GAYATHRI GIRiSH AT VANI MAHAL-28/8/14

[CRama]

As a part of the ongoing Sri Jayanthi Music Festival organized by Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha, Gayathri Girish presented the concert on 28/8 accompanied by Dr.M.Narmada on the violin, Neyveli Skandasubramaniam on the Mridangam and KVGopalakrishnan n the Ganjira. The list of songs.

Sakthi ganapathim-Nata- HMB
Ganamurthey-Ganamurthy-T
Neene dayalo Nirmalachitha Govinda-Anandabhairavi-PD (R,S)
Rajeevakshabaro-Sankarabharanam-ST
Adathu Asangathu Vaa Kanna-Madhyamavathy –OVK (R,S)
Aalokaye Sree Balakrishnam-Charukesi-NT
Sree Sathyanarayanam-Sivapanthuvarali-MD (R,N,S)
Yathgopi-slokam-Pravisaradhe-Sivaranjini-Ashtapadi
Kattinile varum geetham-Kalki
Mangalam jaya mangalam-Suruti-PD
(R- raga alapana, N-neraval, S-swaras)

In tune with the on going festival in the venue, except the opening number, all other songs were on Krishna. The Ganesa song, a song popularized by her Guru TNS, was ornamented by sparkling swaras in second kalam. Ganamurthey was presented with true adherence to the accepted patantharam. What a delight to hear this song.

The first raga of the day Anandabhairavi was presented elaborately keeping aesthetics in mind. The alapana with its poignant glides and jarus was most enjoyable The song is a rarely heard song of Purandaradasa. Semmangudi used to render this song. Gayathri Girish rendered elaborate swaras in first kalam and wisely signed off the swaras with a long segment in first kalam, without resorting to the customary second kalam. I liked this approach immensely.

Maharaja Swati Tirunal has composed songs in many languages. Rajeevakshabaro is his lone composition in Kannada in praise of Krishna. Next, Madhymavathi was taken for a detailed treatment for 7 minutes focussing on the authentic pidis of the ragam. As I wished, it was Aadathu Asangathu Vaa Kanna of Uthukad which was rendered at a stately pace, studded with telling details making a moving case for ruminations. A lovely virutham Aanirai meynthada preceded the song. I am giving below the lyric s of the virutham for you to enjoy.

Anirai meyndhAda Aychchiyar magizhndhAda
tEnadAi kuzhalai oodum gOpAlan siramAda
netriyil tilakamAda neelamayil tOgai Ada
muththumAlai asaindAda mutrilum aNigaL Ada
sutrilum bAlar Ada sogusu peetAmbaram Ada
otrai urumAl Ada ullAsa kannan vandAn

An icing on the cake was the liberal dose of swaras at Chinnanchiru padangal. The subtle variations shown at Chinnan chiru padangal was remarkable. After the filler composition of Narayana theertha- I was hearing this song for the first time, the main song of the day- the mighty Sree Sathyanarayanam was taken up. GG’s elaborate alapana of this ragam did flow in the right pace and each swara unfurled the grandeur of the ragam in a very scholarly manner. What a composition. One can just revel in the overall sonorous nature of the presentation without trying to seek anything beyond that. The alapana consumed a solid 10 minutes. The neraval done at Sathyagnananadamayam Sarvam Vishnumayam Sree with appropriate lyrical intonation fixing impeccable accuracy in every phrase and culminating in swarams in two kalams took us to a higher plane. The tail enders brought a fitting finish to the concert.

Dr.Narmada excelled with her deft strokes and highly refined style of playing. The alapanas and returns were most lively, enriched by power packed gamakas and fast phrases so unique to her lineage, Her smiling demeanour was a pleasure to watch. The discerning audience showered her with lavish applause. The percussion duo did a fine job. The concert was well attended. A very good concert Thanks to Parivadini for the webcast also.


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[rshankar]

CRama - thank you for the review. I tried to catch the webcast, but had very frustrating computer issues. Seems to have been a wonderful concert by one of my favorite artists...

[arvenky]

Well C Rama Sir for detailed review. It was a lovely concert. I missed travelling across due to my ill health (planned visit got cancelled) but thanks Parivadini to catch up on the Web.

[HarishankarK]

Hope this concert will be telecast in youtube/sangeethapriya??

[Rsachi]

It was live on Parivadini ie You Tube.

[HarishankarK]

Hope it's still available there

[parivadini]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9mfCVgH9Xk

[Rsachi]

http://youtu.be/a9mfCVgH9Xk
Please listen to the absolutely IMPECCABLE presentation of Gayathri Girish in Parivadini video of her recent concert as she sings the wonderful Ananda Bhairavi song of Purandara Dasa : Neene Dayalo. This is a typical masterpiece of lyrical excellence as it spans a gamut of concepts : How God transcends understanding through the scriptures... How the gyanis recognise his supremacy as the Omnipotent One.. How the devotee has to humbly plead for succour like a child pleads with the mother. GG presents the song at a wonderful pace after a neat alapana with able support from Narmadha and enunciates the words perfectly with the right pauses and splits... Eg Nigama+agochara!
Bravo.

[HarishankarK]

Looking forward eagerly to enjoy this concert, particularly Charukeshi and Ananda Bhairavi.

[HarishankarK]

Ananda Bhairavi one of a kind and sung in a very beautiful kalapramanam. Charukeshi piece was also very good. Both these songs although i heard for the first time, appealed very well; which is a great thing for any singer.
But overall i felt that the concert was just good. Aadaathu Asangathu vaa kanna was a good choice for submain but somehow i felt her voice was too strained in this song and she was not able to sing it as per her usual standards and sangatis (she is a very good singer of this song - have heard her sing this one in Vijay tv many years ago but in this concert she sang the same song in a different way which did not appeal to me as a whole). But swaraprastharas were very nice and weaved to pattern with Krishna's dance.

Smt Narmada was excellent as usual with her trademark smile (most of the time she follows the vocalists phrases exactly and she has some trick to make us understand that she is doing that too which is a delight to watch and experience) and percussionists were very good too.

I was not able to hear the sruthi in the concert and that was a major let down for me in this concert experience. I feel that if i can hear the sruthi during the concert my experience is much much better.

Even after so many years in the industry Gayathri Girish's voice has not at all changed and is still very excellent and i think she still sings in the same pitch that she used 10-12 years ago.

[arasi]

Thanks to Parivadini. I finally found time to listen to this fine concert. Loved the mix of songs. Nothing to be surprised about when it comes to Gayathri G, of course.

After invoking GanESa, that too not with the one in vAthApi (love the composition, but am not keen on its being repeated ad infinitum), she went straight to celebrating Krishna with different composers, different mix of rAGAs. GanamUrthE set the pace and Ananda Bhairavi and that fine madhyamAvathi rAgA, delicately woven, and the kaNNan who came after with a sensitivity for the lyrics appealed to me a lot.
True, Venkata Kavi's spontaneous lines brim with life, and we hear lively versions of them, but I savored Gayathri's focusing on the finesse of 'ADAdu asangAdu' (delicately made steps). . No wonder, the preface of an AlApana was not robust as with most madhyamAvathi pieces!

SankarAbharaNam and Shubha PanthuvarALi were engaging.

chArukEsi too was enjoyable.Wonder about the lyrics of the viruttam leading to the NArayana ThIrtha composition.

Dr. Narmada made the concert even more special for me. The percussion did a good job. Skanda Subramaniam is someone I haven't had the chance to listen to more than once. In the one live concert I attended of his, his playing was fine, but the volume in that small hall was akin to a bomb blast that I felt, what a waste, of such good playing Even to a 'getting deaf' senior it sounded that way--how did others put up with it? Anyway, I look forward to listening to this able mrudangam player sometime soon.

[CRama]

Arasi Madam, Thanks for your review of the excellent concert. Thanks to RSachi also for giving the meaning of the Neene dayalo song.
The virutham was sung preceding Adaathu Asangaathu- Not before Charukesi song. TNS also used to sing this virutham as a prelude to the same song.

[arasi]

Sorry, CRama. I meant madhyamAvathi but typed chArukESi