OST @ Music Academy - 24-12-2014 9 AM

[raghavt]

Vocal - Shri O.S Thyagarajan
Violin - Shri T.H. Subhramaniam
Mridangam - (SK) Prof Tiruchi Shankaran
Ghatam - Shri Vaidyanathan Suresh

OST has proved that pure music can do wonders than the so called 'innovations' .

Here is the list (which I recollect):

1. Varnam - Begada - Aadi

2. Gurulekha - Gowri Manohari - Khandachapu - N & S at 'Tatva Bodhanajesi

3. Dasharatha Nandana - Asaveri-Aadi

4. Kamalaapta - Brindavana Saaranga - Aadi

5. Ethavunaraa - Kalyani-Aadi (R N S T ) - Main

6. Pattu Viduvaraadu - Manjari - Aadi

7. RTP - Kamboji - Talam - ??

8. Sagara Sayana Vibho - Bhageshri

9 Pahirama Bhoota

- Varnam was traditional and crisp.

- Gurulekha was elaborated at "tatva bodhanajesi " with neraval and swarams

- Kalyani flowed and it had great effect. It was an elaborate Raagam. Neraval @ "Srikarudaku"

- Pattividuvaradu, an all time favorite (reminds every one of 1988 SSI concert) was brisk with Shankaran sir pepping it up.

- Sagara Sayana Vibho was presented with all bhavam. The accompanists joined and elevated the mood.

RTP - Not sure about the Taala, maybe fellow forumites can help me. If I remember correctly this was the count - (4 + 4 = 8 x 4 + 6 X 2 )?? starting @ 1/2 edam???

Thani - Aadi - With traditional Shankaran Sir korvais to start with; Trade mark sollus, crisp and effective 'abhiprayams and teerumanams' followed. Tisram was taken up for exposition - with the trademark Palani Korvai. Chatushra koraippu with a small bout of misra nadai and then the Tisra Mohra-Korvai (Magnum Opus Korvai as Shankaran Sir had remarked once).

RTP -Shankaran Sir rounded off with a mohra-korvai

A lesson for all upcoming and the not so junior Mridanga Vidwans. They need to see what is know as 'master class' and how to present it effectively.

V Suresh played with great gusto and anticipation and was able to reciprocate effectively

TH Subramaniam raised up to the occasion and followed OST brilliantly in all songs, especially Kalyani
I was reminded of the Neyveli Santhanagopalan Concert that took place way back in 1994 @ my hometown in Irinjalakuda with T H Subramaniam and Shankaran Sir. What a marathon concert it was (about 4 hours) with 2 reverberating tanis. Aaaah, good olden days, I had just finished schooling then

I could see a galaxy of Vidwans in the front row. That speak volumes


*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
(Saw my friend semmu86 after a gap of 3 years. He vanished into thin air, did not get an opportunity to meet and talk )

With inputs from Chandramouli Shrinivasan (my friend)
-- Raghavendran (Bangalore)

[mahavishnu]

Raghavt: Thanks for your excellent summary. And yes, watching TS play is like attending a master class in percussion.
I'm sure Semmu would have enjoyed it thoroughly. He would never miss an OST/TS combo.

[pvs]

OST takes my vote for the SK next year. His concerts are no frills but worth every minute. Thyagaraja owns his concerts though, not much space for his contemporaries - SS and MD.
With Sri Sankaran he makes a classic team.

[cienu]

Lovely review Raghavt.
OST and TS combination is a treat for sure and Ethavunara is a favourite of mine particularly when rendered by OST.

[pattamaa]

It was great concert.... I went to hear OST-TS combo, not disappointed at all.... Kalyani was grand, with some nice improvisations. The success of this concert proves yet again that there is no flashy stuff needed... the concert was well attended too...

[pattamaa]

the last keerthana was pahi rama dhoota in vasantha varali...

The song list is almost all thyagaraja if you leave out varnam and bagesri... a typical OST.... but, the concert really sounded complete.

[harimau]

the last keerthana was pahi rama dhoota in vasantha varali....

Whew! I was afraid it was a combination of Pahi Rama and Bhooth Mote!

I shouldn't have said that because that could give ideas to purveyors of abhangs!

Fantastic concert. Not even a 10-second break between songs, except once when he had to wait for the mridangam to be tuned. An outpouring of solid music, though I would have to rate his concert last year at the Academy higher. The large turnout for this senior artist was indeed heartwarming.

[devan]

The more abang is hammared in this woman singer baiting foram the more it is getting popular.they are thanking harimvooo for this.

[harimau]

Vocal - Shri O.S Thyagarajan

RTP - Not sure about the Taala, maybe fellow forumites can help me. If I remember correctly this was the count - (4 + 4 = 8 x 4 + 6 X 2 )?? starting @ 1/2 edam???

-- Raghavendran (Bangalore)

I counted the tala as Tisra Jhampai. The laghu had a count of 3. There was one anudhrutham. These were in chatusra nadai. Then the dhrutham was in Tisra nadai.

At least, that is the closest I could get to.

Trichy Sankaran did not beat the mridangam and played with great sowkhyam.. A welcome change from past behaviour.

[harimau]

The more abang is hammared in this woman singer baiting foram the more it is getting popular.they are thanking harimvooo for this.

I understand there are 4000+ abhangs and more are being composed.

Enjoy!

[HarishankarK]

Besides Tygaraja krithis, his repertoire includes several Narayana Teerthar tarangams also. His rendering is effortless and his voice and manner remain the same from the beginning till the end of the concert.
Yes, he should be honoured with the Sangita Kalanidhi.

[pattamaa]

He may not "qualify" for the award :(

[rajeshnat]

raghav or any one else,
I did not attend this concert, in the evening when i attended a part and a full concert ,I was told that the tani was long and OST did not have any time to sing the RTP . The taanam was just for a minute or two .Is that true, how long was the pallavi and tani . OST singing RTP is always rare .

[semmu86]

Vocal - Shri O.S Thyagarajan

RTP - Not sure about the Taala, maybe fellow forumites can help me. If I remember correctly this was the count - (4 + 4 = 8 x 4 + 6 X 2 )?? starting @ 1/2 edam???

-- Raghavendran (Bangalore)

I counted the tala as Tisra Jhampai. The laghu had a count of 3. There was one anudhrutham. These were in chatusra nadai. Then the dhrutham was in Tisra nadai.

At least, that is the closest I could get to.

Nope. It was a unique thalam, with a unique angam. It had a chatushra laghu (2-kalai) which was in chatusra nadai and a drutham, which was in thisra nadai. So, it was essentially 8+6+6. No such thalam in the sooladi sapta thala structure has this angam. This morning i happened to borrow the souvenir from a friend to find this out and the OST concert list mentions this as "Rudra Chapu".

[harimau]

I counted the tala as Tisra Jhampai. The laghu had a count of 3. There was one anudhrutham. These were in chatusra nadai. Then the dhrutham was in Tisra nadai.

At least, that is the closest I could get to.

Nope. It was a unique thalam, with a unique angam. It had a chatushra laghu (2-kalai) which was in chatusra nadai and a drutham, which was in thisra nadai. So, it was essentially 8+6+6. No such thalam in the sooladi sapta thala structure has this angam. This morning i happened to borrow the souvenir from a friend to find this out and the OST concert list mentions this as "Rudra Chapu".

Ok, so there was no accent after a tisra laghu and so it wasn't an anudhrutham as I thought but a chatusra jati laghu in chatusra nadai and a dhrutham in Tisra nadai.

Doesn't that make the tala just chatusra Rupakam with variation in nadai? I am talking the classic definition of Rupakam here.

Doesn't matter. If OST wants to call it Rudra Chapu, I guess that is his privilege.

Thanks for the correction anyway.

[semmu86]

Doesn't that make the tala just chatusra Rupakam with variation in nadai? I am talking the classic definition of Rupakam here..

Just to clarify Purely on academic interests, classic rupakam is defined as drutham followed by laghu, whereas this thalam had laghu followed by drutham. So i guess this was a new one off the block.

[raghavt]

semmu86- Thanks for the piece of info. I really do not remember the complete count that OST put. The unusual tala pattern added to the confusion.

rajeshnat- RTP was short in total. Quick tanam, very brief swarams...there were no violin responses for the brisk swarams. I am not sure whether the so called 'long' tani caused this. The main tani was well within 10 mins I think.

[pperumal]

Top notch performance by the veteran OST!!!
What perfection, class and panache!!! Phew!!
Thoroughly enjoyed this concert - especially the expansive Kalyani - he has such a sense of joy and gay abandon!!!!

- PP.

[harimau]

Doesn't that make the tala just chatusra Rupakam with variation in nadai? I am talking the classic definition of Rupakam here..

Just to clarify Purely on academic interests, classic rupakam is defined as drutham followed by laghu, whereas this thalam had laghu followed by drutham. So i guess this was a new one off the block.

Syama Sastri has a word for that: Viloma Rupakam! (No, not really; but he does use Viloma Chapu, a variation on Misra Chapu).

Thanks. I learnt a lot from this exchange with you. I am glad I got the number of beats right as you all seem to agree with me on that. For one who is thalam-challenged, that is a big enough accomplishment in itself.

[Madras Talkies]

I liked his concert. He generally sings Pallavi in Adi talam. Wasn't esger to follow the talam. :p

[hnbhagavan]

One of the best morning concerts in the week Dec 20 - 26 which i attended.Excellent support by the artists Prof trichy sankaran and Subhas Chandran on the violin.
Os Tyagarajan may be among those who have been by passed for the title of Sangitakalanidhi.There was such calmness in the way he performed telling the academy that he is above those titles.

[Vyuptakesha]

This was a very peaceful cutcheri that had the entire team perform very cohesively delivering filled soukiyam music.
OST unfortunately had to rush through the RTP piece; but this couldnt be longer at the cost of other pieces as they were all brilliant.
Ofcourse OST isnt known to be a RTP person, so it felt ok.
Yes, he is a strong contender for the SK...with several others like Sri Karaikudi Mani also in the pipeline.

[hnbhagavan]

Dear Vyuptakesha,

There are categories of musicians who are by passed for the title.However when every one had written off Sri TVG,he was awarded in 2014.You never know.Music Academy committee can spring a surprise now and then.There are many who should get - O S Tyagarajan,Vijaya siva among vocalists.

[CRama]

To compensate for shrinking the RTP in academy, OST sang the very same pallavi in Mudhra elaborately. It was excellent. Wait for the webcast.

[HarishankarK]

Both Seniority and merit are important. Must be really difficult for the Academy - anyone they award they will be criticised by some group of the other.