SugunA varadAchari@Music Academy (Mini) on June 27th 2007

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 28 Jun 2007, 13:29

Accompanied by usha rajagOpalan - violin and mannArkoil balAji - mridangham

1. varnam ("annamE") - aRAbi - tiger varadAchari
2. arulavENdum thAyE(S) - sAramati - dandapAni desigar
3. cittam irangAdadEnayyA (R) - sahAnA - pApanAsam Sivan

4. kaikkUDa vENumE (R,N,S)- lathAngi - kOteeshwara Iyer
neraval in "sutAnga sOmasundarra pangil umA "
5. unnaDiyE gati enraDaindEn - bahudAri - GNB
6A. gati neeyE enru kadaridum enDanai(R N S T) - tOdi - ambujam krishna
"karunA sAgaram neeyenrO rama"
6B. tani

7. suladi rAgamAliga(7 rAgams and 7 thAlams I think??) - tOdi + ?? + bhairavi + kalyAni + kAmbOdhi + varAli + sAveri
ninaindhutOdi vanden ninadu dhuravam KAna - rAgamAligA- thanjAvur ponniah pillai
8. Andhavan darisanamE thyAgEshan- jOnpuri - HMB
9. tingaL mAvadanam tigazhum - shuruTTi - Koteeshwara Iyer

Just few highlights :
==============

# The theme of the concert was 20th century thamizh vaggeyakkaras, and that fit very well with Smt suguna varadAchari, who seemed to get it too naturally(considering she only referred a one sheet of paper only at the end).

# Smt suguna appeared very very charged and had a lot of manodharmam in rAga alApanai. Particularly the alApanai of sahAna was excellent and she sang a very good tOdi .Her arAbi varnam in mEl kAlam with aggression and sarAmati drop devoid of aggression was very impressive in sequence.

# Smt suguna's swaraprasthAnam appeared considerably little short in elaboration , certainly not as appealing as her alApanai, perhaps her comfort zone was more on alApanai. Her neraval in tOdi had some interesting piDi's . LathAngi neraval and swarams were not that great, the krithi was just ok.

# Smt suguna's rendition of ponniah pillai's rAgamaliga was very good, with some excellent support by balAji (perhaps he can write more on how he handled different talAms in quick succession). ShuruTTi finish was excellent . The aggression in songs was craftfully executed to only those callibre rAgas (jOnpuri was very good , bahuAri was just good)

# I would have preferred her to sing one contemporary composer of thamizh like shankara Iyer ,instead of her singing two kOteeshwara Iyer compositions, considering she went for one song per composer excepting for kOteeshwara Iyer.

# balAji was rightfully watchful and played appropriately , he saved a lot of energy to give a very good tani.

# If there was a noticable minus , that was violin support of Smt usha rAjagOpalan. Her returns were too long for all the alApanai's and also there were quite a lot of squeaky sounds . Also there was not much tuned nAdham that generally you expect from a violin. She played tOdi alApanai very well.

Overall a good to very good (my debut) concert of Smt sugunA varadAchari.

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 28 Jun 2007, 13:59

Member Rajeshnat

The Ragamalika of Ponniah Pillai needs special mention. The Raga-Tala malika was an excellent composition and also in quick succession after the Chittaswaram it went on to the next tala. I was not aware of the order of Talas at all before hand and to tell the truth this is the first ever time i am playing for that kriti (first ever time listening to it also). It requires experience and high level of concentration. Initially i could guess that after the Chittaswaram the tala is likely to change. Hence after every chittaswara i had to be ready for the tala change. Since all the talas were taken out of Suladi Sapta Tala Chatusra nadai it is easy to play a chatusra nadai until you figure out the next tala at the end of one avarta. Started with Druva Tala and i know it is likely to end in that also. Hence i was prepared for the Muktayi also as there were no gaps between chttaswaras for arudi. Also a special mention about the Raga-Tala malika is that the name of the Raga and Tala figured in the Sahitya. I shall try to get a copy of a recording from her student and upload for rasikas, if not all at least this monumental kriti of Ponniah Pillai.

Of course one doubt Rajesh sir ? In what sense have you mentioned debut of Suguna Madam as she has been singing for over 40 years now ...

Thanks for the review also.
J.balaji

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 28 Jun 2007, 14:05

if i understand it the correct way, Rajesh wants to convey that it was the first time he heard Smt Varadachari at a concert.

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 28 Jun 2007, 14:15

ya could be... thanks for the clarification bharat sir
J.Balaji

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 28 Jun 2007, 14:34

That Ragamalika Ragas in order as confirmed from suguna Madam is as follows :

Todi
Poovikalyani
Bhairavi
Kalyani
Kambojhi
Mukhari
Varali

J.Balaji

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 28 Jun 2007, 14:43

balAji,
bharath is right , I just corrected that last line of my review in post #1.It was my debut. When smt suguna renders a tAlamAligA where you are hearing for the first time like me , that speaks a lot about your capability atleast in the eyes of a very super experienced vidushi. These tAlamalikas just goes away in a flash, you either catch it or look forward to catch the next with no hard feelings that you dropped the one before, all along you have to preserve the true virtuosity of rAga bhAvam (drowsy

kalyAni + expressive

kAmbOdhi and the dragging

varAli in quick succession).

Please Cut down the Sir,that too you having seen me in flesh and blood.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 30 Jun 2007, 10:41

Rajesh,
Shouldn't the Ponniah Pillai composition go 'ninaind(t)ODi vandEn ninaduruvam kANa'?

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 30 Jun 2007, 11:02

rshankar wrote:Rajesh,
Shouldn't the Ponniah Pillai composition go 'ninaind(t)ODi vandEn ninaduruvam kANa'?

Yes what you have written only makes sense .Apart from a repetition of an extra d(t) in tOdi, there was another blunder in me morphing ninaduruvam as ninadhu dhuruvam

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 30 Jun 2007, 18:26

The word "debut" is normally used in the context of a presenter/performer/product when the first appearance on the stage/market is made. However, if rajeshnat were to have a formal introduction to the society (during a concert perhaps) that can be called a "debut". He would be called a debutant. For men it happens rarely!

prashant · Post by **prashant** » 30 Jun 2007, 23:15

Would love to hear the Ponniah Pillai krithi if possible...?

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 01 Jul 2007, 03:35

I am with Prashant! Lji can we have the lyrics first?

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 01 Jul 2007, 04:01

This is a new one on me. I had not heard of this ragamalika.
Maybe rajeshnat can approach the artist and request the lyrics?

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 01 Jul 2007, 09:49

I am trying to get the recording from the artiste. I shall post the audio also if possible.

J.Balaji

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 01 Jul 2007, 09:50

Thanks, Balaji!