Nedunuri Krishnamurthy, Valayapatti Nadalaya

Nedunuri Krishnamurthy - Sriram Parasuram - Guruvayur Durai - Srirangam Kannan

Valayapatti Kaashyap Nadalaya. Hemamalini Kalyana Mantapam
31st December 2006. 10 am

vandE ham - hamsadvani - kaNDa cApu - A (RS)
sambhO mahAdEva - pantuvarALi - rUpakam - T
manasA eTulOrtunE - malayamArutam - rUpakam - T (RS)
srI valli dEvasEnApatE - naTabhairavi - Adi - PS
manavi AlakimparA - naLinakAnti - Adi - T (short sketch)
srI vEnkaTagirISam - suruTTi - Adi - MD (RNS)
tani Avarththanam
sAkEtE nagarE - Slokam - shanmukhapriyA, sAmA, bEhAg, sindhubhairavi
eppo varuvArO - jOnpuri - Adi - GKB
patiki hArati rE - suruTTi - Adi - T
sriyatkAntAya & managaLam kOsalEndrAya - madhyamAvati

Sri Nedunuri Krishnamurthy presented an awesome concert this morning. Even beyond his not-so-normal health, he was in full form and presented a very enjoyable concert. Though he was visibly uncomfortable with some problems in his neck, that did not stop him for the 3 hours he kept the audience captive.

The concert started with a short AlApanai of hamsadvani and the kriti was rendered well with nice round of svarams to follow at the pallavi line. His first set of one Avartana svarams with just 'sa ri ga pa ni' were all good. And another sancaram with utilised to the fullest was 'ni sa ri ga \ pa' which gave a strikingly different effect from the usual 'ni sa ri ga \ ni'. The pantuvarALi kriti which followed was rendered well.

The malayamArutam AlApanai which followed was very nice. The kriti was rendered with a nice set of svarams at 'kalilO rAjasa'. After this Sri Nedunuri said that he is singing ragams which he usually doesnt sing at concerts. He said, svarams also should be filled with raga bhavam and not be detached. He said, he was not very comfortable singing svarams at the occasion and will sing rAgams leisurely (vishrantiya raagam paadren). The naTabhairavi kriti which followed was nice. The naLinakAnti piece which followed (on request) was well rendered, and he rendered the pallavi line as 'manavi Alakimpara' instead of the usual, mavyAlakincarA. I am told that only the former makes sense in telugu.

The main suruTTi AlApanai was a treat to hear. The master of suruTTi kept us captive with the AlApanai which was full of long sancarams. He restricted himself to the thArasthAyi rishabam and commented that, to reach this rishabam correctly, it took 50 years for him. As promised, he did sing a leisurely AlApanai. The kriti was rendered beautifully with nice neraval and svarams at 'alamElumangA samEdam anantapadmanAbamatItam'. Some of the svarams were he exploited the 'pa\sa' and 'ma\sa' extensively were really good. The rAgamAlikA slOkam and the jOnpuri kriti were rendered beautifully.

Sri Sriram on the violin followed Sri Krishnamurthy like a shadow. He gave AlApanais which were fitting those of the main artists. The kriti renditions and neraval and svarams were very good as well.

Sri Dorai was his usual self on stage. He played with a great level of anticipation and fitting for all that was presented. Sri Kannan on the morsing ably supported the mrudangist. The tani they played was very nice.

bharath

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.