S. Varadarajan
B. Venkatesh
Saveri – vanajaksha, ST
Sahana – ee vasudha, T
Shriranjani – ini oru kanam, PS, R, S
Kalyani - vande mataram ambikam bhagavatim vani rama sevitam followed by bhajare re chitha balambikam, MD, N@ devim shaktibijodbhava matrkarna sharirinim
Charukesi - onde manadali bhajisi, PD, R, S
Cintamani - devi brova samayamide, SS
Kunthalavarali – ozhukkam uyirinum ombapadum, Thirukural
RTP – lalita, chatusra triputa
Nannu brovu lalita athi vegame vachi
Thani
Desh –thunbam nergayil, Bharathi dasan
Behag – reena madanuta, ST
Chenchurutti - Pitham theliya marunthu, GKB
Kamas - tillana, Patnam
My favs
Sanjay, who has assiduously broadened his repertoire, opened the concert with one, from his arsenal of varnams, ‘vanajaksha’ a rare Ata Tala Varnam of Swathi Thirunal in saveri.
Kalyani –
‘vande mataram ambikam bhagavatim vani rama sevitam’ came pulsing with GNBish sweep followed by the MDRish bhajare re chitha balambikam, turning the nostalgic clock back to 40 years or thereabouts…
The texturally and rhythmically rich piece in kalyani came alive with grammatical precision, charting the trajectory from impassioned lyricism with vivid depiction of the meandering melody that lends itself so well to this marvel of MD by brilliantly exploiting the mishra chapu thalam – a must listen from the musical point of view as this composition pretty much qualifies the ragam and the esoteric nuances...
Sanjay continued to waltz through the evocative phrase ‘devim shaktibijodbhava matrkarna sharirinim’ with narrative thrust, bringing forth the majestic gait of the lyrics with probity and intonation by hewing the composer's idiom in each iteration in seamless blends and he was well served by Varadarajan and Venkatesh who matched his passionate restraint with inquisitive interplay - a veritable lesson on MD indeed. Just one of those compositions that are aching to be sung/heard…
Wondering how neraval at ‘bhava raga tala modinim bhaktabhishhta pradayinim’ would be…a rhythmic riot
I am sure…getting greedy here…charukesi –
Sanjay channeled his improvisatory freedom, searching out the delicate structure of notes within the grammar of charukesi, by gently pushing the boundaries up and down the scale in the free-flowing spacious passages and Varadarajan completed the sketch with his artistry providing a platform for PD’s ‘onde manadali bhajisi’. He meticulously captured the subdued solemnity of this remarkable work in his measured approach as the sentiments of the composer filtered through a personal lens came alive. And with expansive expressivity, he conjured up swarams by manipulating the notes with fluidity, deftly balancing fervor and rhythm as Varadarajan and Venkatesh aligned their creativity with him, exuding an impeccable control. It was heartening to see this composition given a prominent berth…
Then ‘devi brova samayamide’ made a spirited appearance.
With an earnest voice and expressive phrasing, Sanjay explored the composition with the requisite rhythmic bent that runs thru the krithi, distilling the composer’s idioms down to the pathos as the inner nuances galloped through with clarity, never overplaying the music as the ingenious master of rhythm, SS is ever-present in this towering account and Varadarajan and Venkatesh threw themselves in and partnered without a trace of excess.
RTP in laita -
With an air of expansive possibility, Sanjay created a frame work highlighting the key phrases and then the notes flowed beyond the typical prayogas of the raga tellingly, as he captured every nuance in his comprehensive portrait and Varadarajan took the challenge and embellished the serene melody with smooth ease.
Tanam was more expansive that unfolded in bursts, fixating on the syllables that gained tension and swelling with rhythm. And Varadarajan in sync with the metabolism of Sanjay extended the meditation, establishing a sonorous basis complementing the ragam.
TNS’s ‘Nannu brova lalita’ has consumed me for quite some time, and to my delight,
‘Nannu brovu lalita athi vegame vachi’ leapt off the melody, steeped in the mathematical terms of chatusra triputa as Sanjay deftly conquered the technicalities with rhythmic vehemence. Then he tossed phrases with vivacious flourishes driving to a triumphant dynamism by keeping Varadarajan and Venkatesh on their toes, I mean fingers
with respect to laya aspects and they rode with him in his animated account, each playing to the other’s strengths. This phase culminated with Venkatesh’s thani with impressive skill abounding in rhythmic variations winning bravos … The jaunty tillana in kamas was the ‘lagniappe’, as they say in the Jazz/Creole/Cajun part of the South
, the perfect finish to a delightful evening and people gave a standing ovation as an expression of gratitude…