Vijay Shiva at Kalarasana 20 Dec 2007

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 20 Dec 2007, 23:42

I hope somebody was there who can give a proper listing and review of this sparkling, magical concert!

I have only seen Vijay Siva twice before, and within the past year, but I knew at once that he was my kind of singer, and I enjoyed tonight enormously. No nonsense: just pure music.

It felt like a great dinner of very rich food, although he finished with a couple of lighter pieces. Am I right in thinking that the main piece included a larger-than-usual helping of neraval? After just one lighter piece came a ragam tanam pallavi (and I totally failed to identify the talam) which I would have liked to have gone on for much, much longer --- but that is because, by this time, I was feeling the concert could have gone on for ever.

The accompanists played their great part in this too. Trichy Sanakran's mridanagam was as wonderful as ever and V Suresh's ghatam was ...as wonderful as ever. They played together splendidly, question and answer sections were beautifully balanced. Just as Shankaranan produces great nadam from his mridangam, so Suresh has a wonderfully musical way of producing the different strokes ---and even notes--- on the ghatam.

RK Shriram Kumar's violin --- well, I can only say that I want to see his solo concert.

Vijay siva produced some of the most beautiful slokam singing that I have heard, and even embellished his closing of mangalam with a sweet mantra.

Rana Seethai hall:

Sound: Good
Parking: only just.
Seats: fair to good.
Tea: fair to good
Toilets: middling to bad

meena · Post by **meena** » 21 Dec 2007, 07:40

nick
haha Now how can u rate tea : fair to good? Its either tastes good or yuk isn't it ?

u missed the gumbal-- crowd.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 21 Dec 2007, 12:34

I wouuld change the toilets to: "bad to yuck"!...Nick hat was good to read - could you post the songlist or the main pieces? Look forward to more...

prashant · Post by **prashant** » 21 Dec 2007, 12:50

I'll second Vijay's request for a song list. Feel bad at having missed this.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 21 Dec 2007, 16:04

My problem... I am too ignorant to name the pieces.

Next time I will ask my wife to write down the opening line of each song. I hadn't thought of that before, I usually turn to her only when the musicians start speaking.

It would be a very good education for me.

Meena: I was desperate for tea. It was not great tea, but it was drinkable and came from a pan, not a machine.

Audience behaviour: Fair to good! At least, the chatterers near us kept to low voices

Crowd: sparse at first, not very many even later.

I might mention that I had the opportunity for the first chat I have had with V Suresh for ages --- and if I add that I mentioned going to him for lessons then the public announcement might help me to keep the resolve in the new year.

Why a Ghatam vidwan when I have no intention of playing Ghatam? It is my morsings I will take to class. His English is fluent, and I think we can find a master/student level that I might not be able to attain with some others. I think he will wake up my poor lazy brain and get it think, rather than relying on just rote learning. And i think that we will be able to remain friends if it doesn't work out.

kgopin · Post by **kgopin** » 21 Dec 2007, 16:39

Hi

Below are the incomplete song lists (not able to catch some krithi)

1. Eranapai - Thodi
2. Nivera Kuladhanamu - Begada
3. ?? - Sriranjani (RNS)
4. Venkata Shaila - Hameer Kalyani (R)
5. Saraswathi - Saraswathi Manohari
6. Sri Rajagopala - Saveri (RNST)
7. Kannathandri - Devamanohari
8. RTP - Sankarabaranam
9. Virutham - Bowli, Behag, Jhonpuri
10. Aasai Mugam - Jhonpuri
11. Bhajan
12. Mangalam

The best part of the entire concert was Thani by the great Sankaran sir. V.Suresh also played extremely well..

Jigyaasa · Post by **Jigyaasa** » 21 Dec 2007, 16:43

The shrIranjanI kriti is a telugu composition of Muthuswami Dikshitar, nI sATi deivamu.

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 21 Dec 2007, 16:46

looks like an amazing list..

harisht · Post by **harisht** » 22 Dec 2007, 15:10

Hi I am a new member to this forum. I had attended this concert and i thought it was amazing. I have to confess that Sankaran Sir and Suresh played extremely well.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 22 Dec 2007, 16:36

They make a very good team

Vocalist · Post by **Vocalist** » 23 Dec 2007, 16:20

Wish I could hear the full Saveri of this concert...I'm sure it would've been awesome!