Kalpakam Swaminathan, Saraswathi Vaggeyyakkara Trust

Smt. Kalpakam Swaminathan - Veenai
Smt. Janaki Srinivasan - Veenai Support
Sri M R Gopinath - Fiddle
Thanjavur Sri R Kumar - Mrudangam

Saraswathi Vaggeyakkara Trust
Vadhya Lahari Series
NGS Mini Hall. 24 June 10. 6:30 pm

sAmi daya jUDa - kEdAragauLa - Adi
srI mahA gaNapati - gauLa - misra cApu - MD
kAmAkshI - bhairavi - misra cApu - SS (sketch)
sankari nIvE - begaDa - rUpakam - Subbaraya Sastri (RNS)
paripAlaya mAm kOdaNDapANE - darbAr - misra cApu - T (RS)
vara nArada - vijaya srI - Adi - T
brOcEvArevarurA - khamAs - Adi - MV (short sketch)
marivEre dikkevarayya rAmA - shanmukhapriyA - Adi - PSI (RNS)
tani
charaNu charaNu - senjuruTTi - rUpakam - Anai Ayya
rAmacandra prabhU - sindhubhairavi - Adi - ST
tillAnA - paras - Adi - RSI
vAzhiya senthamizh - madhyamAvati

It was a wonderful concert. The pieces chosen were interesting and it was an interesting combination of rAgams, composers, tALams. Each piece was rendered with a lot of bhavam and traditional ferver. The manOdarmam was wonderfully displayed as well. All the AlApanais were shared by the two vainikas, to be followed by the violinst. All the neraval and svarams were exchanged by the three of them.

Smt. Kalpakam Swaminathan's presentations were a class above and had many traditional phrases that were rendered with the appropriate stresses, that they demand. The kritis were all rendered with beautiful sangatis and fitting manOdarmam parts.

Smt. Janaki Srinivasan did a good job in accompanying her guru and supported her ably. Her presentations were neat. She also played a rAgamAlikA tAnam in sahAnA, aTANA and srI during the main tAnam.

Sri Gopinath followed the main artist like a shadow and did very good in his replies. Sri Kumar played with very good anticipation and in accordance to the krits. His short tani was nice as well.

Sangeetha Sivakumar, YACM

Sangeetha Sivakumar - Dr. R Hemalatha - Kallidaikurichi Sivakumar - KV Gopalakrishnan

YACM Chamber Concert
12 June 2010. 6:30 pm

sarasuDa ninnE - sAvEri - Adi - KVI
srI mAtrubhUtam - kannaDa - misra cApu - MD
gOpanandana - bhUshAvaLi - Adi - ST (RS)
mAyammA - nATTaikuranji - Adi - SS (R)
sEvikka vENDum ayyA - AndhOLikA - Adi - MT
dAcukOvalEnA - tODi - misra jhampa - T (RNST)
vAni pondu - kAnaDA - rUpakam
bArO krishnayyA - rAgamAlikA
jAnarO - khamAs - rUpakam
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

It was a wonderful concert. Set in the comfortable drawing room of a home, it was absolutely divine music touching the soul all the way. The renditions of each of the kritis were precisely crisp and sharp with the right measure of feel and emotions thus tickling the senses. The AlApanai of bhUshAvaLi was very good. The classic nATTaikuranji was dealt with leisurely, fitting the mood of the composition. The main tODi was majestic. The choice of compositions was also very good. The neraval and svara parts of the concert were all done well in the right measure. The vocalist made good use of her style with the right measure of gamakkams and brigas to give music that was fulfilling the mind and soul.

The violinst was very good in her responses and matched the main artist at all occasions. Her versions of the rAgA elaborations were very good as well. The mridangist played very well with good anticipation and gelling well with the music. The kanjira vidwan was very sensitive and played very well. The thani was very nice to listen.

I was happy to be part of this concert.

B Balasubramanian, Nada Inbam

B Balasubramanian - Amritha Murali - Umayalpuram Mali - K V Gopalakrishnan

Nada Inbam
11 June 2010. 6 pm

chalamEla - darbAr - Adi - TT (short sketch)
ninnu jUchi - saurAshTram - rUpakam - PSI
dalacina vAru - danyAsi - Adi - Subbaraya Sastri (R)
garuDagamana - nAgasvarAvaLi - Adi - PSI (S)
Eti janmamidi - varALi - misra cApu - T (RNS)
tillai talamenRu - sAmA - Adi - GKB
nI muddu mOmu - kamalA manOhari - Adi - T
koniyADina nApai - kAmbhOji - Adi - VK (RST)
maharAjukarammanE - bEhAg - rUpakam - DS
kalaiyAda kalviyum - viruttam from abhirAmi andAdi - mOhanam, shanmukhapriyA, Ahiri, srI
srI kamalAmbikE - srI - kaNDA Ekam - MD

It was a very good concert. The AlApanais of danyAsi and varALi were both excellent. The main kAmbhOji was rendered very well too. The violinst gave wonderful replies to all the three. All the kritis were rendered well. The neraval and svarams were all measured and fitting to the kriti presented. The violinst was good here as well. The viruttam was brilliant. The mridangist played well, though a little louder at times. The kanjira vidwan was very supportive and played very well. Their longish tani was good too.

Vasumathi Desikan, Sravanam

Vasumathi Desikan - B Anantakrishnan - S J Arjun Ganesh

Sravanam, TTD Centre
4 June 10. 6 pm

jaya jaya ramA nAta - gambIra nATTai - NT
nI irangA - aTANA - Adi - PS
nAradamuni veDalina - pantuvarALi - tisra Adi - T (RNS)
vandE vAsudEvam - srI - kaNDa cApu - A
srIpatE nIpada - nAgasvarAvaLi - Adi - T
srInivAsa tava caraNam - kharaharapriyA - rUpakam - PS (RNST)
srI vEnkaTa girIsham - suruTTi - Adi - MD
bhAvayAmi gOpAlabAlam - yamunA kalyANi - kaNDa cApu - A
ceDiyAya valvinaigaL - pAsuram in mOhanam, sindhu bhairavi, hamsAnandi
srInivAsa tiruvEngaDamuDaiyAn - hamsAnandi - Adi - PS
venkaTAcala nilayam - sindhu bhairavi - Adi - PD
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

It was a good concert. I reached a little late and entered as pantuvarALi was being elaborated. It was a good essay of the rAgam by the vocalist and the violinst. The kriti was rendered well with a good round of neraval and svarams. The main kharaharapiryA AlApanai of the vocalist was excellent. It was a very classical affair and rendered very well. The violinst gave a good reply too. The kriti was rendered well with neraval and svarams. All the other pieces were well rendered. The mrudangist played well with good anticipation.

B Balasubramanian, Sravanam

B Balasubramanian - Vittal Ramamurthy - Umayalpuram Mali - Sri Sundar Kumar

Sravanam, TTD Information centre
3 June 10. 6:45 pm

yagnAdulu - jayamanOhari - Adi - T (S)
avatAramentuku - harikAmbhOji - kaNDa capu - T (S)
vEnkaTa saila vihArA - hamIrkalyANi - Adi - Subbaraya Sastri (R)
tappi bratiki pOva taramA - tODi - rUpakam - T (RS)
nI muddu mOmu - kamalA manOhari - Adi - T
parama pAvana rAmA - pUri kalyANi - Adi - RSI (RNST)
ulagam uNDa peru vAyA - Ahiri - Adi
kulam tarum selvam thandiDum - pAsuram in sindhubhairavi, sindhu bhairavi, kApi
jagaddhOdhArana - kApi - Adi - PD
vasanamigavERRi - bEhAg tiruppugazh

It was a very good concert. The AlApanai of hamIrkalyANi and rendition of the kriti were both absolutely soulful and touching. The tODi kriti, a rare number was presented well with a matching AlApanai and svarams. The main pUrvikalyANi was rendered very well with a lot bhavam. The kriti was rendered very well with very nice neraval and svarams. All the other kritis were all well rendered as well.

The violinst was good all the way and made fitting replies to the main artist. His essay of hamIrkalyANi was wonderful too. His tODi and pUrvikalyANi were nice as well.

The mridangist played well with good anticipation and presented a nice tani. He was ably supported by the kanjirA vidwan.