Nedunuri Krishnamurthy, Valayapatti Nadalaya

Nedunuri Krishnamurthy
Delhi Sunderrajan
Guruvayoor durai
E M Subramanian

valayapaTTi nAdalayA - hEmamAlini kalyANa maNDapam - 24th December 2004 - 6:30 pm

sAmi ninnE - varNam - shrI rAgam
vandE ham - hamsadvani - annamAcharyA
parvata rAja kumAri - sriranjani - dIkshitar
okapAri - kalAvati - tyAgarAjar
enduku nI manasu - kalyANi - tyAgarAjar
taniyAvartanam
tunga tIra - sALagabhairavi - kamalEsa dAsar
short slOkam from dAsarti sadakam of bhadrAcalam rAmadAsar in khamAs
rAma jOgi - khamAs - bhadrAcalam rAmadAsar
palukutE - AbhEri - annamAcharyA
slOkam - vandE sambhO umApatim suraguru vandE jagatkAraNam vandE pannaga bhUshaNam vandE pakshInAmpatim vandE sUrya shashAnka vanni nayanam vandE mukundapriyam in shaNmukapriya, mOhanam and kApI
jAnakI ramaNa - kApI - vAnamAmalai jIyar
patiki hArati rE - suruTTi - tyAgarAja
srIyath kAntAya and mangaLam kOsalEndrAya

Sri. Krishnamurty was just amazing. He started off with a short sketch of shrI rAgam and the varNam. His detailed elaboration of hamsadvani was very good. In fact i have never heard such a detailed elaboration at all. A neat rendition of the kriti was followed by kalpanai svarams. His first set of svaras were just s r g p n, with various kAlapramANams. then he sang a few shadja varjiya svarams. And then there was a beautiful koraippu and korvai. There was intricate kaNakku involved in every svaram rendered.

The next was a short shrIranjani AlApanai followed by the rare dIkshitar kriti and the kalAvati kriti followed. The way he started kalyANi, many ppl (including yours truly) expected to be another main piece. The way he elaborated kalyANi made one think otherwise. His long essays and innovative sancarams were very good that even one who get turned off by kalyANi did sit up to listen to it in detail. The elaborations were very good. The kriti was followed by neraval and svarams at 'tyAgarAja hrudaya sadanuDa accandamu nIdu vEDitirA'. The neraval patterns were unique true to nEdunUri and his svara prastArams again had involved kaNakku in every svaram and there very intersting and inspiring svara patterns.

The accompaniment of Delhi Sunderrajan was just following the main artist. Though he missed out a few kaNakkus. Guruvayoor durai was really good in accompanying and his tani was just out of the world. The patterns of this tani and the tIrmAnams were really good. E M Subramanian did not lack either in any department and had done his work on stage really well.

The latter part of the concert started off with a sketch of sALagabhairavi and there was a short sketch of AbhEri also. The slOkams were all rendered with complete bhakti and bhavam.

Previously, he sang the starting lines of rAma jOgi piece first in bhajanai sampradAyam and then in concert style crediting semmangudi for this piece to be brought on concert stage.

For once, one did feel that the organisers should not give speeches in the middle of the concert. With due respects to the Sri. Valayapatti who spoke, it was rather painful to listen to long speech in between the kalyANi AlApanai of nedunuri and the violinist's reply. Still his mention that carnAtic music is Atma rAgam and cine music is sarIra bhAvam was just the right thing one could say.

nedunuri said that all he is, is because of his guru sangIta kalAnidi Dr. S. pinAkapANi. He said his only bAkyam in this birth was his association with his guru. He said that, gnanam is to know to whom to learn from rather than the actual learning process. He said the sAstriya sangItam is the one which touches the heart and not just superficial. He also went on to say that shishyas who inherit one's tradition and knowledge are always better than children who inherit materialistic wealth. He ended with saying sampradAya sangItam needs upAsanai.

It was a stellar and truely inspiring performance by the 77 year old veteran who still sings with the same charm as he use to decades ago. The ease with which his voice traversed from mandara madhyamam to thAra pancamam was just amazing. No Wonder he sang at Academy for 53 years in a row.