Prof. TV Gopalakrishnan @ Sastri Hall, Chennai (11 Nov 2006)

ram · Post by **ram** » 11 Nov 2006, 22:26

Venue: Srinivasa Sastri Hall, Luz, Mylapore

Date: 11th Nov 2006

Occasion: 42nd Guru Puja day of the late Violin Maestro Dwaram Venkatasamy Naidu

Vocal: Prof. T.V. Gopalakrishnan (TVG)

Violin: Sri S. Varadarajan

Mridangam: Sri Tiruvarur P. Bhaktavatsalam

Ghatam: Sri T.V. Vasan

List of songs:

1) viribONi (varnam) - bhairavi - kanDa aTa - pachimiriyam Adiappa (O)

2) srI gaNapatini - sOwrAshtram - Adi - thyAgarAja

3) teratIyagarAdA - gOwLipantu - Adi - thyAgarAja (S)

4) brOvabAramA - bahudAri - Adi - thyAgarAja (AS)

5) durmArgacharA - ranjani - rUpakam - thyAgarAja (AS)

6) anAduDanugAnu - jingaLa - Adi - thyAgarAja

7) sAmaja vara gamanA - hindOLam - Adi - thyAgarAja (AST)

8 ) rAgam tAnam pallavi (RTP) - shankarAbharaNam - rUpakam

pallavi wordings: "mahIma teliya taramA , rAmA nI" - anai iyer & annavayyAr

9) idhu tAnO tillai - behAg - Adi - gOpAlakrishna bhArati (O)

10) pAvana guru - hamsAnandi - rUpakam - lalitAdAsar

11) viruttam - sindhubhairavi

12) pavamAna (mangaLam) - sOwrAshtram - Adi - thyAgarAja

(Key: O=raga outline, A=raga alapana, N=neraval, S=kalpana swaram)

Before the concert started, Prof. S.R. Janakiraman and Prof. T.V. Gopalakrishnan (TVG) spoke about the greatness of the music of the late violin maestro Dwaram Venkatasamy Naidu. The multi-faceted musician TVG gave a very emotional speech recollecting the days he played for Sri Naidu. In the concert that followed, TVG took up songs that were supposed to be the very much liked by Sri Naidu and also spoke a few words on how Sri Naidu would played some of the songs he chose in the olden days.

I think TVG came into his full form in the second song srI gaNapatini following which he sang some racy kalpana swarams for teratIyagarAdA. Raga alapanas of ranjani and hindoLam were very beautifully sung and were reproduced (with a lot of improvisation) to the same effect on the violin by Sri Varadarajan. TVG sang chitta swaram in normal speed, tisram and double speed for jingaLa composition. A short ragam tAnam pallavi followed the hindoLam composition, which again TVG said was to just demonstrate how Sri Naidu would play an RTP on the violin.

The percussion team consisted of seasoned vidwans Sri Bhaktavatsalam and Sri T.V. Vasan. Two taniavartanams were played. The first one for sAmaja vara gamanA had kanDa naDai followed by a short kuraippu. The second one in rUpaka tALam, which essentially just comprised of a mOrA and kOrvai, was played for the RTP. When Sri Bhaktavatsalam finished essaying the first part of his taniavartanam in Adi tAlam, lots of crackers were suddenly heard bursting outside. To this TVG remarked jovially:"ingayum pattaasu, angayum pattaasu (crackers - both here and there)".

One thing that never seems to change at Sastri Hall is the awful sound system. The microphones would suddenly stop working and all sorts of stupid things that one can imagine would happen with the amplification inbetween a concert. For example, in a concert by Akkarai Sisters a few weeks back, the speakers suddenly produced a trembling sound while all that the sisters were playing was a simple extended note on the violin. Today was no exception. The microphones suddenly stopped working when TVG was singing to which TVG turned towards the experimentive sound system guy and said "adhu nalla thaana set aagi irundhadhu. nee kaiya vekkadhe. naan pathukkaren (The system had got set well. You don't touch it. I will take care)"

This is the first time I am hearing TVG sing. Since TVG tried to sing songs in the style in which Sri Naidu would have played them, as demanded by the occasion, I don't think much of his own individual style came out. Looking forward to hearing more of him in the near future.

http://ramsabode.wordpress.com/2006/11/ ... l-chennai/

Vocalist · Post by **Vocalist** » 12 Nov 2006, 06:58

How was item 6? And do you remember the beginning words of the Sindhu Bhairavi?

ram · Post by **ram** » 12 Nov 2006, 07:44

anAduDanugAnu was sung in a fast pace with explosive accompaniment on the mridangam and ghatam. The song was sung in the usual way it is sung.

I couldn't get the words in the viruttam as TVG sang each line only once and the words weren't coming out very clear.

chalanata · Post by **chalanata** » 12 Nov 2006, 20:16

i've heard once 'anadhudanuganu' sung by Therezhundur Srinivasachariar. This song, i do not find many vidwans singing. Are there any recordings sung by other vidwans?

Vocalist · Post by **Vocalist** » 13 Nov 2006, 16:18

well there's Nithyashree Mahadevan's version
very fast
very high pitched
lightning fast brugas
and lightning fast swaras, like DKJ's line in one of DKP's RTP which got special applause...except it's more than one line.

I listened to a rendition of TKG's...don't remember anything about it though.

Vocalist · Post by **Vocalist** » 13 Nov 2006, 16:19

As bala would say, the paint starts dripping from the ceiling...or was it water? hmm

chalanata · Post by **chalanata** » 13 Nov 2006, 20:15

any reading in the Ritcher scale?!!?