover all these 16 notes?

Not to let go an opportunity to discuss melakartha technicalities

I can see how you can do that with 4 ragas.

Thodi and kalyani will take care of the non-vivadhi 12 notes.
tanarupi and sucharita will bring in the 4 vivadi swaras.

Thodi R1 G2 M1 D1 N2
Kalyani R2 G3 M2 D2 N3

Tanarupi R1 G1 M1 D3 N3
Sucharita R3 G3 M2 D1 N1

The other such set can be obtained by swapping the M1 ragas with its counterpart M2 raga

Shankarabaranam R2 G3 M1 D2 N3
Bhavapriya(bhavani) R1 G2 M2 D1 N2

yAgapriyA(kalAvati) R3 G3 M1 D1 N1
raghupriyA R1 G1 M2 D3 N3

[Karaharapriya]

Does this work?

S R1 G1 M1 P D1 N1 S - Kanakangi
S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N2 S - Kharaharapriya
S R3 G3 M2 P D3 N3 S - Rasikapriya

[vasanthakokilam]

Yup, that works. Thanks

[rasaali]

Dear All,

Sorry to join the party late. It was indeed an amazing concert with a full hall.

I will only add that I later heard from the organizers that the artistes were especially happy to see the large number of young children that sat through the concert. As arasi-ji pointed out it is a testament to the artistes ability to mesmerize! They were also very generous with their time afterwards with the kids who thronged for autographs and photographs.

We were fortunate to have Sanjay back in the area after 5 years. I think that long gap in part explains all the chits! :) I feel a bit silly about myself for not thinking about the fact that there would be rasika forumites from within and outside town for this. I wish I had the prescience and met some of you. Glad that you all enjoyed despite chits and seats. Hope to run into the Boston regulars in other upcoming concerts.


KVS Vinay

PS: Karaharapriya, Srirama Jayarama is indeed YK.

[arasi]

I was thankful to the kid (s) requesting Sri rAmA. My wanting to listen to YK
(one of my favorites rAgAs, not sung that often at all)--at least came as brief showers at the end, if not as a downpour ...

[Ranganayaki]

What a nice discussion! Everyone seems to have thoroughly enjoyed the concerts.. thank you all for the 3D view.. Arasi, nice to read your account .. You unfailingly acknowledge every review, and it's nice to read yours. So glad you were able to allow yourself such a rare treat with this concert!

I don't know if I am missing something.. I don't see all the 16 swaras represented in the ragamalika list.. R3 and N1 seem to be missing. Were there more ragas that were left out from the list?