Smt.Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam -REACH concert @Chola sheraton

[Sundarnrao]

While the reminiscences, relishes and the resilience of the topical KF concert by Smt.VS is still poignantly eternal for all her aficionados, gallantly envisioned REACH concert today added vital viands to abide mystically musical gratification to get mythologized as ‘greatly grandeur’ concert.

Smt. VS launched the lofty heights of heaven into earth through her first rendition Sri Mann Narayanaa that held a mold of soulful nuggets through her glistening vocals. Balancing richly on the droning tanpura, moody violin grooves and sweeping percussion, Her canonic vocal avowal sheered celebrations amidst the audience. Right after the song, Smt.VS duly announced her tribute to MS for her birth anniversary yesterday and made an apt narrative on the word “MS” to allude her tribute for MS.Swaminathan, who was the chief-guest today.

The musical-empress immediately intensified her alacrity with her second presentation “Swaminatha paripalaya”with implausibly hyperbolic stance on manodharma. Smt.VS hooked the listeners emotionally with her spontaneously inconceivably discursive portrayals of Nattai based manodharmas through elusive bol-baants and sargams.

Smt.VS’s manifestation of high-fine-art idiom then got elevated with the third rendition “Janani Ninnuvina” that continued to surpass the standards of her own emotional excellence and notably with a transformational crystallization of improvisations casted through her manodharma framework (alapana, sargams, behlawas, Sparsh, Kampit, gamak etc)of Reetigowlai.

Smt. VS carried her benefaction with a distinguished fourth presentation Banthureeti kolu (hamsanadham) ducking the audience alluringly with her choral charisma. She articulated assorted variety of sargam taans ( dolna, dhadka, gajatana, cadti, chut-ki-sargam, bal, bidar, Hawaai-ki-taan etc). It was a sheer treat to watch her beautify her imaginations very aesthetically and her behalwaas were also remarkable.

Smt VS sustained the engaged audience with her fifth presentation mohana-rama where she sprayed finest ideas of manodharmas through her musical sophistication. It was a mind-blowing presentation and smt. VS insured to create phenomenal inventions keeping vaadi and samvaadi in their holy spirits. Be it her alapana or her pirats on sargams (She base-lined on “Dha” and “ga”) or sapats on sargams or Ladi or koyel or Khutas, It was at her THE BEST. Sangathkars (Mrudangam, Ghatam and Violin) supported artistically without disturbing the mood and the swing of Smt.VS.

Her sixth presentation Saaramaina (behag) duly asserted her discipline & dedication to the fine-art all these years and stalwartly hinged her admirable intent of conveying musical ideas imaginatively. I have always been a huge fan of smt.VS’s behag.

Smt.VS styled her the seventh presentation a vritham (set in raagmala) and continued it with srinivasa thiruvengadam (sohini) with an expressive virtuosity and rendered complex passages with such an ease to produce simplicity & appeal to every rasika inorder to cater their individual mindset of listening pleasures.

Smt.VS’s eight presentation guru-nanak bandish set in charukesi was a hallmark of her musical ethos with an incredible cascade of bol-alaap attested through her affable manodharma of north-indian colors. She then concluded with a nice bairagi-bhairav based sloka that messaged the ‘ray of hope’ as a splendor gratitude to the efforts of REACH initiative.Weekend cannot get any better with yet another masterpiece concert by the artistic genius who continues brightens the classical idiom mythologically as a chief proponent of the art.

[veeyens3]

While I did not have the pleasure of listening to Smt. Vijayalakshmi SUBRAMANIAN'S ,concert, I certainly enjoyed going through your scholarly review. May Sri Rama bless you

[Sreeni Rajarao]

moody violin by : ?

sweeping percussion by : ?

Thank you!

[satyabalu]

* There can not be a better tribute to MS( who had made generous contribution through charity programme surpassing Tata &other trusts ) by starting the concert with "Srimann Narayana" .Dr.V.S. emulating the doyen in the cause of elevating the under privileged by divine music.
*The time the concert started suited the persons like me to be on time @ 7 PM!(although it is only fair for the invitees to be there when the vounteers are honoured -the details of their mission are available in the form of brochure ,there is coverage in today's "The Hindu".The ambience of the chola is more serene as the place is moderately crowded unlike other 5 stars).
* Swaminatha -Nattai - MD-followed by chittaswaram &going to submain" janani ninuvina' with raga elaboration &chittaswaram in two kalams were much in tandem with the object of elevating the level of discerning listeners suited for the occasion .One of the organisers supervising music systems was closely following the Misra chapu without break ! I was affirmed that Hamsanadham can be heard with just with Ne ma Pa why even ma pa ...pa .
*Mohana rama was elaborate is no wonder with VS ,there was Dr. Hemalatha to supplement with nuances of mohanam.
*Thani had to be brief by the AS Ranganthan &ghatam ?*saramaina soulful rendering with slow tempo reminded me of KVN who has immortalised the song of swati.
*Padiyay kidanthu in Valaji amply demonstrated one has to advance every step to reach "Tirumal"(We have to put dayam or 6 in dice while playing "Paramapadam"?)
I agree the 'charukesi ' had HM flavour (I know this raga is of CM origin).
*tamasoma jyodirgamaya(correct if neceesary) "May our learning be illuminative"was the message .
*Sunder Rao! your write up has flashed the "forum' @9.30 even before we could adjourn to lobby /waiting for valet parking to board the vehicle after the concert.

[rajsanthanam]

Beatiful reviews. I experienced the concerts through your reviews themselves.

[Sundarnrao]

@Veeyens3 sir -- Thanks for your kind words. I'm was just a small enlightened zealot that sprinkled neophyte ruminations and it is smt.VS who deserves lord Shri Rama's blessings for her divine concert towards noble cause. May your wishes & prayers strengthen her musical heritage to perform more & more for many many decades to come.
@sreeni Rajarao sir - Shr. AS Ranganathan provided mridangam support and Smt. R.Hemalatha provided able violin support for the concert. I'm not able to place the name of Ghatam player - but he was really awesome and seasoned strong support besides enjoying himself by bestowing 'daads' (instant appreciations like sabaash, wah etc) to all the artistes on the stage.
@Sathyabalu sir - I fully concur with your MS anecdote. The sacrosanct concert last night moved me so much that, I was instantly motivated to write the review from the sheraton's coffee-shop itself (than a leisure review) and posted it around 10pm before leaving the sheraton property.

[HR]

Hello Srini Rajarao - The Ghatam artist for the concert was Sri . H. Sivaramakrishnan.

- Smt. VS commenced the concert with a verse from the Sri Venkatesa Stotram - Vina Venkatesam Na naatho Na naathah preceding Sriman Narayana. In the Hamsanadam Kriti Banturithi , Neraval and Swarams were sung in the charanam phrase beginning with the words - Ramanama Mane .

- Srinivasa Thiruvengadam was preceded by a pasuram in Shanmukhapriya , Valaji , Hamsanandi. There cannot be a more fitting finale to this concert than a musically woven garland of slokas on Light - Deepam , including the slokas "Shubam Karothi Kalyanam. . ." and "Asatomah Satgamaya. . .om shantih om shantih om shantih " .

[satyabalu]

"to put dayam or 6 in dice while playing "Paramapadam"?"
For those who may not be familiar with the term of" playing paramapadam esp., on vaikunta ekadasi " this is "Snake &ladder"

[HR]

Coverage of the evening's programme in THE HINDU

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp ... 463989.ece