Dr Trichy Sankaran & Shri Madurai Sundar Concert @ Detroit

[nadhasudha]

Vocal: Shri Madurai Sundar
Violin: Shri Jayshankar Balan
Mridangam: Sangeetha Kalanidhi Shri Trichy Sankaran
Vocal Support : Shri Sudheer Rao

Date: Saturday, October 6 th, 2012
Concert Occasion - GLAC's Navarathri Festival Concert (Non Thyagaraja Compositions) and Felicitation of Shri Trichy Sankaran on his Sangeetha Kalanidhi Award
Concert Duration: 2 hours and 20 minutes

Song List

1.Shlokam (Naadhe Naarada Tumbura in khamas) followed by Mathe Malayadhwaja _ Khamas Varnam - Adi
2. Gajananayutham - Chakravaakam - Adi - Muthuswamy Dikshithar - N, S @ Ajendra Poojitha
3. Shri Saraswathi Vidiyuvathi - Adi - Ambi Dikshithar - Raagam Suddha Saveri (this is not the popular hindolam composition)
4. MaamavaSada Janani - Kaanada - Roopakam - N ,S @ Kaama Daana - Swathi Tirunaal
5. Ninnuvina Gathi - Kalyani - Adi - A, N,s @ Vinutha Paalini - Subburaya Sastri
6. Maragathavalli - Kaambhoji - Adi - S @ Maragathavalli - Muthuswami Dikshithar
7. Kamakshi - Bhairavi - Misra Chapu - N,S @ Shyama Krishna Sahodari - T - Shyama Sastri
8. Santhanamanjari - Santhanamanjari - Adi - Muthuswami Dikshithar
9. Viruttham in Keeravani (Vandaarkkum Poon Kuzhaliye)
followed by Devi Neeye Thunai - Adi - Papanasam Sivan
10. Shri Venkata Gireesha - Surutti - Adi - Muthuswamy Dikshithar
11. Pavamana

A - Alapana
N - Neraval
S - Swaram
T - Thani

Metro Detroit Rasikas of carnatic music were treated to an excellent concert by two of the senior most vidwans of North America - one of them being a Sangeetha Kalanidhi. As a matter of fact the entire concert team was North America based with Jay Shankar Balan based out of Detroit as well.

Shri Sundar started the concert with a bang - the famous varnam in Khamas - Mathe Malayadhwaja Pandya. The varnam rendition was superb with the sangathis chiselled to perfection and the mridangam accompaniment of Shri Trichy Sankaran embellished it so beautifully. Words fail me in describing the beauty of this varnam rendition yesterday. This is one of my favorite varnams and MSS rendition of this is a gem. Perhaps this was chosen by Shri Madurai Sundar to pay obeisance to his hometown goddess!

Gajananayutham in Chakravaakam came next with several rounds of Neraval and Swaram at Ajendra Poojitha. Maamavasada Janani in Kaanada a Swathi Tirunaal composition was rendered very well. Ninnuvina Gathi in Kalyani a composition of Subburaya Sastri was given elaborate treatment with Alapana, Neraval and Swarams. Shri Sundar had announced that he would condense or even eschew the alapana portions of his concert to showcase Dr Trichy Sankaran's mridangam accompaniment.

Kaambhoji one of my favorite raagams and the rendition of Maragathavalli in that raagam came next and it was superb.

He then launched into Kamakshi in Bhairavi - the main piece of the concert - Shri Sundar sang in the higher octave while his disciple sang in lower octave for some portions of this composition and this sounded very good. The neraval and swarams were done at the usual edam - Shyama Krishna Sahodari. This was followed by the Misra Chapu Thani by Shri Sankaran - The intricacies of mridangam playing are lost on me - however I could appreciate the tone and the rhythm and it was exceptional! Excellent choice of krithi for the main befitting the occasion and the opportunity for a Misra Chapu thani!

A quick filler in Santhanamanjari came next followed by a Viruttham in Keeravani. The Papanasam Sivan Krithi Devi Neeye Thunai was rendered nicely and was chosen perhaps as another reminder to Sundar's hometown deity and a Tamil Krithi to boot.

The last piece of the concert was Shri Venkata Gireesha in Surutti by Muthuswamy Dikshithar - another thoughtful selection - it being a Purattasi Sani and auspicious for Perumal and the main deity of the temple being Lord Narayana.

Shri Sundar's krithi/raaga selection, krithi rendition and concert planning were exceptional. The previous week we were treated to Sarvalaghu method of swara rendition by Shri TVS and this week it was all about kanakku - With Shri Sundar coming from the school of Shri TNS - So we had koraippus, korvais, nadai variations and what have you. The swaras for the Kalyani, Kambhoji and Bhairavi krithis stood out.

Shri Sankaran's playing embellished each and every piece but his playing for the varnam was simply superb! I enjoyed the thani very much as well. Shri Jay Shankar Balan's violin accompaniment was melodious.

All in all an excellent concert - There was not one dull moment and it was gripping from the get go. My only gripe was it could have been longer!

Corrections and Comments welcome!

[Lakshman]

Was it this song?

sarasvati vidhiyuvati. rAgA: jyOtisvarUpiNi. rUpaka tALA. C.Rangiah.

P: sarasvati vidhiyuvati jyOtiSmati rAgEditE
A: surucira sita kamalAsanI sharaNAgata jana pAlinI
C: kOmala karadhrta vallaki kAmita vara phala dAyaki
kamalAyata lOcani shrI ranganAtha paripAlini

[arasi]

Nadasudha,
An excellent review about what sounds like an exceptional concert.

Needless to say, the Sangitha Kalanidhi made the concert sparkle!

Sundar comes from a musical family (learning from his aunt Ananthalakshmi Sadagopan from his childhood). Added asset: the great TNS happens to be his other guru.

The other US musician, Jayashankar Balan impresses us with his playing. Heard him this season in Chennai and many times at the Cleveland festival this year.

An excellent choice of songs by Sundar added weight to the concert. I was surprised though that nAda rUpiNi in saraswathi or en thAi nI anRO by Ambujam Krishna weren't there in the list--I say this only because Sundar includes her compositions in most of his concerts.

I often wonder: had Sundar belonged to the new stable of the US singers, he would have been recognized even more, the way exposure (via media) is today.
He is a musician worth listening to. Of course, I'm extra proud of him, because he's family too

[nadhasudha]

Thanks Arasi ji for your comments. Yours is a very musically accomplished family and you have every reason to be proud of it!

Lakshman ji - Here is what I could catch of the Pallavi .

Shri Saraswathi Vidhiyuvathi
Amba Chintayeham sada vidyaprade

I heard guruguha somewhere in the charanam and hence guessed it to be a Dikshithar composition. I could not capture the rest of the krithi

[Lakshman]

OK. The song is by Ambi Dikshitar.

shrI sarasvati. rAgA: dEvakriyA/shuddhasAvEri. Adi tALA.

P: shrI sarasvati vidhiyuvatiI ambA cintayEham sadA vidyApradE
C: vAsavAdi mahitE bahu varadE vallIsha guruguhAdi vinutE
(madhyamakAla)
sat-sangIta shAstrAdinutE sadAnandadE sArasa hastE
(ciTTasvara)
sA* sa* dha pa dha pa pa ma pa ma ri ri sa *dha
sA , sa *dha *pa *dha sa ri ma ri sa ri ma pa dha
sA* rI dha sa* ri* pa dha sa* ma pa dha ri ma pa dha
sa ri ma pa dha *dha sa ri ma pa dha sa ri ma pa dha
sA* rI* ma* ri* sa* dha sA* ri* sa* dha pA dhA sa*
dha pa ma pA dha pa ma ri mA sa ri ma pa dha
sA* rI* ma* ri* sa* dhA dhA sA* ri* sa* dha
pA pA dha sa* dha pa ma ri sa ri ma pa dha

[mahavishnu]

Nadhasudha, thanks for your lovely and detailed review.
I really like Madurai Sundar's singing. Reminds me of the old TNS in many ways. Detroit is very fortunate to have him and J.Balan.

I can imagine how amazing Sankaran sir's accompaniment for the Kamakshi swarajati would have been. Oh, the number of times he must have played this with SSI!

[Sreeni Rajarao]

Nadhasudha,

Thank you for the detailed review!

I was looking forward to this concert - sadly, due to a conflicting appointment, I was there only for about 45 minutes. I was there from item 2 thro' item 5.

I have always enjoyed Sri Sundar's music. He was in fine form as always, but as luck would have it, I was sitting in a section where there was a lot of socializing going on among women. It was disappointing that they chose to do that in a concert hall.

To make it worse, two organizers sitting with a donation box started talking - loudly! That was when I moved to the back of the hall and listened peacefully for a few minutes.

It was just not my day!

[nadhasudha]

Thanks Lakshman ji for the lyrics.

Thanks Mahavishnu! - Toronto is lucky to have Trichy Sankaran!

Thanks Sreeni - Yes there was a lot of noise . Luckily I got a good seat in the front few rows where there was less disturbance.

[rajeshnat]

Concert Occasion - GLAC's Navarathri Festival Concert (Non Thyagaraja Compositions)

nadasudha
We keep hearing concert on including compositions of vaggeyakkaras , but this is the first time I am hearing a thematic concert "excluding" compositions of Thyagaraja. Thanks for your review. I have heard madurai sundar just once with Dr TS it should have been a blast.

[arasi]

Rajesh,
Not including a Thyagaraja kruthi (unless it's an all thamizh concert or a thematic one on other composers), does not sit well with a number of listeners--even if say, an Annamacharya or a Patnam song is featured in the list. I suppose it's not only because of the greatness of Tyagaraja but also because every concert from day one has included several of his songs. So, is it a matter of not sticking to tradition?
A few years ago, when Sanjay did not include any T kruthi in his Music Academy concert, he was criticized for that, though his list was a substantial one!

[nadhasudha]

Concert Occasion - GLAC's Navarathri Festival Concert (Non Thyagaraja Compositions)
nadasudha
We keep hearing concert on including compositions of vaggeyakkaras , but this is the first time I am hearing a thematic concert "excluding" compositions of Thyagaraja. Thanks for your review. I have heard madurai sundar just once with Dr TS it should have been a blast.

Rajeshnat,

Thanks. Yes it was a blast.
In regards to your other point - Let me clarify - For the Navarathri festival, the emphasis or spotlight is on non thyagaraja compositions. This does not mean the artist cannot render any thyagaraja compositions. The rationale behind this was as follows - Detroit has 2 major carnatic music festivals - one is the thygaraja aradhana in May and another is the Navarathri Festival before Navarathri - The thyagraja aradhana showcases mainly thyagaraja krithis and so the organizers at that point thought to have the Navarathri festival highlight some beautiful krithis by other composers. This tradition has come to stay and all artists are open to this. Most Artists also render many items on Devi in keeping with the theme of the Navarathri Festival.

Technically Sundar's concert had 1 Thyagaraja Krithi and that was the mangalam - Pavamana. Had he instead chosen to sing Sri Kamalambike in Shri Raagam for the mangalam then yes it would have been a "Non Thyagaraja" Concert