Parassala Ponnammal, Hamsadwani.

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 02 Aug 2008, 12:25

Parassala Ponnammal - R K Shriram Kumar - K Arun Prakash

Hamsadwani. Semmangudi Centenary Series
1st August 2008. 7 pm

sAmi nIpai - Anandabhairavi - aTa tALam - VK (varNam)
gajAnanyutam - chakravAkam - Adi - MD (S)
narasimha mAmava - Arabhi - kaNDa cApu - ST (R)
rAmanAtam bhajEham - kAsirAmakriyA - rUpakam - MD (RNS)
kamAkshi anudinamu - bhairavi - misra cApu - SS (short sketch)
sudhAmayI sudhAnidhi - amrutavarshini - rUpakam - HMB
srI vEnkaTEsam varam - tODi - rUpakam - RSI (RNST)
paripAlayamAm - rItigauLa - rUpakam - ST
shAntamulEkhA - sAmA - Adi - T
tillAnA - senjuruTTi - Adi - Veena Seshanna
karpagamE - madhyamAvati - Adi - PS
bhujaga sAyinO - yadukula kAmbhOji - Adi - ST

The concert started late, thanks to the solar eclipse and the sudden rains. However, there was no compromise in the quality or quantity of music Smt Ponnammal presented.

The beginning with a heavy varNam was quite an indication of what was in store. If you expected a small, quick concert as it was starting late, the varNam was already telling you to be ready for a grand concert. It was rendered very well. The next invocatory number had a beautiful round of svarams to follow.

The elaboration of Arabhi was short and sweet. The kriti was rendered with some inspiring sangatis. The elaboration of pantuvarALi was quite extensive. At a point of time, one actually felt, this could be the main piece of concert. It had many vintage phrases interwoven. The kriti rendition was stunning. There were elaborate neraval and svarams at 'kumAra guruguha mahitam kavibrindAdi sannutam'.

Before starting the AlApanai or the kriti it self, Smt Ponnammal humms a few phrases of the ragam (true to Semmangudi Style!) and that can only make one so excited. Such was the bhairavi humming and the short sketch. It had to be the svarajati to follow. Yes it was. And would it be the main piece? no, there was not elaborate AlApanai.

While the quickie amrutavarshini was rendered, many people did look to the sky to make sure the rains wont start in the open auditorium again. The tODi AlApanai was elaborate and had many many phrases to make it thoroughly enjoyable. The kriti, a rare number in concert circuits off late, was rendered beautifully with a quick round of neraval and svarams at 'dEvEndra vinutam dInadayAkaram'. It was close to 9 pm, when the short and sweet tani ended.

However, the concert was not over yet. The rItigauLa and sAmA pieces were rendered with the required gait and were preceded with some short sketches. The tillAnA and the madhyamAvati piece were nice also.

Smt Ponnammal treated the audience with a grand concert. Each piece was better than the other and everything just fell in place.

Age does show up for such artists, when you look at them talk or walk or do other routine things, but when it comes to music, there is nothing indicative of their age and other related problems. It is just divine music.

For such a concert to shine more, the accompanists had to be exactly following the main artist and embellishing the music. Such was indeed the kind of support Sri RK Shriram Kumar and Sri Arun Prakash did for this concert. Truly following the main artist to every tee and thus making it all the more enjoyable. To finish to write-up without mentioning the vocal support of Smt K Bhama would be a crime. She did the right thing to truly elevate her guru's music. Singing in the higher/lower octave at appropriate places and also filling the gaps, she was very supportive.

As one walked out of Hamsadwani's venue, one overheard an old man comment "Idhu 2008 illa. 1958. Semmangudi mama-ku TN Krishnan-um Palani-um vAsicha kutcheri. naama yellarum kettutu varom."

bharath

malavi · Post by **malavi** » 02 Aug 2008, 14:26

Parasala Ponnammal SSI centenary concert at Hamsadhwani on 1-8-2008
Sriramkumar --violin
Arunprakash--mrudangam
varnam
Sami ni pai - Anandabhairavi--Ata--V eenai kuppier
Gajananayutam-chakravaham-Adi -MD---K.SWARAM
Narasimhamamava-Aarabhi-k. chapu- ST-ragam
Ramanathambhajeham-pantuvarali-rupakam-MD--RNS
Kamakshi -swarajathi--bhairavi-m.chapu--SS
Sudhamayi--amritavarshini--rupakam-MB
Sri venkatesam-thodi-rupakam-RSI--RNS
Thani
Paripalayamam--reethigaulai-rupakam--ST
Santamuleka--sama--adi-thyagaraja
thillana--senchurutti --adi

I had to leave in the middle of this item.

This was a concert i will never forget.Neither the solar eclipse nor the sudden downpour could stop this concert.The 84 year old rather young lady as mentioned in the opening speech was present on the stage promptly at 6.45, It was 7.15 by the time the concert started.There was never a dull moment..She had cancelled her concert at the MA couple of days before due to ill health.
In the beginning she had some problem with her throat..But later it was better.By the time bhairavi swarajathi came she was comfortable.

The raga alapana for Aarabhi,,panthuvarali and todi werevery good.Though they were not lengthy the essence of each raga could be felt.There were no permutations and combinations in swara singing.Whatever she sang was soothing to the ears.
When she started paripalayamam she was in full form.I think she would have sung a few more items if it wasnot so late.Idont know
if there was any other item after thillana.
Regarding accompaniments both were playing with what you call Anusaranai.Sriramkumar was as usual very good.The thani
by Arunprakash was short and sweet.
On the whole it was a nice concert for rasikas who expect quality.

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 02 Aug 2008, 18:33

Was the elaborate AlApanai pantuvarALi or kAshirAmakriya?

Or kAmavardhini?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 02 Aug 2008, 20:33

Bharath,
You made the concert come alive. Thanks!
Experiencing Parassala Ponnammal's concert can be put in a few lines by highlighting some of your statements:
The quality and quantity of her music
Elaborate...many intricate vintage phrases interwoven
Treated us with a grand concert
When it comes to music, there is nothing indicative of her age

And of course, the accompanists and support singer.

Yes, after AriyakkuDi and KVN, her (not often sung now) Sri venkatESam would have been a treat...

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 02 Aug 2008, 21:20

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety

How I wish I could hear her!

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 03 Aug 2008, 00:15

rbharat & malavi too (for her short snippet)

Thank you so much for the review on one of my favourite artists !

That Parassala Ponnamal is in such pristine form at this age is not only remarkable but a revelation

Yes , when it comes to Music, age does take a back seat. Smt Bhama supports her Guru remarkably well too.

Sriramkumar & Arunprakash are ofcourse top notch accompanists and do elevate the concert to a higher plane.

sbala · Post by **sbala** » 03 Aug 2008, 07:00

srikant1987 wrote:Was the elaborate AlApanai pantuvarALi or kAshirAmakriya? Or kAmavardhini?

Isn't kasiramakriya the Dikshitar school's version of Pantuvarali? Are there any differences in the handling of the raga vis-a-vis Pantuvarali?

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 03 Aug 2008, 09:03

Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Janya_Ragas lists Panthuvaraali and Kaamavardhini as SRGMPDNS SNDPMGRS and Kaashiraamakriya as SGRGMPDNS SNDPMGRS from the same 51st Melam.

I solemnly appreciate that very different rAgmas can have identical mUrcanams, but tweaking with mUrcanams should create substantially different rAgams.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 03 Aug 2008, 16:03

I am looking forward to my first experience of Parassala Ponnamal tonight at Raga Sudha Hall.

sramaswamy · Post by **sramaswamy** » 05 Aug 2008, 03:29

sbala wrote:
srikant1987 wrote:Was the elaborate AlApanai pantuvarALi or kAshirAmakriya? Or kAmavardhini?
Isn't kasiramakriya the Dikshitar school's version of Pantuvarali? Are there any differences in the handling of the raga vis-a-vis Pantuvarali?

This link might be useful

http://chennaionline.com/musicnew/Carna ... /300th.asp

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 05 Aug 2008, 06:30

sramaswamy,

That was certainly a very interesting link. Thank you

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 15 Aug 2008, 20:09

Here is review from hindu... and some interview..

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/08/15/stor ... 250200.htm

-hari

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 18 Aug 2008, 14:11

s_hari wrote:Here is review from hindu... and some interview..

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/08/15/stor ... 250200.htm

-hari

the review says "Muthuswami Dikshitar's Sri Venkatesam"
what an error...

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 19 Aug 2008, 17:47

Right bharath - i did observe that!! The reviewer didn't even watch for mudra... That's a rare song, so let the credit go to the critic (or reviewer??)

-hari

sathya_vrathan · Post by **sathya_vrathan** » 06 Dec 2008, 20:23

do anyone has the recording of this concert. if so please share it. awesome songlist. would like to hear it..