Any reviews of Lalgudi sir's concert at MFA on Jan 1st ?

gardabha_gana · Post by **gardabha_gana** » 02 Jan 2007, 09:59

Did the legend perform and any reviews ?
--Srikanth

gs · Post by gs » 02 Jan 2007, 14:06

Lalgudi skipped the concert and only the son and daughter duo (should have) performed. I had taken half a day leave to pay respect to the waning maestro. MFA announcement said Shri. LGJ was not playing. I promptly went back to the office. Last year, I attended his customary Jan 1 concert. Atmosphere was electrifying.

mahesh_narayan · Post by **mahesh_narayan** » 03 Jan 2007, 00:13

Hi gs,
When you say, "waning maestro", do you mean he is not in good health, or just that his concerts have dwindled in number?.

Did he skip this concert due to ill-health? My God give him good health.

mri_fan · Post by **mri_fan** » 03 Jan 2007, 08:46

I heard from someone who would know that he suffered a stroke around a month ago and that he's been at Apollo for some time doing therapy, so I would venture to say that it was due to some lingering health problems.

May he recover well

gs · Post by gs » 03 Jan 2007, 12:17

I meant only wrt to his health. I last saw him in Tatvaloka for some felicitation function a couple of months back. It was followed by a TMK concert and he stayed till 8 pm or so. Health wise, he didnâ€™t look too good then. God forbid, this must have driven me to take leave and look forward to his playing. My Aunt confirms he didnâ€™t come due to health reasonsand instead Vijayalakshmi and Krishnan played. She says it was very good.

BTW most of my best musical experience during my formative years have invariably involved Shri LGR, either as an accompanist or as a solo player.

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 03 Jan 2007, 17:30

my best musical experience during my formative years have invariably involved Shri LGR

GS - You are twice blessed indeed..

By the 80s , when I started attending concerts in Chennai , LLG was in full flow as a Solo artist.Never had much of an opportunity to hear him as an accompanist.

How I remember the days I used to rush to KGS - hitching a ride in my boss's car upto the point where Usman Raod joins Mount Road and then make two more travel arrangements to reach KGS.
Arriving famished ( Engineers had to do a lot of physical work, in those days !

) I would overcome the temptation to visit the canteen first (An Old couple used to be in charge and I could see from the corner of my eyes that the lady would be kneading the semisolid mixture that would soon pop up as vadas ).
My Legs -disobeying other internal commands- however would carry me to my seat to watch some heavenly action unfold.
Looks like yesterday..
Here is a compensatory track from one of those evenings .

http://rapidshare.com/files/10014072/LLG-KM.mp3.html

It has a bit of many things being discussed , here.a fine amba kamakshi , kedaragowla ... and the unsurpassed skill of an instrumentalist who tosses a bagayenayya around,in myriad ways...

And some great Company in K Mani.

Arasi- For the records sake , I used to sneak away for the bite at a period corresponding to the 50th minute or so , in this track..
And as I balanced myself on the footboards of a late night 12G , I was not sure If I carried a Halo around me.

These are my slices of Heaven on this Earth..Enjoy !!

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 03 Jan 2007, 18:24

coolkarni wrote:How I remember the days I used to rush to KGS - hitching a ride in my boss's car upto the point where Usman Raod joins Mount Road and then make two more travel arrangements to reach KGS.
Arriving famished ( Engineers had to do a lot of physical work, in those days ! big_smile) I would overcome the temptation to visit the canteen first (An Old couple used to be in charge and I could see from the corner of my eyes that the lady would be kneading the semisolid mixture that would soon pop up as vadas ).
My Legs -disobeying other internal commands- however would carry me to my seat to watch some heavenly action unfold.
Looks like yesterday..

i do some such jugglery every other to attend concerts...

gs · Post by gs » 04 Jan 2007, 11:16

@ coolkarniji,

Well, if memory serves, I think it was 1982 in KGS, (Or perhaps, 1984) LGJ accompanied, Maharajapuram Santhanam when he elaborated nAsikabhushani, perhaps for the first time. He also accompanied TNS the same year in KGS. TNS sang Bhairavi and Sankarabharanam and they still linger in my memory. Remember Subbudu mama commenting, â€œadhu sangarabharanam illai. Sangaranukke aabharanamâ€

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 04 Jan 2007, 11:57

How lucky you are to have seen such stalwarts at their prime! I hope the maestro recovers soon...

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 04 Jan 2007, 13:27

TNS sang Bhairavi and Sankarabharanam and they still linger in my memory

Thanks to technology ,
and kind hearted contacts,
they linger in my hard disc memory..

:D
some day , i will refresh it for you...here

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 04 Jan 2007, 14:53

Kulkarniji, shubh kaam mein deri kyon?!!

gs · Post by gs » 04 Jan 2007, 15:19

amen and thanks

Radhakrishnan · Post by **Radhakrishnan** » 04 Jan 2007, 16:10

Lalgudi sir did suffer a stroke. Reproducing some part of the email I got from GJR Krishnan,couple of months ago.

Thanks for yourmail. Sorry for the silence.
Reason - My father had a stroke. He was admitted to Apollo and was
hospitalised for more than a month.
He came back home on the 25th June. Since then all of us are bent on helping
him recover with many therapies , medical treatment and prayers. It is like
a house hit by Tsunami. It is He who gives all the tests and again it is HE
who gives us the strength to withstand and come out of it.
In He we believe.
More later.

I have attended some memorable concerts and lec dems by the great maestro at KGS.
One lec dem was during the December season with a packed audience.
Then one special RTP concert with Karaikudi Mani.
KGS is always special to Lalgudi,as an accompanist and soloist initially with his sister Srimathi in 50s and 60sand later with GJR and Viji.
I have attended two jan 1 concert at MFA club.One with Karaikudi Mani and the other with Trichy Sankaran.That was a concert packed with songs and Sankaran sir didnâ€™t get time for tani!

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 05 Jan 2007, 17:04

gs-vijay.
sorry i got mixed up thinking that both sankarabharanam and bhairavi were in the same concert.
they were in different ones, though with lalgudi on both occasions.

http://rapidshare.com/files/10301467/Ch ... m.mp3.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/10310854/rt ... i.mp3.html

gs · Post by gs » 05 Jan 2007, 17:15

Cant wait to get back home to download this. Thanks

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 05 Jan 2007, 17:19

KGS is always special to Lalgudi,as an accompanist and soloist initially with his sister Srimathi in 50s and 60s

Talking about Shrimathi Brahmanandam - duing her tenure at SV temple, Pittsburgh, some years ago, she presented me with a concert tape of her with LGJ. A real gem.
Does she not perform these days?

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 05 Jan 2007, 18:04

she does perform.with her daughter

Radhakrishnan · Post by **Radhakrishnan** » 05 Jan 2007, 18:52

I recall two excellent concert of Srimathi Brahmanandam, years ago,one at music academy with her daughter Anuradha and one at TTD T.Nagar with her sister Rajalakshmi(another talented artist from the family,she was with AIR Bangalore) they all strictly follow lalgudi bani.

I have 67 KGS sabha concert of Lalgudi and Srimathi which I got from a disciple of Lalgudi, I think that concert is available commercially.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 06 Jan 2007, 00:14

Kulkarniji, a solid new year present! Will we ever hear music like this in our lifetimes...TNS in the 80s! Chancey Illai!!

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 06 Jan 2007, 04:53

I have 67 KGS sabha concert of Lalgudi and Srimathi which I got from a disciple of Lalgudi, I think that concert is available commercially.

The tape that I got from Shrimathi has Gowla, Ritigowla, Kannadagowla. Is this the same one that you have?
She did perform with her daughter Anuradha (who is settled in California) and her son Sriram on mridangam during her Pittsburgh tenure.
Any solos of hers available?

venkatpv · Post by **venkatpv** » 06 Jan 2007, 07:48

coolkarniji,
what a shankarabharanam!! i have a truncated version of the same concert... with poorer audio quality...

is there a ragamalika viruttam after the s'bharanam in the same concert?? i have been itching to lay my hands on that one...

and if you can, please post the entire song list for this concert

i know there's a nagaswaravali stunner to make eyes pop out!! lgj in absolute prime form.

rasam · Post by **rasam** » 06 Jan 2007, 08:02

What a shankarabaranam indeed! Wish I could rewind the clock and listen to the TNS of the 80s live. Thanks for making my day, coolkarniji. Cant wait for the bhairavi.

mahavishnu · Post by **mahavishnu** » 06 Jan 2007, 08:58

I couldn't resist posting this.

Here is a TNS/LGJ classic Dasharati in Todi from the 1980s in KGS with VR on the mridangam. LGJ pretty much stopped playing for Seshagopalan after that season. This was precipitated by TNS's comments in "Shruti" about the violin maestro.

http://www.rogepost.com/n/5518059359

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 06 Jan 2007, 08:59

TNS sounds so soothing indeed. There is a pristine beauty in his voice. (He must have been just 34 in 1982!) The swaras in the S'bharanam piece are especially beautiful, enhanced even more by Lalgudi's violin.

I agree with Rasam, if only we could time travel and listen live to his singing from those days...

venkatpv · Post by **venkatpv** » 06 Jan 2007, 09:04

jayaram,
i disagree!! the neraval is better

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 06 Jan 2007, 09:25

...and to those who say S'bharanam is a cue to go for a walk (as mentioned by some in another thread), please listen to this rendering! This is karnataka sangeetham at its best. And it makes you marvel at the greatness of this majestic ragam.

One more point: this one piece takes more than an hour. Which is why I keep saying that 3.5 hours is the minimum reqd for a satisfying concert experience. Just about every TNS kutcheri I have attended has been at least 3.5 hours, most of them >4 hours. That shows real dedication to the art.

(Now, if only he could maintain the same level of sruti adherence today as he did those days...)

gs · Post by gs » 06 Jan 2007, 11:31

Coolkarniji,

Thanks a lot. Iâ€™ve listened to the extraordinary Sâ€™baranam and didnâ€™t get to listen to Bhairavi as yet. Thinking I was there when this was sung gives me goose bumps. Thanks. Subbuduâ€™s Indian Express review title was â€œWizardry by Seshagopalanâ€

gsn · Post by **gsn** » 06 Jan 2007, 20:03

gs -

yep, no RTP in that concert

it had a mindblowing nagaswaravali ("sri sankara guruvaram") and a simply amazing "manasa guruguha". are you sure it is a season concert? i have this listed as a trichy concert but the documentation could well be wrong! in any case, an out-of-this-world shankarabharanam. lalgudi sir's replies in the neraval and first kalam swarams are a thing of enormous beauty.

the bhairavi pallavi (if its "un darishanam..") is part of a concert that features "nannu palimpa" as main piece; the same concert also has an outstanding "naadupai balikeru" and "mamava meenakshi". what a pallavi that was..

for reference, the 1983 KGS concert with LGJ and KRM had shankarabharanam pallavi. another cracker of a concert!

jayaram --

the other amazing thing about the early TNS concerts is the vishraanti! all the concerts i have heard from that period (1970-say mid 80's) have that feature, making for an even better listening experience..

gs · Post by gs » 07 Jan 2007, 09:14

gsn wrote:gs -

yep, no RTP in that concert it had a mindblowing nagaswaravali ("sri sankara guruvaram") and a simply amazing "manasa guruguha". are you sure it is a season concert? i have this listed as a trichy concert but the documentation could well be wrong!

No. I'm not sure. Right from my birth till 1987 I was in Trichy. This may well have been the recording of Trichy. I don't remember, though.

What I'm positive is that KGS season concert of 1982 or 1984 featured S'baranam and/or bhairavi. One of the concerts did not feature an RTP. I'm positive it was not 1983 since that was the year I joined CA and I couldn't hoodwink my boss to sanction me season leave!

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 07 Jan 2007, 15:45

jayaram --

the other amazing thing about the early TNS concerts is the vishraanti! all the concerts i have heard from that period (1970-say mid 80's) have that feature, making for an even better listening experience..

I agree. And this is something I am not able to understand about TNS. Usually musicians mellow with age, and improve on their vishraanti level. Hope he regains some of that soukhyam again, now that the SK is behind him...

rasam · Post by **rasam** » 08 Jan 2007, 07:42

LGJ pretty much stopped playing for Seshagopalan after that season. This was precipitated by TNS's comments in "Shruti" about the violin maestro.

What did TNS say about LGJ in Sruthi magazine?

mahavishnu · Post by **mahavishnu** » 08 Jan 2007, 07:59

In an interview for Shruti magazine, TNS made remarks that LGJ deliberately distorts the shruti by playing the upper shadja just a tad lower so the vocalist ends up slipping. I do not remember his exact phrasing, but it was not pleasant. Most people in the music community felt quite shocked by this; first due to TNS's irreverence. But this was the first insinuation of this kind against a stalwart violinist who had accompanied some of the greatest in the business very successfully.

Since this comment was made, LGJ has refused to play for TNS. It was particularly sad because LGJ had done a lot to increase TNS's visibility when he had moved from Madurai to Madras for his career. The grapevine has it that TNS apologized but the maestro would have none of it. It is ironic that TNS's shruti problems have continued to this day.

venkatpv · Post by **venkatpv** » 08 Jan 2007, 08:02

aah... now we can get our 8 hours!!

gsn · Post by **gsn** » 08 Jan 2007, 08:21

anyone aware of videos of TNS with LGJ? surprising that none exist, if that is indeed the case. surely some tv program / private collector must have recorded the magic?

any information is appreciated.

mahavishnu-

interesting info, thanks. any idea which year this issue was in? i know you said you don't remember the exact phrasing and this is probably even harder to remember but still..

rasam · Post by **rasam** » 08 Jan 2007, 09:36

Very interesting indeed! Makes you want to go back and listen to about the 6:20 minute portion in the Shankarabaranam recording again

I am just curious how this can come up during an interview in a magazine ... I mean, what sort of question can lead to this sort of comment about such a great artist from someone like TNS? It seems plausible if this were some sort of rumor originating from some private conversation. The exact phrasing would be really interesting to know ... Does anyone on this forum collect Sruthi issues?

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 08 Jan 2007, 11:11

As an aside, old copies of Sruthi were selling for 20 each at KGS...most of them were late eighties and early nineties - I picked up all I could find but the issue mentioned above is not among them (would probably have been early 80s).

Anyway, to continue on the gossip mode, one of the issues focusses on one of Prof TRS' students who had torn apart practically every musician of repute across generations in her Phd thesis...the magazine alleged that this was a flimsy cover for TRS' own views...anyway, made for very interesting reading!

I have lately realized that the "vambu" content in Sruti would do Kumudham or Ananda Vikatan proud - I somehow used to be under the impression that it was a serious, high-brow kind of a journal...I, for one, am not complaining though! I will start subscribing from next month...

Radhakrishnan · Post by **Radhakrishnan** » 08 Jan 2007, 11:59

vijay wrote:one of the issues focusses on one of Prof TRS' students who had torn apart practically every musician of repute across generations in her Phd thesis...the magazine alleged that this was a flimsy cover for TRS' own views....

It created a wave in the circle.That thesis(according to the magazine)criticized all musicians right from Semmangudi.I remember Vairamangalamâ€™s remark(whom used to consider both TRS and Semmangudi very highly) â€˜TRS aPadi soLamATAr,aPadi soLiyirundAr periya taPuâ€™ in fact TRS was â€˜bannedâ€™ from the concert circuit that season in Chennai! I was present at Shastry hall,where he was to sing. He did come there and spoke very emotionally â€˜I donâ€™t mind singing,but the organizers are hesitant.I am a research scholar and second to none.My music career is not limited to platform singingâ€™
it was a packed audience and all of them want TRS to sing.One rasika was so disappointed,coming all the way from Tambaram. But TRS didnâ€™t sing anywhere that season.I donâ€™t know how the â€˜banâ€™ was lifted,but he started singing again months later,in fact shifted from Delhi to Chennai during that time.

mahavishnu · Post by **mahavishnu** » 08 Jan 2007, 12:00

I had imagined that the TNS-LGJ "shruti" issue was fairly common knowledge. This was at the peak of TNS's popularity in the 80s. He had just finished the film "Thodi ragam" which did very well in the theatres of west mambalam

Rasam, Vijay, GSN :from what I remember from the Shruti interview, the topic was fairly innocuous and no "vambu" was intended. When TNS was asked about the role of concert accompanists (how they can make or break a kacheri), he brought this up out of the blue. The whole thing came as a big surprise to everyone. Interestingly, LGJ did allow his son to accompany TNS for a little while after this.

I will try to get my hands on the old issue; my uncle has been a loyal subscriber of Shruti from the very beginning.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 08 Jan 2007, 12:14

mahavishnu wrote:This was at the peak of TNS's popularity in the 80s. He had just finished the film "Thodi ragam" which did very well in the theatres of west mambalam

To progress along the vambu mode, I heard that Sri Sanakarasivam (TNS' guru) was very upset with the whole tODi rAgam movie, and had requested him to not accept any more movie roles. I was also under the impression that the movie was a flop/financial disaster...After a very long interval, I think Sri TNS has sung for another movie recently...

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 08 Jan 2007, 12:43

I remember my uncle talking about the movie (neither of us were great fans of CM and I was not really aware of TNS' vidwat at that time)...as he came out the hall, he noticed someone with a torn shirt and a generally bedraggled look, prompting him to remark - "Yen saar, padam avalo sattaya picchukaramadri irundhudha"?!

Anyway, I am happy the film was a flop, allowing TNS to continue redrawing the boundaries of CM...any idea how his latest effort did?

Sanjay seems to have a better sense of which films to associate himself with!

mahavishnu · Post by **mahavishnu** » 08 Jan 2007, 13:12

I was one of the unfortunate few that actually saw a noon screening of "Thodi ragam" at the Sreenivasa theatre in Saidapet. Armed with a good puliyodharai, my family only went to movies with a CM theme. So there was precious little to choose from (this one, Nandanar Charitram and Sankarabharanam spread out over several decades).

The film portrays the tragic tale of a vidwan who pawns off the thodi ragam due to desperate circumstances (meaning he can't sing it ever again in a kacheri thus losing his audience, his livelihood etc). I can't remember whether he did it for love, money or if it was just good old fashioned blackmail. Of course, TNS's acting skills did not match up to his Thodi alapana skills. The film however featured a happy ending.

It is quite ironic that a recording of Dasharathe in Thodi from KGS in the same year sparked this "vambu" discussion.

Rshankar: Kidding aside, many musicians including Sri Sankarasivam were upset about this not only because TNS stepped into the film world, but also because a vidwan of integrity would/should never pawn a ragam (even in fiction).

anandabhairavi · Post by **anandabhairavi** » 08 Jan 2007, 13:21

Why are we embarassing TNS by talking about a horror of a movie ,where TNS was only "thiru thiru nu muzhichufying ' at the camera and generally degrading himself and am sure he himself is embarassed by that.

108talas · Post by **108talas** » 08 Jan 2007, 15:12

While on lowering the sruti, it is said that GNB had also given similar comment like TNS about LGJ. Of course, GNB had sruti problem during his last years. Some how, that time, the issue was not blown up. More so, LGJ was an upcoming artist.

Because of that 'Sruti Issue', TRS was not considered for SK by Academy. Sruti leads alignment and these issues prove otherwise.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 08 Jan 2007, 17:18

True Anandabhairavi - I am sure TNS accepted the movie without fully understanding its implications - he has himself stated that he regrets having been associated with it.

Who cares about the movie anyway - CM is a much higher art and TNS has conquered its greatest heights.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 08 Jan 2007, 23:04

mahavishnu wrote:Rshankar: Kidding aside, many musicians including Sri Sankarasivam were upset about this not only because TNS stepped into the film world, but also because a vidwan of integrity would/should never pawn a ragam (even in fiction).

Wasn't there a beautiful kannaDA movie hamsagItE with Anant Nag on a similar theme? BMK sang playback for that movie, and so did MLV (she sang a BMK tillAnA, and Jayadeva's lalitalavangalatA)...beautiful movie from the point of acting, and a melodious sound track...and a commercial success! The exact opposite of tODi rAgam in all respects.

mahavishnu · Post by **mahavishnu** » 08 Jan 2007, 23:07

To return to what Radhakrishnan-sir mentioned earlier and to the real topic of this thread.... Yesterday I just spoke to some people who are very close to the LGJ family and they mentioned that the maestro is doing much better after the stroke with therapy etc now, but still only a shadow of his former self. Major balance and walking problems persist. So he has to be very careful to prevent falling. He sings to himself and to all his visitors, sometimes rare thiruppugazh pieces come flying out. Once he apparently sang a mesmerizing harikamboji just like that.

For his family and close friends the recovery process has been a very difficult experience. The family does not encourage public visitors. While there are good chances of total recovery, we may have to accept the fact that we may not hear the maestro play a full concert again. In fact, the people I spoke to were surprised that he had agreed to be on the programme at MFAC. It might have been done just for tradition and the nascent hope that all of us have that LGJ will just recover spontaneously and start playing again.

Was the last known concert last year at KGS with his grand-daughter? I remember a discussion about this on this forum or sangeetham.com...

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 08 Jan 2007, 23:09

mahavishnu wrote:Was the last known concert last year at KGS with his grand-daughter? I remember a discussion about this on this forum or sangeetham.com...

Grand-daughter? GJR Krishnan's daughter?

mahavishnu · Post by **mahavishnu** » 08 Jan 2007, 23:19

yes, samyuktha krishnan had her arangetram about a year ago at KGS. LGJ & GJR played with her.

http://www.thehinduimages.com/hindu/pho ... Id=6673367

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 08 Jan 2007, 23:31

rshankar wrote:Wasn't there a beautiful kannaDA movie hamsagItE with Anant Nag on a similar theme?.

Yep. hamsagIte was based on the famous novel (by the same name) of ta.ra subbarAu. I think BMK composed the music for the movie.

ramakriya · Post by **ramakriya** » 09 Jan 2007, 00:34

drshrikaanth wrote:
rshankar wrote:Wasn't there a beautiful kannaDA movie hamsagItE with Anant Nag on a similar theme?.
Yep. hamsagIte was based on the famous novel (by the same name) of ta.ra subbarAu. I think BMK composed the music for the movie.

There is a story behind BMK ending up(being labeled) as the music composer for this movie. T G Lingappa was the assigned music director and G V Ayyar (the director of the movie) wanted B V Karant( IIRC) to provide the background score. Because of some difference of opinion, TG lingappa did not want to be listed as the music director even though he had composed the music for the song. BMK apparently said, use my name if you like (or something to that affect) and so in the credits his name appeared as the music director!

Next year, the movie won the national award for best music direction, which went to BMK

-Ramakriya