Neyveli Sri Santhanagopalan concert - Cleveland, 9 Apri2012

[shruthicarnatic]

Violin: Nagai Sri R. Muralidharan
Mridangam: Mannargudi Sri A. Easwaran
Kanjira: Sri K.V. Gopalakrishnan

Vidwan Neiveli Sri. Santhanagopalan is an epitome of knowledge and it was the first time I had heard him live at Cleaveland aradhana on April 9th 2012. I had huge expectations and was not disappointed. The concert started with an unusual varnam composed by Patnam Subramaniya Iyer in Asaveri ragam preceeded by a breif alapana. This was followed by a kriti, Palayamaam Parvathi, composed in Kannada ragam by Muthuswamy Dikshitar rendered nicely by both the vocalist and the violinist. The highlight of the concert was the kritis rendered in Poorvi Kalyani, Athana and Narayana Gowla. It was a downpour of poorvi kalyani both by the vocalist and the violinist. This kriti was rendered with a nice elaborate alapana covering two octaves, garnished with neravals and swarams. It sounded almost like a musical dialogue between the vocalist and violinist both demonstrating their thorough knowledge and deep understanding of the ragam, nicely accompanied by Mannargudi Sri. Eashwaran on the mridangam and Sri K.V.Gopalakrishnan on the Kanjira.

Thoughout the concert, my observation was that his voice sounded strained in the lower and higher octaves. I dont know if it was the acoustics,but this is merely an observation that can be disregarded for the vast spectrum of knowledge he demonstrated while rendering the alapanas, the chain of notes and gamakams that adorned the alapanas and neravals, and the shower of kalpana swarams that poured uninterruptedly in varying speeds. Sri. Nagai Muralidharan equally demonstrated his adept at the violin. The kriti in purvi kalyani and Narayana Gowla stood as a testimony to his Spontaneity and creativity.


Below is the list of songs he sang during the concert.

01-Asaveri Varnam composed by patnam subramaniya Iyer.
02-KannadaRagam-DikshitharKriti-Palayamaam Parvathi.
03-VinathaSutha-Jayanthasena-Thiagaraja Kriti - Preceeded by an excellent alapana.
04-Natanamadum Nathananadi - Kriti composed by Gopalakrishna Barathi in Poorvi Kalyani ragam.
05-Athana-rupakam-Amba Yanine Morayida Vinaraadha
06-Narayana Gowla Ragam - Diksitar Kriti - Sr Ramam Ravikulabdhi Somam - Excellent Alapana filled with rich gamakams.
07-Kanmaniye Solladi - Kapi - A nice alapana preceded this rendition.