Mavelikkara P Subramaniam at Seva Sadana Bangalore - 22nd Jan 2015

[keerthi]

22th January 2015 – Sankranti festival – R.K.Srikantan Memorial Trust

Mavellikara.P.Subramanium - Vocal
C.N.Chandrashekhar - Violin
Trivandrum Balasubrahmaniam - Mrdangam
Guruprasanna – Khanjira

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01 sarasijanAbha – kAmbhoji ATa tAla varnam
02 dEvadEva kalayami – mayAmALavagauLa - rUpaka – NS
03 srIramacandra parilasa mama hRdi - husEni - Adi [2]– A
04 sArasalOcana mAmava – kalyAni – rUpaka - AS
05 paramapuruSam hRdaye - lalitapancamam – CiTTaswaram
06 satatam tAvaka padasEvanam – kharaharapriya – Adi – ANST
07 aliveNi – Kurinji
08 bhujagashayinO – yadukulakAmbhoji mangalam


P.Subramaniam is known for his intelligent and interpretative presentation of the songs, with particular attention to the sAhityam. This concert was no exception.

1. The varnam was sung, with some of the sAhityAkSara-s at positions different from what we usually here. This version however was welcome, since it made the sahityam intelligible; which is so rare in most people’s presentation of varNams.

He made a minor variant in the carana sAhitya, shifting the ma of ‘lOkAbhirAma’ to land on the samam of the next tAla, to seamlessly begin the second ettugaDa swaram at the note M. Often, he repeated an Avarta of swaras from the ChiTTaswaram or the ettugaDa swaras to good effect. It was nice to see an interpretative approach even in the varnam, while mos presentations of the varnam tend to be hidebound, stiff and predictable.

2. the song began at caraNAmbujasEvanam, and there was repeated emphasis on the tE as a separate word instead of the wrong, but prevalent ‘kalayAmithe’. While singing the line bhavatApam akhilam vAraya ramAkAntha, he casually pointed in R.S.Ramakanth’s direction with a glint in his eye.

Neraval was sung at the meaningful phrase ‘ditijAli-vidaLana! dInabandhO mAmava!’ and he sang it very well, infusing pathos in the dInabandhO, while showing energetic vIra-rasa in ditijAli-vidaLana. Swarakalapana was tight-knit sarvalaghu for many Avartas, with a final intelligent poruttam going through symmetric patterns of gmg,, and mpm,, to land finally at ditijA-di which is pdp,,.

Huseni AlApana was competent, kRti was sung at the leisurely pace it deserves. The kalyAni kRti, I had only heard Balamuralikrishna sing, and seemed like a very different notation here. Two caranas were sung, with the second appended to the first as a madhyamakAla passage.

The rest of the songs too, were sung with care towards sAhitya, without sacrificing musicality.
Trivandrum Balasubrahmanyam’s accompaniment was in consonance with the singing, and he knew when to employ restraint and when to fill gaps with energetic drumming. CNC and Guruprasanna were competent, and were good at anticipating the main artiste.
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Postscript

The Sankranti Festival used to be the highlight of my year for many years, not so much to watch/hear the excellent musicians that came in droves to perform there, but to watch R.K.Srikantan attend all the concerts and scholarly discussions. He would come and be present for all programmes, back ramrod straight, face impassive, even stern, eyes glinting, and with an occasional nod or grunt of appreciation. If there was a real good Aha! moment, his face would burst into that rare moonlit split-pomegranate smile.

Sankranti came as reminder that this year's festival had to be a memorial event, and not a birthday celebration, as it had been all these years. Smt Maithreyi Srikantan was sitting where RKS used to sit, keeping an eye on the events, ordering a grandchild to go ensure that some musician had eaten, all while nodding attentively at the singing.

[Sreeni Rajarao]

Keerthi,
It is a treat to read your review of a concert. I hope we will get to hear a recording of this concert.

Just last week, I was thinking about Sankranti, RKS's birthday and the music festival from their Trust. Your memories of Sri RKS are heartfelt and beautifully expressed.

[sais72]

+1 to the wonderful concert and review. I listened to this wonderful Swati Tirunal compositions concert and the review sums up the experience very well. The nAdham of Trivandrum Balu's Mrudangam was very pleasing.

[rshankar]

Keerthi,
Thank you, and keep it coming. A very erudite review indeed, and probably as pleasurable as the concert itself!

[HarishankarK]

Excellent review. Feel like having been there.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Thanks keerthi for a scholarly review of Subramaniam's concert. Would like to have your detailed remarks on the 'rest of the songs' too!

Am proud that he is a close friend of mine and we have participated in several music competitions during school days in Kerala in the seventies!

[Rsachi]

Keerthi,
"that rare moonlit split-pomegranate smile" : what imagery! Is it yours or from some Sanskrit text, sir?

[keerthi]

Sivaramakrishnan sir, good to know that you are MPS's friend. I found him to be very commited and down to earth.


Rsachi sir, I think the imagery is mine, but the image is that of RKS.

Thanks others for those kind words.