P Varamurthy, Nadasvaram, Music Club IIT Madras

P Varamurthy - Nadasvaram
T Venkatesan - Nadasvaram Support
Venkatesan & Dakshinamoorthy - Thavil

Music club IIT Madras. 22nd September 2006. 7 pm

gajavadanA - srIranjani - Adi - PS (RS)
manvyAla - naLinakAnti - Adi - T
pariyAcakamA - vanaspati - rUpakam - T
endarO mahAnubhAvulu - srI rAgam - Adi - T (R)
marugElarA - jayantasrI - Adi - T
pArvati kumAram - nATTakuranji - rUpakam - MD (RS)
marivErE - Anandabhairavi - misra cApu - SS (R)
ADamODi galadE - cArukEsi - Adi - T (RS)
tani Avarththanam
chinnanchiru kiLiyE - rAgamAlikA - Adi - Bharathiyar
bhO shambhO - rEvati - Adi - Tanjore Sankara Iyer
kurai onRum illai - rAgamAlikA - Adi - Rajaji
jagat janani - ratipatipriyA - Adi
kARRinilE varum gItam
tandanAnA Ahi - bauLi - Adi - A
tillAnA - rEvati - Adi
vandE mAtaram - dEsh - Adi
vAzhiya sendamizh - madhyamAvati (followed by a short sketch)

The Less known artists are the treasure house of the lesser known treasures in music. This was yet again reiterated at the concert one go to hear played by Sri Varamurthy. All pieces presented were rendered very well.

The concert started with a short and brisk srIranjani which did show all the essential phrases. The svarams which followed the kriti were good. The naLinakAnti kriti was presented with a lot of briga-laden sangatis, all perfectly played everytime. It is was just out of the world to hear a vivAdi rAgam on the nAdasvaram. The effect created on the audience by the vanaspati kriti was just tooo good to put in so many words.

The srI rAgam AlApanai was good. The kriti was rendered with a lot of nice sangatis. The jayantasrI kriti was good. nATTakuranji was elaborated well. Each phrase being measured and precise. A particular glide from the tAra shadjam down to shadjam and back, traversing the ArOhaNam and avarOhaNam of nATTaikuranji showing quite a few gamakams, in one shot, was just amazing. The kriti was good and svarams were good also.

It was rather striking to hear Anandabhairavi being elaborated right after nATTakuranji. The AlApanai was good and the kriti was rendered very well. The main course, cArukEsi was rendered with a lot of bhavam and the svarams were good also.

The post tani session saw quite a few popular numbers rendered in a more classical version than what one gets to hear otherwise. It was nice to hear two rEvati pieces, which dint make the sOber effect but showed how gamakas can make the ragam rather less scalar. The vandE mAtaram was a surprise and it was good also.

To sum up, All the pieces were rendered very well. The sangatis were rendered perfectly without a hitch. On most occasions, there were more sangatis the display of precise gamakkams is to be appreciated. All AlApanais were good. They were more phrase based and logically continous and not bits and pieces. The svara prastArams were good as well. All the kOrvais were well planned and played well.

Sri Venkatesan who accompanied on the second nAdasvaram, kept up with the main artist all thro' the concert, if not a shade a better. The two thavil vidvans were very good. They meticulously followed the main artist in playing according to the kriti played and actually followed the sangatis as well. Their tani was good as well.

It is sad that such a divine instrument is not given the recognition it deserves and such rather less known artists are not given enough opportunities in the sabhas which claim to work towards supporting good artists and art forms.