DR. VIJAYALAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAM IN RAGASUDHA HALL- 6/9/19

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CRama
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Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

DR. VIJAYALAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAM IN RAGASUDHA HALL- 6/9/19

Post by CRama »

Bharatiya Sangeetha Vaibhavam Trust organised the concert of Dr. Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam accompanied by Sruti Sarathy on the Violin, Shertallai Ananthakrishnan on the Mridangam and Madipakkam Murali on the Ghatam. The concert started at sharp 6.15 P.M.

List of songs.
• Varnam- Abhogi
• Ekadantham Bhajeham- Bilahari- MD (S)
• Rama nine nammi naanu- Huseni- T
• Karikalabha mukham- Saveri- MD (R,S)
• Bhavasaagaram karayeralaam- Shanmugapriya- GKB (R,N,S)
• Aparaadhamulanorva- Rasaali- T
• Pakalanilabadi- Kharaharapriya- T (R,N,S)
• Tani avartanam
• Smarasundaraanguni- Pharas- Javali
• Guhane en manakkurai- Virutham- Bagesree, Saranga, Kalyanavasantham, Maund, Kanthamani
• Naadasugam tarum- Kanthamani- Koteeswara Iyer.
• Thillana- Poornachandrika
• Mangalam


A concert of Dr. Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam will always be marked by intense depth, classism, visranti, adherence to the core values of Carnatic music and an honest effort to express the vidwat she has imbibed from great Gurus like S. Rajam, TRS and others during her decades of tutelage under them. The present concert was marked by good sruti alignement, chaste aesthetics and classism, resulting to discipline in approach, creating a tranquil atmosphere while maintaining a zero sag tempo during the concert that lasted for two and half hours. Her voice was in her command traversing the octaves with consummate ease.

Commencing the concert with the evergreen Abhogi varnam, she paid obeisance to Ganapati, the remover of obstacles, whose celebrations are still reverberating in the city- with the kriti of Deekshitar- Ekadantam bhajeham ornamenting with a few bouts of kalpana swarams. Forumite Sivaramakrishnan had lamented a few weeks ago in this forum that musicians have conveniently forgotten to remember Ganesa at the start of concert and choose to start the concert with any kriti of their choice. Whether Dr.VS has read this or not, she sang two Ganapati kritis in this concert. The other kriti on Ganesa- Karikalabha mukham in Saveri- was a wonderful choice, as this kriti has gone into oblivion of late, and thanks to VS for reinventing the kriti. The soulful alapana of ragam Saveri, and the intelligently crafted kalpana swarams at the place Kaveri thatasthitham was much relishing. Prior to that, she presented the Huseni kriti of Thyagaraja- Rama nine.

Raga Shanmugapriya was chosen for an elaborate treatment and the kriti to follow was a very rare Gopalakrishna Bharathy Kriti- Bhava sagaram Karai eralaam. The kriti was presented in an exquisite manner emphasising on the devotional fervour expressed by the composer and the neraval on the lines Bhakti panni paadi Balakrishnan potrum and the following swarams left a lingering impression in the minds of the listeners.

After Aparadhamula in Rasali, which came in the patantharam of TRS- which showed a distinct colour from the breezy version popularised by MMI, ragam Kharaharapriya was chosen for a detailed exploration. The raga was developed in a disciplined manner exploring the depth and breadth of the ragam shifting gears in higher order with both sweetness and swiftness to sustain the spirits of rasikas to be followed by the Thyagaraja masterpiece Pakalanilabadi. The kriti was rendered in an appropriate kalapramanam never losing on the minute nuances and with the time tested sangatis in tact and the neraval was done in an innovative manner- with due diligence to the import of the composer. The neraval on the lines Tanuvuche vandana monarinchu chunnaaraa combined with the line Manasuna dalaci mei marachiyunnaaraa at times and topped up with skilfully crafted manodharma swarams.

The virutham that came in the post tani session had adequate devotional appeal to Lord Muruga and was aptly followed by the Koteeswarar Iyer kriti in the ragm Kantamani. Koteeswara Iyer kritis and Vivadi ragams carry a special place in the concerts of Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam, being the star disciple of S. Rajam who took it as a mission to popularise these two segments of Carnatic music. The curtain came down with the tillana in the ragam Poornachandrika.

Sruti Sarathy, who comes in the Lalgudi lineage, provided excellent following on the violin and her raga alapanas and swara returns were most appropriate. Shertallai Ananthakrishnan on the Mridangam embellished the concert with his powerful strokes which displayed variety and dexterity. His tani with Madippakkam Murali received liberal applause from the discerning rasikas.

An excellent concert that will be etched in the memory for a long time.

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

Re: DR. VIJAYALAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAM IN RAGASUDHA HALL- 6/9/19

Post by CRama »

CRama wrote: 07 Sep 2019, 19:34 Forumite Sivaramakrishnan had lamented a few weeks ago in this forum that musicians have conveniently forgotten to remember Ganesa at the start of concert and choose to start the concert with any kriti of their choice.
See the following link.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=33152

bhasi
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Joined: 19 Nov 2018, 13:41

Re: DR. VIJAYALAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAM IN RAGASUDHA HALL- 6/9/19

Post by bhasi »

Rasali, Pharas, Kantamani are ragams that I've never even heard of! What an excellent review; it must have been an amazing concert for sure.

Sivaramakrishnan
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Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 08:29

Re: DR. VIJAYALAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAM IN RAGASUDHA HALL- 6/9/19

Post by Sivaramakrishnan »

Thanks CRama for a detailed review of the concert and special thanks to Smt VJ for doing ample justice to Vinayakar kritis from the point of view of the opening piece and for its topical relevance! Karikalabhamukham is a good selection too.

The menu shows contrasting ragas and choice of compositions that could sustain listeners' interest throughout.

CRama
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Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: DR. VIJAYALAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAM IN RAGASUDHA HALL- 6/9/19

Post by CRama »

https://youtu.be/7lZywdkituA
Link for the above concert

tmmurali
Posts: 35
Joined: 16 Sep 2018, 23:01

Re: DR. VIJAYALAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAM IN RAGASUDHA HALL- 6/9/19

Post by tmmurali »

CRama wrote: 07 Sep 2019, 19:34
• Ekadantham Bhajeham- Bilahari- MD (S)
Thank you for the link to this concert. The tune (for the lack of a better word) in which she sings this song seems to be different from the one I have heard more often, e.g., from the GNB school. Are there two versions of this song?

CRama
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Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: DR. VIJAYALAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAM IN RAGASUDHA HALL- 6/9/19

Post by CRama »

Not that tune is different. The patantharam is different. This patantharam is different from the way GNB school is singing this sing.

tmmurali
Posts: 35
Joined: 16 Sep 2018, 23:01

Re: DR. VIJAYALAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAM IN RAGASUDHA HALL- 6/9/19

Post by tmmurali »

Thank you for the reply. What does "pathantharam" mean in this context or even more broadly? There is a short thread with this word as the subject (viewtopic.php?t=31496) but it does not define the term.

rshankar
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Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: DR. VIJAYALAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAM IN RAGASUDHA HALL- 6/9/19

Post by rshankar »

Here you go: the dictionary definition -

pAThAntara (पाठान्तर) n. = "another reading", a variation of the text in a book or manuscript

To this, we could add variation in "musical notations and rendering" in the context of this discussion.

tmmurali
Posts: 35
Joined: 16 Sep 2018, 23:01

Re: DR. VIJAYALAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAM IN RAGASUDHA HALL- 6/9/19

Post by tmmurali »

Thanks, @rshankar for the edifying response.

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