Saint composers remembered
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Recitals and lectures marked jayanthis of the renowned music trinity - Syama Sastry, Mutthuswami Deekshitar and Thyagaraja.
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CHORDS AND NOTES D. Vardhani accompanied Ramachandran on mridangam and Dinakar on violin.
Sangeetha Ksheerasagaram, a very active music sabha functioning from Thyagaraya Gana Sabha celebrated the Jayanthis of the renowned music trinity - Syama Sastry, Mutthuswami Deekshitar and Thyagaraja, last week on three consecutive days. Thyagaraya Gana Sabha co-sponsored the programme. A lecture on Thyagaraja's contribution to Carnatic music by Mulukutla Brahmananda Sastry of Tenali marked the event. It was called `Thyagaraaja Darsanam'. He spoke on life and times of Thyagaraja and also on his Kirtana Sahityam, in which he did research and secured Ph.D. D. Vardhani opened the festival with her recital of compositions of Shyama Sastry. She is an experienced artiste. In all she rendered 15 pieces and made Shyama Sastri's Ratna Trayam as a special feature. They are all Swarajatis of rare appeal in ragas Thodi, Yadukula Kambhoji and Bhairavi. These numbers were distributed across her repertoire. And Vardhani appears to have specially prepared herself with these numbers and also some other rare pieces of Shyama Sastry. A varnam in Begada opened Vardhani's concert, followed by Nanubroava Rada in Janaranjani. Then came the first Swarajati in Thodi. Nannu Brova in Natakuranji, Karuna Choodu in Sri and Pahi Srigiri in Ananda Bhairavi were well received. Again there was the second Swarajati in Yadukula Kambhoji. Ninu Vina in Reethi Gowla. Triloka Mata in Faraju. Thethird and last Swarajati of the Ratna Trayam in Bhairavi was presented by her enthusiastically. The main attraction was Ninnu Vinaga in Poorvi Kalyani, which revealed Vardhani's good command in Raga elaboration she did with fluency in Neraval and Swara Kapana. This was done in Viloma Chapu Talam (4 plus 3 in the Gati instead of the usual 3 plus 4). She then sang Sankara Sankuru in Saveristicking to the Bhava in Vilambakala. Dinakar on violin and Ramachandran on mridangam supported her well.
Impressive recital
Padmavati Saranathan chose Muthswami Deekshitar's compositions in his memory for the next day. She was accompanied by M. Umasankar on violin and T. Ramachandran on mridangam.
Padmavathi is an `A' grade artiste of AIR Trichi and proficient even in violin. She has large tonal compass that covers three and a half octaves. Vallabhanayakasya in Begada was her opening number. Padmavathi reeled off one gem after another of Deekshitar's compositions like Ramey Bharatha in rare raga Jyothi, Sri Matrubhootham in Kannada, Sree Lakshmi Varaham in Abhogi, Santana Gopalam in Khamas and a Chaturdasa Raga Malika (14 raga chain) for Sri Viswanatham. While all the numbers were exceedingly good, Poorvikalyani was superb. Kambhoji too made greater impact the standard of which was never heard in recent times.
Her initial learning was from A. Anantha Raman and Champakavalli of Kolkata and had advanced training from Suguna Varadhani and T.V. Ramanujacharyulu.
S. Padmavati.
There was a brief function on the third day celebrating Sankara Jayanthi. This was marked by a concert by veteran Kolleigal Subramanyam.
He wrote 40 compositions on Sankaracharya, out of which he rendered a few. It appears he sang these in Sringeri peetham some years ago and this for the second time he rendered here. Among them were Karadi Kshetra Apara Mahima in Sourashtra, Suddha Todi piece Sankaram Gurauvaram Satatam Smarami, Sankarabharanam Vande Guruvaram Sankaram in Sankarabharanam and a Bhajagovindam Raga Malika. N.C. Anantha Krishna on violin, Ganapathi Raman on mridangam supported the veteran. The essays of Suddha Thodi and Sankarabharanam were with verve, defeating his age. Then appeared D.V.Mohana Krishna who took the charge of the rendition of Thyagaraja compositions.
Merusamana dheera in Mayamalava Gowla, Sogasuchooda Tharama in Kannada Gowla, Manavi Alakimpa in Nalina Kanthi, Vinatasuta Vahana in Jayanthasena and Sri Sundari Nee Divya Roopamu in Kalyani were highlights. Sitakalyana Vaibhogame in Kuranji and a Tillana of Balamurali concluded the pleasing show, recalling his guru Balamurali at every moment of his rendition. He was followed on violin by Kokkonda Subrahmanya Sarma and S. S. Kalyana Raman on mridangam.
G.S.
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