GAYATHRI GIRISH IN SASTRI HALL- 7/12/18

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CRama
Posts: 2939
Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

GAYATHRI GIRISH IN SASTRI HALL- 7/12/18

Post by CRama »

Music Education Trust, New Delhi established by Late T.R.Subramaniam is organising a unique festival for ten days in Sastri Hall. The festival highlights the unique contribution of Muthuswami Deekshitar in exploration of a single raga. Accordingly the musicians will sing the compositions in one particular raga and also a RTP in a Hindustani raga. The festival is curated by Dr. Radha Venkitachalam, prime disciple of TRS and is coordinated by Mohan Santhanam- senior disciple of TRS. The festival was inaugurated by Mrs. Nandini Ramani and was followed by the inaugural concert of Gayathri Girish in which she sang five compositions of Deekshitar in the ragam Anandabhairavi and also included a RTP in the ragam Bagesree. The concert started at 6.30 P.M after the brief inaugural function.

Accompanists.
Mysore Sreekanth- Violin
Poongulam Subramaniam- Mridangam.
List of songs.
• Kamalamba samrakshatu mam-Mishra chapu (S)
• Manasaguruguha roopam bhajare- Tisra ekam
• Anandeswarena samraskhitoham- Mishra chapu (R,N,S)
• Tani
• RTP- Bagesree- Khanda Triputa- 2 kalai
Pallavi sahithyam-Nadabrahma vaachaka taare
Namaste Gambheera Kaumari
Poorvangam- Chatusra nadai
Uttarangam- Tisra nadai
• Tyagarajayoga vaibhavam- Tisra ekam
• Dandayuthapanim- Tisra Ekam

It was a well presented programme by Gayathri Girish and her team. It is really challenging to carry on a single raga concert. To retain audience attention without onslaught of monotony is a daunting task. Gayathri was highly successful in her effort through inclusion of a delectable blend of rare and known compositions in the ragam in a variety of talams. All the kritis were rendered in the authentic patantharam, in the appropriate kalapramanam with inclusion of necessary manodharmam elements. The audience, good in numbers sat till most of the programme and those who sat till the end enjoyed it fully.

The programme started with the Kamalamba Prathamavarana kriti in Mishra chapu talam. Elaborate keezh kala swaras revealed the innate beauty of the ragam Anandabhairavi enormously. After the Guruguha vibhakthi kriti Manasaguruguha roopam, Gayathri unleashed an elaborate portrayal of the ragam of the day. The subtle nuances of the ragam, the resting at vantage points, the sancharams around the jeeva swaras, well rounded gamakams, dazzling brighas all combined to present the vivid portrayal of the ragam. It assumed a stature for a pallavi to follow. Here she sang a rather rare kriti of grandeur- Anandeswarena samrakshitoham in Mishra chapu. This kriti is one of the five Panchalinga kshetra kritis- (Anandeswara lingam) - one of the five shrines inside the Tiruvarur temple. In this kriti Deekshitar emphasis the worship of the Nirguna brahmam and also contains the crux of many Upanishads. Elaborate neraval on the lines Jnana pradana Guruguha roopa Chidananda nada swaroopa prakasena and swaras in two kalams were most enjoyable.

After this exquisite sojourn of Anandabhairavi, Gayathri Girish presented the RTP in Bagesree which provided the necessary contrast in colour and flavour. The raga was developed in a methodical and soft manner devoid of any aggressiveness and exploring the minute nuances of the ragam which was highly relished by the audience. Tanam followed and the pallavi was presented with due justification to all the elements. The Dwinadai pallavi was presented in a scholarly manner with neraval, trikalam and the large volley of swarams. The pallavi took 40 minutes.

After the pallavi, the other two kritis in Anandabhairavi were presented. Tyagarajayoga vaibhavam is the best edifice with Gopucha yati and srotovaha yati woven into it. Dandayuthapanim is a rare composition on Palani Murugan.

Mysore Srikanth played with sufficient insight into the grandeur of the ragas chosen and followed the kritis admiringly. His alapanas and returns were very appropriate. Poongulam Subramaniam with his long experience embellished the concert significantly. The concert ended at 8.45 P.M.

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: GAYATHRI GIRISH IN SASTRI HALL- 7/12/18

Post by rshankar »

I hope the organizers have recorded this concert and will make it available (either commercially or otherwise).

Sivaramakrishnan
Posts: 1582
Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 08:29

Re: GAYATHRI GIRISH IN SASTRI HALL- 7/12/18

Post by Sivaramakrishnan »

Gayathri Girish maintained the flow of Anandabhairavi quite well, avoiding repetition of phrases to the best extent.

To fall in line with the raga sanchara as adopted by Dikshitar, the singer exercised maximum restraint in aspects such as employing suddha dhaivata (as she handled it in the aalapana for आनन्देश्वरेण), total avoidance of antaragandhara, absolute discipline in Kalpanaswaras etc. to match the the theme of the presentation.
Bagesree (a scale in sharp contrast to Anandabhairavi) for RTP was also a good choice. The accompanists too fared well.

The key organisers Radha Venkatachalam and Mohan Santhanam deserve praise for putting together an innovative concept aimed at improving the level of appreciation of carnatic music by rasikas. Moreover it's a great opportunity to all since the entire series would consist of Dikshitar compositions only.

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