Lalgudi GJR Krishnan/Vijayalakshmi @ Hamsadhwani,Chennai (21

ram · Post by **ram** » 22 Jan 2007, 09:37

Venue: Youth Hostel, Indira Nagar, Adyar, Chennai

Date: 21 Jan 2007

Organizer: Hamsadhwani

Violin Duet: Vid. Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan & Vid. Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi

Mridangam: Vid. Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman

Ghatam: Vid. E.M.Subramaniam

List of songs:

1) nIvE gatiyani (varnam) - naLinakAnti - Adi - lAlguDi g. jayarAman (O)

2) aparAdamula - rasALi - Adi - thyAgarAja (OS)

3) thyAgarAja yOga - Anandabhairavi - rUpakam - muthuswAmi dIkshitar (AS)

4) aparAdamula- latAngi - Adi - paTTaNam subramaNya iyer (AS)

5) eppaDi manam - husEni - misra chApu - aruNAchala kavi

6) sItammA mAyammA - vasantA - rUpakam - thyAgarAja (O)

7) eduTa nilachitE - shankarAbharaNam - Adi - thyAgarAja (AST)

8 ) nI dayarAdA - vasantabhairavi - rUpakam - thyAgarAja

9) rAgam tAnam pallavi - saraswati - kanDa tripuTa (kanDa gati) (T)

pallavi wordings: "sabarI girIsham sadA bhajAmi, shAstAram harihara sutam"

kalpanA swarams in saraswati, kEdAram, sAvEri, madyamAvati, sahAnA, danyAsi, sAmA, kalyANavasantam , rEvati & dEsh

1o) tunga tarangE - hamsadwani - Adi - sadAsiva brahmEndra

11) enna solli - kAnadA - Adi - ambujam krishnA

12) thillAnA - brindAvani - Adi - lAlguDi g. jayarAman

13) nI nAma rUpa mulaku (mangaLam) - sowrAshTram & madyamAvati - Adi - thyAgarAja

(Key: O=raga outline, A=raga alapana, N=neraval, S=kalpana swaram, T=taniavartanam)

Vid. Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan & Vid. Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi presented a melodious, thoroughly enjoyable violin duet concert. What was most impressive was the way they played the compositions so beautifully as though they were singing it with full bhava rather than playing it on the violin. If you knew the compositions, you could just sit there, sing along if you wanted and note what all beautiful sangathis could be put. If you didn't know the kritis, you could simply sit there and enjoy the melodious journey.

Sri Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan's shankarAbharaNam alapana was the hallmark of the concert. Neraval was conspicuous by its absence. Sri Umayalpuram Sivaraman was in top class form and he played a gem of a taniavartanam along with Sri E.M. Subramaniam for the shankarAbharaNam kriti. The percussionist duo also played a short taniavartanam for the ragam tAnam pallavi.

The ragam tanam pallavi in the raga saraswati was set to kanDa jAti tripuTa tALam in kanDa gati. The pallavi wordings were "sabarI girIsham sadA bhajAmi, shAstAram harihara sutam". The pallavi line was structured as follows (B=beat, C=count; 1 avartanam of the talam = 22.5 B = 22.5x4 C = 90 C): (eDuppu = 0.5B after samam) sa (1.5B) ba (1.5B) rI (1B) gi (1B) rI (1.5B) sham (1.5B) sa (0.5B) dA (1.5B) bha (0.5B) jA (1.5B), mi (+gap=3B) shA (1B) stA (1B) ram (1B) ha (0.5B) ri (1B) ha (0.5B) ra (1B) su (0.75B) tam (0.75B).

Source: http://ramsabode.wordpress.com/2007/01/ ... i-chennai/

hindolam · Post by **hindolam** » 22 Jan 2007, 10:26

The same combination almost except that V Suresh played on the ghatam instead of EMS and gave a delectable concert near Cochin recently. Thought our forum members could have that review which came in the Hindu this Friday.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2007/01/19/stor ... 270300.htm

Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan and his sister Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi, heirs to a rich musical legacy, highlighted the core of each raga they played.

IN SYNC: Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi were tuned to each other. They were accompanied by Umayalpuram Sivaraman on the mridangam.

One may have listened to Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan and his sister Vijayalakshmi presenting a violin duet several times and every time it is a refreshing experience. It could be because the duo belongs to the sishya-parampara of Tyagabrahmam or because of their rich repertoire. They have been trained in such a way that the quintessence of a raga comes to life the moment the bow touches the strings.

Telepathic understanding

The swaraprasthaara of a chosen kriti blends harmoniously with the score with one of the duo acting as a good foil to the other in terms of technique, when playing turn by turn. While they play together, there is a telepathic understanding between the two that is astonishing.

The violin duet presented by the Lalgudi siblings at Kodamkulangara Dharma Sastha Temple at Thripunithura in connection with Makaravilakku celebrations, was attended by a number of music lovers.

They began the concert with a varnam in Ataana (`Ramanai Raghuramani'), composed recently by their father, Lalgudi Jayaraman. A fluent Shanmukhapriya preceded Dikshitar's `Sidhivinayakam' with a brief session for swaras. Chaarukeshi was portrayed by Krishnan, to follow it up with Tyagaraja's `Aadamodi.' Kalpanaswaras grafted to it had an absorbing beauty, strictly within the confines of Lalgudi's school.

Vijayalakshmi came up with a stately Kharaharapriya which was embellished by a tinge of Thodi and Sankarabharanam, with a subtle manipulation on the basic scale (Shruthibhedam), before returning adroitly to the scale of the parent raga. `Appan Avatharitha' by Papanasam Sivan suited the occasion and ambience of the premises.

The rare Naasikaabhooshani was played by Krishnan. `Amba Paradevathe' in Rudrapriya (Khandachaappu), composed by Tirunelveli Krishnaswamy Iyer, enabled the duo to exhibit their grasp in the realm of laya.

The centre piece of the concert was Kambhoji (`O Ranga saayi') followed by ragam thaanam pallavi in Ranjini and a thillana by Lalgudi in Vasanthi.

Umayalpuram Sivaraman on the mridangam playfully teased the duo with his skill in the areas of Meettu, Chaappu and Ghumki. V. Suresh handled the ghatom sweetly.

MANNARGUDIYAAN · Post by **MANNARGUDIYAAN** » 24 Jan 2007, 11:00

ram,

you should have mentioned about the running kalapramanam during thani.....

who was responsible for that? whether the mridangist or the violinist?

ram · Post by **ram** » 24 Jan 2007, 11:07

The violinsts ... the one in which the tani was played was essentially the same as the one in which the song was played by the violin artists.

I hope I understood your question correctly.

MANNARGUDIYAAN · Post by **MANNARGUDIYAAN** » 26 Jan 2007, 17:40

but i felt, after swara the kalapramanam ran in thani.....

tell me if i am wrong...

sbala · Post by **sbala** » 26 Jan 2007, 18:22

Ram,
Sorry for asking a basic question. What exactly do you mean by a beat and a count? I'm assuming it takes 22.5 beats to complete one avarthanam and beats are atomic. What does the count of 4 represent?

ram · Post by **ram** » 27 Jan 2007, 00:53

Let me take the example of Adi talam. 1 avartanam here = 8 beats. Each of these beats in the chatusra naDai comprises of 4 counts (also called mAtrais by some and aksharAs by others). So one avartanam of Adi talam in the chatusra nadai will have 8 beats or 8x4=32 counts. The counts are sub-divisions of the beats themselves.

sbala · Post by **sbala** » 27 Jan 2007, 09:52

Ram,
Thanks for the reply. Using your terms, shouldn't khanda jathi triputa thalam have 9 beats then? How are you getting 22.5 beats?

ram · Post by **ram** » 27 Jan 2007, 10:07

The ragam tanam pallavi was played in kanDa jAti tripuTa tALam - "kanDa gati" which is like putting kanDa chApu for each of the 9 beats of a normal kanDa jAti tripuTa tAlam. So one avartanam of this tALam will have 9*2.5=22.5 beats. A normal chatusra naDai in this tALam will have 22.5*4 counts=90 counts. Had it been a normal kanDa jAti tripuTa tAlam not in kanDa gati, it would have been 9 beats per avartanam as you say. (If the terminology of 9 beats per avartanam & 2.5 counts per beat is used here too, then each of the 22.5 counts would have to be subdivided further according to the naDai being played. A chatusra naDai will then have 22.5*4 =90 such sub-divisions, which is why I used the 22.5 beats & 90 count terminology instead).

Please let me know in case I did not understand your question or in case you feel I am going wrong somewhere.

sbala · Post by **sbala** » 27 Jan 2007, 13:32

Thanks Ram. I understand your terminology now. When the artistes render the thalam, how many beats are displayed - 9 or 22.5? This is a general question and not with reference to the particular concert.

ram · Post by **ram** » 27 Jan 2007, 15:21

22.5 are displayed in the concerts I have heard/seen till now. kanDa chApu type beats are put for each beat of a normal kanDa tripuTa tALam. I think if only 9 are put explicitly, maintaining the 2.5 beats duration per strike of the hand while also singing will become a bit difficult. With kanDa chApu type beats explicitly put, it becomes a bit easier.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 28 Jan 2007, 13:36

Suguna Purushottaman is of the opinion that in Nadai pallavis, the nadai should not be explicity displayed...i. e in the example above instead of putting "kanda chapu" nine times only 9 beats corresponding to the laghu drutam etc. should be shown. I have seen Vijay Siva and some others follow this convention at times...especially in melkalam

sbala · Post by **sbala** » 28 Jan 2007, 14:13

Vijay - Did she give any reason for why the sub-beats should not be displayed?

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 28 Jan 2007, 14:38

Just so that the challenge is greater!

erode14 · Post by **erode14** » 29 Jan 2007, 12:28

Even in thalas like misrachapu the sub beat in the beggining (1.5) should be rendered as a single beat only. In fact chapu thalas have only beats and not the waving of palm. It all depends how one has practiced it.

Once I played to Kamala Ramani from hyedrabad and she put the normal misra chapu as thisra thruputa in double speed. She wqas comfortable with that. But, one who has practised misra chapu as 1.5+1+1 may find it difficult to do so.

When Uks sir played thani for Hechrikagaa raa raa in kanda chapu vilamba kaalam, audience including mrudangam artistes did kanda ekam. Not that they are unable to do kanda chapu,but, the intention is to do the thalam without variation in kaalapramaanam and at the same time enjoying the maestro's every syllabal....

it depends....