Vijay Siva at Sastri Hall - Sri Kapali Fine Arts - 21.12.200

prashant · Post by **prashant** » 21 Dec 2006, 22:59

Sri N. Vijay Siva - Vocal
Mullaivasal Sri Chandramouli - Violin
Trichy Sri Sankaran - Mridangam
Sri V. Suresh - Ghatam

1. tAmisinCuka - asAvEri varNam - adi
2. entarA nItana - harikAmbOdhi - adi [2] [N,S]
3. ninnuvinA - pUrvikalyANi - vilOma CApu [R,S]
4. sari evvarE - sriranjani - adi
5. guruguhAya - sAmA - adi [R,N at 'sakalAgama mantra sAragnyAya']
6. sItamma mAyamma - vasantA - rUpaka
7. upaCAramulanu CEkonnavayyA - bhairavi - adi [2] [R,N,S,T]
8. mAtADa bAradEnO - kamAs - misra CApu
9. mAdapirAikaniyAni - navarauj - rupaka
10. pArkkum disai tOrum - viruttam - bilahari, dhanyAsi, madhyamAvati
11. tirumayilai karpagamE - madhyamAvati - adi
12. nAdavindu - chenchuruTTi - adi
13. pavamAna - saurASTra - adi

Despite the best efforts of the folks at Jet Airways to keep me away from this concert [my flight from Mumbai landed 3+ hours behind schedule], I finally made it in one piece to start my season at one of my favorite venues, Sastri Hall, with possibly my favorite artiste performing today, Sri N. Vijay Siva. I was not disappointed - this was one awesome concert from start to finish.

A quick varNam was followed by entarA nItana at a brisk pace with the customary quick niraval and swarams at sESuDu SivUniki. The pUrvikalyANi AlApanA tArasthAyi phrases were nice but the swarams were simply excellent. Sri Vijay Siva's sarvalaghu swaram singing has improved by leaps and bounds and the interplay between him and Sri Sankaran was outstanding. The final swara sequence was a gem and Sri Chandramouli's response was apt. A quick sari evvarE was followed by an absolutely beautiful sAmA. It was long enough to bring out each and every facet of the rAgA's beauty, and concise enough that there was minimal repetition. The response by Sri Chandramouli was magnificent with some beautiful tArasthAyi piDis. The DKJ's school's rendition of Dikshitar krithis needs no introduction, and guruguhAya was serenely sung - the came the surprise, a beautiful niraval!!! Wisely, Sri Vijay Siva eschewed swarams preserving the impact of his sAmA suite.

A quickfire sItamma mAyamma preceded the main item of the evening. The bhairavi AlApanA started slowly in the mandhra sthAyi and unfolded in a grand canvas. As the AlApanA progressed, the ideas grew larger and larger in scope, and by the time Sri Vijay Siva hit the tAra sthAyi rishabham in perfect unison with shruti, this had developed into one of the all-time best AlApanAs of bhairavi I have ever heard. A beautiful closure and a quick reply set up the stage for upaCAramu and the traditional niraval at kapaTa nATaka. Swarams were sung mostly in the 1st speed with a quick koraippu in 2nd speed - the crowd was panting in anticipation for the tani by Sri Sankaran...

... and what a tani it was! Words fail me when it comes to describing the nAdam of Sri Sankaran's mridangam. It is just primal in its intensity. Lovely fingering, crisp sollus and complex ideas executed to pin-point precision. A sarvalaghu passage played during the second round of the tani is ringing in my ears as I write this review and brings forth an aching wish to own a recording of this concert. Sri Suresh played wonderfully and matched Sri Sankaran ably and appropriately. An absolutely outstanding tani.

The post-main pieces were rendered very well - special mention to the beautiful bilahari and dhanyAsi in the viruttam. During the mangaLam, Sri Vijay Siva also rendered the stanza beginning with 'pankajAkshi nelakonna' which is seldom heard.

Every season, I am amazed by Sri Vijay Siva's dedication, depth of knowledge, total involvement and commitment to his music. This concert continues to further that impression. His attention to detail is wonderful - just the stage atmosphere was so lovely; two tamburas played by his disciples as well as a tambura CD, creating a wall of sound helping him achieve perfect sruti unison. He folds his hands in his lap, closes his eyes and produces music that stirs the soul. Artistes like Sri Vijay Siva are models for aspiring musicians and are exemplary role models for those of us interested in the preservation and progress of the wonderful art that is Carnatic music.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 21 Dec 2006, 23:10

Prashant,
Thanks for that lovely, lovely, lovely review! Looking forward to a wonderful journey with you as you embark on your musical season this year.

ram · Post by **ram** » 21 Dec 2006, 23:17

Thanks for the beautiful review ...... it makes me feel really awful to have missed out on the concert

But then, there are so many good concerts happening that this kind of thing is inevitable. I have been wanting to hear Sri Trichy Sankaran this season but haven't got a chance yet

mahesh_narayan · Post by **mahesh_narayan** » 21 Dec 2006, 23:42

Prashant,
Vijay Siva certainly seems to have provided the impetus for an inspirational review !!!. Good job !!

I have listened to Guruguhaya over and over again sung by him and was almost starting to learn it from his tape, and your review has given me the necessary stimulus to do so.

The swaras in vilamba kala followed by 2nd speed koraippu seems to be a technique mastered and passed on by his guru Shri. DKJ. I remember the pleasure of listening to DKJ sir unleash those several times for kritis like Raksha Bettare, Rama Bana, Sri Raghuvaraprameya and so on. It was mostly for Tyagarajaswami's kritis. Maybe Dikshitar kritis are structured such that that kind of swara rendering doesn't jive. I may be mistaken about this observation.

My father attended a kalyana kutcheri of Vijay Siva in Chennai a couple of years ago and he sang 'Tyagarajaya Namaste'. My dad says the rendition was so full of bhakti and classicism that he seemed to supplicate the Lord instead of just render the kriti. Also, he was not bothered about the ruckus and the pandemonium in the marriage hall. He was totally immersed in his soulful music. Truly a nada upasaka !!!.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 22 Dec 2006, 00:05

Thanks, Prashant, for your opening ball six (I mean both the concert and the review!)...look forward to daily contributions from you!

manoranjitham · Post by **manoranjitham** » 22 Dec 2006, 07:23

i do not know how you all are able to withstand the high decibel levels in the hall.

manoranjitham · Post by **manoranjitham** » 22 Dec 2006, 07:27

The only places where you can listen with pleasure are the Music Academy, Raga Sudha Hall, Tattvaloka, and Pethachi Auditorium.

prashant · Post by **prashant** » 22 Dec 2006, 09:37

Thanks to all of you for the encouraging comments.

manoranjitham: I sat on the floor right under Vijay Siva's nose, and as such, got to hear the music from the stage rather than from the speakers. I heartily enjoyed it since the 'jamakALam' kutcheri is almost extinct having being pushed aside by auditoriums.

anandabhairavi · Post by **anandabhairavi** » 22 Dec 2006, 11:35

Superb Review Prashant!! made me feel as if I attended it.Looking for more reviews.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 22 Dec 2006, 12:37

Excellent review Prashant.

7. upaCAramu - bhairavi - adi [2] [R,N,S,T]

There are 2 bhairavi's one is upacAramu cEsE and the other is upachaaramulanu. You meant the upachaaramulanu,as the neraval is kapaTa nATaka sUtra.