Shri. Lalgudi GJR Krishnan and Smt. Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi (violin)
Shri. Patri Satish Kumar (Mridangam)
Shri. Tripoonithura Radhakrishnan (Ghatam)
varnam - kannadA - Lalgudi JayarAman (R)
etI yOchanalu - kiranAvali - ThyAgarAja (S)
kArmukha shanmukha nIyE - kOsalam - KOtIshwara iyer (A)
mArajananIm - nAtakapriya - NC KrishnamAcharyulu (A)
nAdupai - madhyamAvati - ThyAgarAja (S)
ennAlu Uralige - shubhapantuvarAli - ThyAgarAja (A)
O! ranga sAyee - kAmbOji - ThyAgarAja (NST, at bhUlOka vaikunta)
Rtp - sAveri and sAma - tishra ata
rAgamalika swarams in sAverI, sAma, vAsanthi, bAgeshri, kEdAram, and more...
lAvanya rAma - pUrnashadjam - ThyAgarAja
thIrAda vilayAttu pillai - rAgamAlika - bhArati
jagadOdhArana - kApi - purandara dAsa
thiruppugazh - hamIr kalyAni - arunAgirinAthar
thillAna - karnaranjani - Lalgudi JayarAman
pavamAna - sourAshtram - Thyagaraja (mangalam)
Superb concert, one to remember for a long time. The lovely rare Lalgudi
varnam in Kannada to open, followed by a scintillating renditon of kiranAvali
with rapidfire, almost Ariyakudi-style swarams exchanged between GJR
Krishnan and Vijayalakshmi... Shri Patri Satish Kumar played brilliantly for this
piece, never missing a trick and "playing for the kriti" perfectly. The back-to-back
rendition of two challenging, rare melakartas was a pleasant surprise. This is the first
time I've heard an elaborate kOsalam in a concert, and it was beautifully
handled, with shades of nattai in the pUrvAnga and yaman in the uttarAnga.
nAtakapriya was also well handled. The madhyamavati had a spectacular feast
of swarams, lasting for nearly half an hour with elaborate calculations... coordination
between the percussion and the violins was exemplary and both Patri Satish
Kumar and Shri. Tripunithra Radhakrishnan were brilliant during the swarams.
Shubhapantuvarali was played beautifully and evocatively by Vijayalakshmi, and
the grand Thyagaraja kriti given its due. O! Ranga Sayee is a universal favourite,
and with the charming sangatis of the Lalgudi school and in the adept hands of
the two violinists, it came to life. GJR especially excelled himself during the enthralling
neraval and swarams. And followed by a cracker of a tani lasting half an hour...
The dual raga Rtp was well done, with the two ragas having enough parallels to
create interesting effects when played together. I've heard the same pallavi line
before from the duo at Mylapore Fine Arts, but today's rendition was needless to
say totally different with its own unique colour. A short flash of Kedaram during
the ragamalika swarams played by Vijayalaksmi, was absolutely brilliant.
The post-main pieces were beautifully played, theerada vilayattu pillai a favourite
of the lalgudi school of course. This is the first time I've heard their version of
jagadodhArana: quite different from the MSS and KVN versions, and with its
own unique beauty. The thiruppugazh and thillana were a brisk and lively finale
to a brilliant concert...
A special word for Shri Patri Satish Kumar and Shri Radhakrishnan, who played
brilliantly and sensitively throughout... one felt them playing appropriately for
each and every kriti rendered.