Sanjay Subrahmanyan
S. Varadarajan
Neyveli Venkatesh
1. Jalajakshi - Chakravakam - PSI
2. Kuvalayadala - Natakuranji - T
3. ? - Shriranjani - Ramalinga Swamigal (R)
(I think it was Jaathiyile madangalile)
4. Kalayami - Kannada - ST (R,S)
5.Jesinadella - Thodi - T (RNST)
6.Thiruvadi sharanam - Kambhoji - GKB
7.RTP - Maaru Behag - Trisra Triputa
Kaa va va velava then pazhani malai muruga
ragamalika : Sahana, Varali, Kanada and Sindu bhairavi
8. Thillana - Sindu bhairavi - MDR
9. Dasara nindasa beda - Bageshri-ish
10. Short viruttam (oorilen kaani ellai - suddha dhanyasi)
Brindavanum iduvo - Suddha Dhanyasi
11. Ramanai bhajitthal - Maand
12. Pavamana
Sanjay Subrahmanyan at Detroit November 15th 2009
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kedharam
- Posts: 419
- Joined: 28 Sep 2008, 23:07
Chakravakam- varnam, Jalajakshi, PSI
nAtakurinji - kuvalayadaLa nayanA brOvavE kunda kuDmala radanA, Thyagaraja
Sriranjani - JathielE madangalilE samaya nerigalilE, Ramalinga Swamigal (R, S)
Kannada - Kalayami kridhi nandha kamanIya bAlam, Swathi ThirunAl (R,S)
thOdi - cEsinad(e)lla, Thyagaraja, (R,N, S)
Thani
kAmbhOji - Thiruvadi charanam, Gopala krishna bharathi
RTP - mArU behAg
Pallavi text: "kA vA vA vElavA then pazhani malai murugA", tisra triputa
ragamalika : sahana, varali, kAnada and sindu bhairavi
Sindu bhairavi – Thillana, M D Ramanadan
rAgEshrI - Dasara nindisa beda manuja haridasara, Purandara dasar
shudda danyasi - 'UrilEn kANi illai', Tondaradipodi AzhwAr pAsuram followed by brindavanam iduvO, suddananda bharathi
mAnd - Ramanai bhajithal, P. sivan
One last time we decided to concert crawl in november, and the 10hr round trip was worth it…
Concert opened with ChakravAham varnam that served as an exciting calling card before easing into Thyagaraja’s rare nAttakurinji composition, 'kuvalayadaLa nayanA brOvavE kunda kuDmala radanA '
In the alapana of sriranjani, after subjecting the DNA of the raga to intense decoding came Ramalinga swamigal’s composition of social reform, ‘JathielE madangalilE samaya nerigalilE sAthira sandadigalilE gOthira sandailE’ bringing to light in all eloquence how after years after the composer’s life, individual dignity and humanity are still relevant with small intonations acquiring new poetry in the rendition…
His graceful interpretation of kannada was followed by the gem of a composition of Swathi thirunal, “kalayAmi kridhi nanda kamanIya bhAlam”, evoking the sense of otherworldly mystery and the wistful melodic lines of the composition to shine through his voice modulation as the composer's imagery emerged in detail, followed by swarams with an improvisatory abandon. His weighted exposition in thodi was replete with microtonal shades of the melody and sharply edged accents filled with detailed inflections stressing the raga swaroopa in every sanchara. The fine portrayal of the composition, 'cEsinad(e)lla maracitivO O rAma rAma...........' , unearthing the varied views of the raga’s personality and the emotional content of the saint's personal dialogue with Rama, in the most introspective fashion with neraval at, "seetha rama sri thyagaraja premA avathara" bringing out his passion for the aesthetics of thOdi and The saint's mystic passion for the lord - coagulating both into one melodic organism.
After a spirited thani by Sri.Venkatesh, came the RTP, where he coyly flirted with mAru behAg to evoke it’s tranquil hint of romantic appeal with an inter-genre homogeneity accompanied with absolute ease and infectious enthusiasm by Sri. varadarajan. The melody gathered momentum and morphed into an evocation of the recitative thanam with it’s rigorous coiled tensions percolating determinedly by melding its melodic fragments in calligraphic detail with the free-spirited melody of mAru behAg and with sri.varadarajan he entered into a soulful dialogue thro the text, ‘kA vA vA vEla vA then pazhani malai murugA’ in tisra triputa framework with Sri.Venkatesh playing with the underlying rhythmic vitality with spirited buoyancy giving a spacious feel to the rendition ...
nAtakurinji - kuvalayadaLa nayanA brOvavE kunda kuDmala radanA, Thyagaraja
Sriranjani - JathielE madangalilE samaya nerigalilE, Ramalinga Swamigal (R, S)
Kannada - Kalayami kridhi nandha kamanIya bAlam, Swathi ThirunAl (R,S)
thOdi - cEsinad(e)lla, Thyagaraja, (R,N, S)
Thani
kAmbhOji - Thiruvadi charanam, Gopala krishna bharathi
RTP - mArU behAg
Pallavi text: "kA vA vA vElavA then pazhani malai murugA", tisra triputa
ragamalika : sahana, varali, kAnada and sindu bhairavi
Sindu bhairavi – Thillana, M D Ramanadan
rAgEshrI - Dasara nindisa beda manuja haridasara, Purandara dasar
shudda danyasi - 'UrilEn kANi illai', Tondaradipodi AzhwAr pAsuram followed by brindavanam iduvO, suddananda bharathi
mAnd - Ramanai bhajithal, P. sivan
One last time we decided to concert crawl in november, and the 10hr round trip was worth it…
Concert opened with ChakravAham varnam that served as an exciting calling card before easing into Thyagaraja’s rare nAttakurinji composition, 'kuvalayadaLa nayanA brOvavE kunda kuDmala radanA '
In the alapana of sriranjani, after subjecting the DNA of the raga to intense decoding came Ramalinga swamigal’s composition of social reform, ‘JathielE madangalilE samaya nerigalilE sAthira sandadigalilE gOthira sandailE’ bringing to light in all eloquence how after years after the composer’s life, individual dignity and humanity are still relevant with small intonations acquiring new poetry in the rendition…
His graceful interpretation of kannada was followed by the gem of a composition of Swathi thirunal, “kalayAmi kridhi nanda kamanIya bhAlam”, evoking the sense of otherworldly mystery and the wistful melodic lines of the composition to shine through his voice modulation as the composer's imagery emerged in detail, followed by swarams with an improvisatory abandon. His weighted exposition in thodi was replete with microtonal shades of the melody and sharply edged accents filled with detailed inflections stressing the raga swaroopa in every sanchara. The fine portrayal of the composition, 'cEsinad(e)lla maracitivO O rAma rAma...........' , unearthing the varied views of the raga’s personality and the emotional content of the saint's personal dialogue with Rama, in the most introspective fashion with neraval at, "seetha rama sri thyagaraja premA avathara" bringing out his passion for the aesthetics of thOdi and The saint's mystic passion for the lord - coagulating both into one melodic organism.
After a spirited thani by Sri.Venkatesh, came the RTP, where he coyly flirted with mAru behAg to evoke it’s tranquil hint of romantic appeal with an inter-genre homogeneity accompanied with absolute ease and infectious enthusiasm by Sri. varadarajan. The melody gathered momentum and morphed into an evocation of the recitative thanam with it’s rigorous coiled tensions percolating determinedly by melding its melodic fragments in calligraphic detail with the free-spirited melody of mAru behAg and with sri.varadarajan he entered into a soulful dialogue thro the text, ‘kA vA vA vEla vA then pazhani malai murugA’ in tisra triputa framework with Sri.Venkatesh playing with the underlying rhythmic vitality with spirited buoyancy giving a spacious feel to the rendition ...
Last edited by kedharam on 20 Nov 2009, 02:38, edited 1 time in total.
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arasi
- Posts: 16873
- Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30
I haven't yet heard kuvlaya dala nayana in any concert.
Any yadukula kAmbOdi song is a treat for me.
How I wish someone would sing my favorite MD song this season!
Correction in the song list: UrilEn, kANi illai is how the line goes. If you leave out the n in UrilEn, a poetic plea becomes nitty gritty information!
Neither a place nor a piece of land to call my own--has philosophical intent--I have only you, my Lord.
UrilE kANiyillai : I don't have any landed property in my native village
Any yadukula kAmbOdi song is a treat for me.
How I wish someone would sing my favorite MD song this season!
Correction in the song list: UrilEn, kANi illai is how the line goes. If you leave out the n in UrilEn, a poetic plea becomes nitty gritty information!
Neither a place nor a piece of land to call my own--has philosophical intent--I have only you, my Lord.
UrilE kANiyillai : I don't have any landed property in my native village
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arasi
- Posts: 16873
- Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30
Kedharam,
There you are! I was looking out for you, thinking that you would end up at another concert of the 'percolating' party--your adjective
Thanks for the review. A jAvA dose at that. A sizzlingly modern, all the same a sensitive, descriptive review
There you are! I was looking out for you, thinking that you would end up at another concert of the 'percolating' party--your adjective
Thanks for the review. A jAvA dose at that. A sizzlingly modern, all the same a sensitive, descriptive review
Last edited by arasi on 16 Nov 2009, 22:02, edited 1 time in total.
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rajeshnat
- Posts: 10121
- Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04
. Keep them coming . -
music_is_life
- Posts: 100
- Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 01:53
A very decent turn out including quite a few who made a 10-hour round trip to attend the concert from Toronto, Chicago etc. And Sanjay did not disappoint them! It was an outstanding concert. I am amazed how Sanjay is able to peel off different aspects of thodi. In the last music season, I thought I had heard the best 'thodi' ever at NGS and yesterday he raised his own bar with 'thodi' rendition. I felt the 'pallavi' was a bit too short. Good job by the organizers, as usual. They started the concert exactly at 4PM and there were no long welcome speeches. I am sure that people who came from out of town would have appreciated that they could listen to over 3 hours of concert and still leave at 7.15PM
Last edited by music_is_life on 16 Nov 2009, 22:11, edited 1 time in total.
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Andolika
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 07 Apr 2005, 22:39
It was indeed a great concert overall, as Kedaram's review sums up. Sanjay didn't disappoint across many dimensions -- be it in his exquisite exposition of rarely heard kritis (such as kuvalayadala) or ragas (kannada), or in bringing shades to Todi that are rarely heard. His tanam in Maru Behag was fascinating -- as he shifted from a hindustani tinged exposition that brought out the light romanticisim of the raga, to a kampita-heavy tanam that showcased the potential of Maru Behag as a 'serious' ragam -- interesting indeed.
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arasi
- Posts: 16873
- Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30
Andolika,
Yes, textures. That's what I look for mostly in a concert experience, I think. Taking a rAgam with light romanticism as you say, and giving it weight by a kampita-heavy tAnam is the kind of freshness I like to experience. The same with traditional rAgams too--when it comes to freshness. For those who complain about invasion of HM rAgams in a CM concert, do they miss the rest of the content of such a substantial concert? They get more than their share of ragams like thODi and SankarAbharaNam delienated in ways which is all very much in the CM realm, but which still have finer aspects waiting to be tapped.
We are happy when beginners and juniors train in highly traditional music, mature over the years, gain insight in the process and expand their horizons and ours. Of course, this can be a reality only if the grounding is solid, is nurtured over the years and no doubt, has a lot of creativity as an added ingredient.
Sanjay's music speaks of this. When anything in the arts is not dynamic or creative, we can be proud owners of a rich heritage of oh, so many years, even centuries, and be smug about it. In business, architecture, in whichever genre, do we still hold on to the old ways? I have seen those who are adventerous (while being responsible) in their own fields, but their pUjA rooms are the same as those of their grandfathers. Fine. No problem there, but is that how CM should be? An object to be worshipped and be protected from any experience which may seem new, but was all there in the first place to be explored?
While we all agree that tastes differ, this is an entirely different thing I am thinking about--shouldn't there be a search for what all was already there in CM, obscured and overlooked perhaps--which need exploration?
Sorry, I am taking this away from the review
Yes, textures. That's what I look for mostly in a concert experience, I think. Taking a rAgam with light romanticism as you say, and giving it weight by a kampita-heavy tAnam is the kind of freshness I like to experience. The same with traditional rAgams too--when it comes to freshness. For those who complain about invasion of HM rAgams in a CM concert, do they miss the rest of the content of such a substantial concert? They get more than their share of ragams like thODi and SankarAbharaNam delienated in ways which is all very much in the CM realm, but which still have finer aspects waiting to be tapped.
We are happy when beginners and juniors train in highly traditional music, mature over the years, gain insight in the process and expand their horizons and ours. Of course, this can be a reality only if the grounding is solid, is nurtured over the years and no doubt, has a lot of creativity as an added ingredient.
Sanjay's music speaks of this. When anything in the arts is not dynamic or creative, we can be proud owners of a rich heritage of oh, so many years, even centuries, and be smug about it. In business, architecture, in whichever genre, do we still hold on to the old ways? I have seen those who are adventerous (while being responsible) in their own fields, but their pUjA rooms are the same as those of their grandfathers. Fine. No problem there, but is that how CM should be? An object to be worshipped and be protected from any experience which may seem new, but was all there in the first place to be explored?
While we all agree that tastes differ, this is an entirely different thing I am thinking about--shouldn't there be a search for what all was already there in CM, obscured and overlooked perhaps--which need exploration?
Sorry, I am taking this away from the review
Last edited by arasi on 17 Nov 2009, 11:05, edited 1 time in total.
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Bhairav
- Posts: 4
- Joined: 05 Nov 2009, 03:00
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Andolika
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 07 Apr 2005, 22:39
Arasi,
You bring forth the creative tension in CM -- the age old tussle of protecting tradition vs. breaking new ground. As I hear Sanjay, I am struck by his ability to sound very traditional while also bring fresh ideas and thinking. Sanjay straddles this divide very effectively giving him great legitimacy to break new ground with his manodharma, while appealing to the traditionalists. This is exactly one of the reasons why I like his style a lot!
CM is all about manodharma... indeed the tradition delineates the rules of CM which is held sacrosanct by many, until great masters appear that effortlessly go on to break down the rules and expand CMs scope and repertoire using their boundless manodharma... There was a GNB, then a BMK, sometimes a Sanjay and many more to come!!! As the old adage in Tamil goes... "pazhayana kazhidhalum, pudiyana pugudhalum kAla vagayinanAnE" ("Old things disappearing and new things entering is characteristic of time")
We need both constituents -- those that hold everything traditional as sacred and scribe the rules down and prevent dilution of the rich heritage of CM, and those that look for new and interesting experiences, build on the tradition, and dare to foray into the unknown. As CM grows and matures, this process continues...
Maybe 100 years from now, as CM evolves to strike new paths -- some will hold the music from first half of the 21st century as traditional -- while a new Sanjay on the horizon will be singing pallavis in dwi-madhyama ragas, or permuting and combining melas to create new ragas. Has anybody peeked into the future ? How does it look?
You bring forth the creative tension in CM -- the age old tussle of protecting tradition vs. breaking new ground. As I hear Sanjay, I am struck by his ability to sound very traditional while also bring fresh ideas and thinking. Sanjay straddles this divide very effectively giving him great legitimacy to break new ground with his manodharma, while appealing to the traditionalists. This is exactly one of the reasons why I like his style a lot!
CM is all about manodharma... indeed the tradition delineates the rules of CM which is held sacrosanct by many, until great masters appear that effortlessly go on to break down the rules and expand CMs scope and repertoire using their boundless manodharma... There was a GNB, then a BMK, sometimes a Sanjay and many more to come!!! As the old adage in Tamil goes... "pazhayana kazhidhalum, pudiyana pugudhalum kAla vagayinanAnE" ("Old things disappearing and new things entering is characteristic of time")
We need both constituents -- those that hold everything traditional as sacred and scribe the rules down and prevent dilution of the rich heritage of CM, and those that look for new and interesting experiences, build on the tradition, and dare to foray into the unknown. As CM grows and matures, this process continues...
Maybe 100 years from now, as CM evolves to strike new paths -- some will hold the music from first half of the 21st century as traditional -- while a new Sanjay on the horizon will be singing pallavis in dwi-madhyama ragas, or permuting and combining melas to create new ragas. Has anybody peeked into the future ? How does it look?