B Balasubramanian, Chamber Concert.

B Balasubramanian - V V Ravi - Ramnad V Raghavan

Chamber concert. 19th Jan 2007. 7 pm

viribhONi - bhairavi - aTa - PA (varNam)
palukutacE - phalamanjari - rUpakam - PSI (S)
vINA pustaka - vEgavAhini - misra jhampai - MD
ettanai thAn vittai - Ananda bhairavi - Adi - Anai ayyA (R)
kA vA vA - varALi - Adi - PS (S)
karuNAnanda - nIlAmbari - Adi (2 kaLai)
ellAm sivan seyal - kalyANi - vilOma misra cApu (RS)
bAmarO - kEdAragauLa - misra cApu - K (padam)
kuvalayAkshirO - gauLipantu - misra cApu - K (padam)
engE irundAlum - kAmbhOji - tisra Ekam (padam)
jAnarO - khamAs - tisra Ekam (jAvaLi)
vazhi maraittirukkudE - nATTaikuranji - misra cApu - GKB
sAramaina - bEhAg - rUpakam - ST (short sketch) (jAvaLi)
kandukamadakariyai - sindhubhairavi, chakkaravAkam, pUrvikalyANi, nATTaikuranji, danyAsi, suruTTi
kAdi mOdi - sankarAbaraNam - (tiruppugazh)

While there was a very juicy function of book release elsewhere in the city, I had to come over a huge urge to go there, and made my mind to go to this Chamber concert in the drawing room of a flat, somewhere in the city. Battling the evening traffic of the Madras Metropolis and getting the directions to the place, very correctly incorrect, i reached this place while he was beginning 'palukutacE' and then came a quick round of svarams. A quick look a who the accompanists were, it was super surprise to see Sri Raghavan on the mrudangam.

'vINA pustaka dhArinIm' was rendered in a very moving fashion. The sangatis were good. The last sangati in the pallavi line with a beautiful gamakkam on pustaka was very nice. The Anandabhairavi AlApanai was very nice. The kriti was rendered very well. The rendition of kA vA vA was good. The version being different at certain places. The line 'vaLLi deivayAnai' with a glide from the tAra shadjam to the madhya sthAyi (irakka jAru) was very nice. There was a nice round of svarams at 'pazhani malai uraiyum murugA'.

The nIlAmbari kriti, 'karuNAnanda' was rendered very well. The kalyANi AlApanai was started very unconventionally and was built well. The kriti in vilOma misra cApu was rendered with a nice round of korappu svarams, when one started getting ready to hear a tani in this not-so-popular tALam by the old veteran. However, all hopes were shattered as Sri Raghavan finished the Avarathanam saying "nAn neraiya vAsichachu, neeye pADu".

The kEdAragauLa padam, 'bAmarO' which came next was very nicely rendered. 'kuvalayAkshirO' which came next was still better. The tamil padam in kAmbhOji was wonderfully rendered. Hearing three padams one after another was just too good to digest. All the other pieces came up as requests from the audience and they were all very nicely rendered. The nATTakuranji piece was very nice and so was 'jAnarO'. The rAgamAlikA viruttam was sung in rAgam as they were prompted by people sitting in the audience.

Sri Balasubramanian gave a very nice concert. The gamakkams were very well brought out. His throat wasnt in great shape, but still he was able to commmunicate with the audience and it was a very nice experience to sit in the concert. Each composition chosen was very clearly adding to the flavour of the concert and it was a very very classical affair.

Sri Ravi on the violin was his usual self. His AlApanais and svarams were good.

Sri Raghavan on the mrudangam, was amazing. The way he played for each song, each sangati, each phrase of the song was very nice. His anticipation of what was coming and playing accordingly was very nice. Even during the svarams and the kaNakkus that were sung, his playing matched very well. He used the thoppi and right palm as well, quite regularly to create nAdam which one doesnt usually get to hear. He played according to the mood of the kriti and that definitely added effect to the concert experience. On the whole, a very enjoyable concert.