VEENOTHSAVAM 2010- 28-29 AUG 2010

[CRama]

This grand festival which was organised by Brahma Gana Sabha and MUDHRA was inaugurated by Sri.A.Natarajan, Retired Director, Doordarshan at 6.00 P.M. at Infosys Hall, Ramakrishna Mission School, Bazulla Road, Chennai. Sri.Nalli Kuppusswamy Chetty , the President of MUDHRA could not be present due to his preoccupations. While delivering the Welcome address, Mrs.Radha Bhaskar mentioned that this is a small way of giving Sangeethanjali to this ancient instrument. She used the occasion to pay homage to two great vainikas who went on heavenly abode recently- Smt.Vidya Sankar and Sri.Trivandrum Venkataraman, She said that the Panthuvarali which Venkataraman Sir played during the last festival was still lingering in her ears. This was followed by the lighting of traditional kuthu vilakku by Shri.Natarajan. Shri Natarajan, in his address recalled the contributions of great vainikas of the past. He profusedly thanked Brahma Gana Sabha and Mudhra for this commendable effort which he hoped will bring more rasikas to the Veena concerts.

Each artist was allotted a slot of 30 minutes. Mrs.Radha BVhaskar agreed that it is too short a slot to give a concert feeling of one artist. But they wanted to accommodate more artists and they did not want to descriminate between any junior and senior level artist.

My house is next to the venue and I listened to some of the concerts. I give a brief report about the concerts I attended.

28-8-10
E.GAYATHRI-MUDHRA BHASKAR-E.M.SUBRAMANIAM
1.Muddaumomu (S)
2.Sree Parthasarathy-Sudhadhanyasi (Elaborate R)
3.Hamsanandi- Ragam Tanam- Sreenivasa
4.Muruganin maru peyar azhagu-Behag

KALPAKAM SWAMINATHAN-CHIDAMBARAM BALASANKAR E.M.SUBRAMANIAM
1.Sree Mahaganapathim-Athana (S)
2.Kalyani ragam-tanam- Deekshitar Kriti (I could not recognize the song)
3.Sahana padam
4. Kamalanayana-Chenjuruti

KALYANI GANESAN-KARAKUDI V.M,.GANESAN-N.RAJARAMAN
1.Kanukontinee-Bilahari
2.Padavini-Salagabhairavi
3.Durusuga-Saveri
4.Sree Kamalambike-Sree

T.N.SESHAGOPALAN-MADIRIMANGALAM SWAMINATHAN-E.M.SUBRAMANIAM
1.Merusamana-Alapana,Neraval and swaras
2.Abhayamba-Sahana-Alapana
3.Mayamma
4.Bagayanayya
5.Yadukulambodi Ragam Tanam ragamalika including Varali, Dwijavanthi, Keeravani,Begada,Latangi,Anandabhairavi, Behag,Suruti followed by Divakaratanujam, being a Saturday.
6.Bagaye-Padam in Saveri
7.Hariguna-Marua behag
8.Mangalam

29-8-10
MAHESWARI VENKATARAMAN-TANJORE BALAKRISHNAN-H.SIVARAMAKRISHNAN
1.Eppadi padinaro- A very good alapana of Karnatakadevagandhari
2.Parandhamavathi-Dharmavathi (R,T)
3.Kaliyugavaradan-Brindavanasaranga

SHOBANA-ASWIN SRIDHARAN-MADIPAKAM MURALI
1.Bagayanayya
2.Emi jesithe _A very good alapana of Thodi, tanam Swaras

V.BALSUBRAMANIAM-SANKARAN-PUDUCOTTAI RAMACHANDRAN
1.Varanarada-Vijayasree
2.Phanipathisayee-Jhankaradhwani
3.Korinavaramu-Ramapriya

JAYARAJ AND JAYASREE JAYARAJ-Mridangam artist I did not note-TRICHYMURALI
1.Sree Guruguha-Devakriya
2.Mamava Meenakshi- Elaborate alapana of Varali shared by both followed by Ragamalika tanam in Varali, Arabhi,Sree,Mian ki malhar and Valaji.Neraval and swaras.

PUNYA SRINIVAS-SAI GRIDHAR-E.M.SUBRAMANIAM
1.Natakurinji varnam- as Pada varnam in three speeds-two kalams in chatushra nadai and tisram
2.Sadashraye Abhayambike-Shanmugapriya- (R,T,S)
3.Bhajan in Behag

PADMAVATHI ANANTHAGOPALAN-B.GANAPATHYRAMAN-TRICHY MURALI
1.Tulasibilva-Kedaragowla- A very good alapana
2.Anandamrithakarshini-(R,T,S)
3.Thillana- Khamas

B.SIVAKUMAR-S.THYAGARJAN-E.M.SUBRAMANIAM
1.Kanchadalayatakshi-Manohari (S)
2.Bhuvinidasudane-Sreeranjini-Elaborate alapana
3.Sree kanthanee-Bhavapriya
4.Mayaladi-Suruti

Important Observations.
The concerts of all the artists maintained very high standard. All of them fully utilised the time allotted and presented the best of music. There was no thani except a small one in TNS concert.
While rendering alapana of Hamsanandi, Gayathri resorted to Srutibhedam to Hindolam
I could not recognize the song (Deekshitar kriti) in Kalyani played by Kalpakam Mami. Mami played a very soulful and complete alapana of Chenjuruti followed by Kamalanayana.
TNS presented a wonderful veena concert. I heard his Veena for the first time. Since the artist who was to play next to him did not come, he played for one and a half hours. He mainly followed the gayaki style- the sangathis which he will sing vocally were rendered exquisitely on the veena and it was a delight to the audience. The abhayamba song, Mayamma were rendered with lot of feeling. The sahithyam clearly came out in his renderings. The Yadukulakambodi alapana was very elaborate and the ragamalika tanam was also a great treat. He sang the Abhayamba kriti pallavi, Pallavi of the Saveri padam and some phrases of the meera bhajan (the alap after the meera ke prabhu in the upper sthayi). It was a very enjoyable programme. It was a great gesture on his part that he also attended some of the concerts on the second day afternoon.
Forumites will remember the posts of Mr.Ramesh reg Mrs Maheswari Venkataraman which resulted in lot of arguements. Her concert was very good. Her Karnataka devagandhari alapana was brilliant and also her Dharmavathy. I had discussion with Mr.Ramesh (Her husband, the forumite) and sensitised about posting in the thread and things that can be avoided while posting in the thread.
I heard Jayaraj and Jayasree Jayaraj for the first time and they maintain a very high standard. They played on the Radel Electronic Veena. I personally felt that the sound is not as sharp as the traditional veena.The Varali alapana, thanam and swarams were very well crafted. I had a brief talk with them after the concert.
The concert by Punya Srinivas was also of very high standard. Her alapana, tanam, and swaram were excellent. She played the Behag bhajan in typical Hindustani pattern.She could have sung the pallavi of the song Sadashraye as it is a very rare composition
In Sivakumar's concert, the swaras at Kanchadalayathakshi were very attractive and Sreeranjini alapana was very elaborate and the tone of his Veena was something unique.

The Hall was slized down to half for the programme. The portion was full for the evening programmes and there should have been better attendence during the day time as it is on a Sunday.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

29-8-10 :
MAHESWARI VENKATARAMAN-TANJORE BALAKRISHNAN-H.SIVARAMAKRISHNAN
1.Eppadi padinaro- A very good alapana of Karnatakadevagandhari
2.Parandhamavathi-Dharmavathi (R,T)
3.Kaliyugavaradan-Brindavanasaranga

... Mrs Maheswari Venkataraman ... Her Karnataka devagandhari alapana was brilliant and also her Dharmavathy.

Best wishes to Mrs. Maheswari Venkataraman.

[mahakavi]

Best wishes to Mrs. Maheswari Venkataraman.

I guess this is the lady (visually deficient?) that our forum member sramesh used to talk about. All the best to her!

[mankuthimma]

MK
Sarma is an old buddy here .He was instrumental in organising our concert with Manda Sudha Rani.I missed out on this concert yesterday afternoon

[rbharath]

just a couple of quick points.

The song Kalpakam mami played in kalyani is 'dEvi mInAkshi' in rUpaka tALam. a compositon of Tacchur Singarachari.The sahAnA padam was 'sogasugA nAtO' of sArangapANi. The senjuruTTi was 'charaNu charaNu' of Anai Ayya.

Earlier in the evening, there were 2 concerts before the inauguration function which preceded Smt. E Gayathri's concert.

R S Jayalakshmi - PBV Krishnamachari - N Rajaraman

vAtApi gaNapatim - hamsadvani - Adi - MD (S)
nidhi chAla sukhamA - kalyANi - misra cApu - T (RtNST)
venkaTa giri nAtA - rEvati - Adi - Suddhanandha Bharathi


B Kannan - Chidambaram Balashankar - Chandrasekhara Sarma

mAmayil mIdErivA - latAngi - Adi - Meenakshi Subramanian
RTP - hEmavati - Adi (2 kaLai) sama eDuppu 6 aridi
srutilaya svarUpiNi vINA vAdini - sangIta sAmrAya


I couldnt go on sunday, thanks to some domestic commitments

[CRama]

Thanks for the corrections/supplementary information.

[rbharath]

BGS & Mudhra
Veenotsav 28 Aug 2010

While the concept of many veenai concerts is indeed wonderful, half an hour is too short.


5 pm
R S Jayalakshmi - PBV Krishnamachari - N Rajaraman

vAtApi gaNapatim - hamsadvani - Adi - MD (S)
nidhi chAla sukhamA - kalyANi - misra cApu - T (RtNST)
venkaTa giri nAtA - rEvati - Adi - Suddananda Bharati

quick svarams in hamsdavani. very moving and crisp kalyANI


5:30 pm
B Kannan - Chidambaram S Balashankar - Chandrasekhara Sarma

mAmayil mIdErivA - latAngi - Adi - Meenakshi Subramanian
RTP - hEmavati - Adi(2 kaLai) sama eDuppu, 6 aridi
srutilaya svarUpiNi vINAvAdini sangIta sAmrAjya

The pallavi was very nice and hEmavati was enjoyable.


6 pm Meeting

Sri A Natarajan spoke and formally inaugurated.


6:30pm
E Gayathri - Mudhra Bhaskar - E M Subramaniyan

muddumOmu - sUryakAntam - Adi - T (short sketch S)
srI pArthasArathinA - suddha danyAsi - Adi - MD (RS)
srInivAsa tiruvEngaDa - hamsAnandi - Adi - PS (R with graha bedam to hindOLam)
muruganin maru peyar - bEhAg - Adi

neat rendition of songs. enjoyable AlApanais. nice svarams.


7 pm
Kalpakam Swaminathan - Chidambaram Balashankar - E M Subramaniyan

srI mahAgaNapatim - aTANA - Adi - JCW (short sketch S)
dEvi mInAkshi - kalyANi - rUpakam - Tacchur Singachar (Rt)
sogasugA nAtO - sahAnA - misra cApu - Sarangapani (R)
charaNu charaNu - senjuruTTi -rUpakam - Anai Ayya (short sketch)

very moving kalyANi and an emotive sahAnA.


7:30 pm
Kalyani Ganesan - V M Ganesan - N Rajaraman

kanukoNTini - bilahari - Adi - T (short sketch)
padavini sadbaktiyu - sALaga bhairavi - Adi - T
durusukha krupajUchi - sAvEri - Adi - SS (R)
srI kamalAmbikE - srI - kaNDa Ekam - MD (short sketc)

this sAvEri was my pick for the day. very neat presentation again.


8 pm
T N Seshagopalan - Madirimangalam Swaminathan - E M Subramaniyan

mEru samAna - mAyAmALavagauLA - Adi - T (RNS)
abhayAmbA - sahAnA - misra cApu - MD
mAyammA - Ahiri - Adi - SS
bAgAyanayya - chandra jyOti - Adi - T
divAkara tanujam - yadukula kAmbhOji - MD
rAgamAlikA tAnam in varALi, dvijAvanti, kIravANi, bEgaDa, latAngi, Anandabhairavi, bEhAg, suruTTi
savEri padam
hariguNa - marua bEhAg
mangaLam

I had to leave as he began the yadukulakAmbhOji. nice beginning for the concert. the MMG and sahAnA were both very nice.

[vinodhinee]

there was a small thani in the concert by Sri.Jayaraj and Smt.Jayasri also