Trivandrum Venkataraman, Nada Inbam

Trivandrum Venkatraman - V Kamalakar Rao - Thirupunitura Radhakrishnan

Nada Inbam
26 Dec 09. 6:15 pm

mEru samAna - mAyAmALavagauLa - Adi (short sketch NS)
nIvADa nE gAna - sArangA - kANDa cApu - T (short sketch)
tanavAri tanamu - bEgaDa - Adi - T (RS)
vinarAdanA manavi - dEvagAndhAri - rUpakam - T (R)
gnAnamosaga rAdA - pUrvikalyANi - rUpakam - T (RNS)
sAmajavara gamanA - hindOLam - Adi - T (R)
tanayuni brOva - bhairavi - Adi - T (RtNS)
tani
srInivAsa - hamsAnandi - Adi - PS (R)
taruNi nyAn - dvijAvanti - misra cApu - ST (R)
visvEsvara - sindubhairavi - rUpakam - ST (R)
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T
madhyamAvati short sketch

It was a wonderful concert. All pieces were brilliant and presented amazingly. Very sensible accompanists. Great concert.

Trivandrum Venkataraman, Veenai Foundation

Trivandrum Venkataraman - Mannarkoil J Balaji - N Guruprasad

Veenai Foundation. BVB mini Hall
10 Sept 09. 7:30 pm

dEva dEva - mAyAmALAvagauLa - rUpakam - ST (RNS)
janani ninnuvinA - rItigauLa - misra cApu - Subbaraya Sastri (RS)
bAgAyanayyA - chandrajyOti - Adi - T (RS)
entuku peddalavalE - shankarAbaraNam - Adi - T (RtNST)
visvEsvara darisan - sindhubhairavi - Adi - ST
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

It was great concert. The kritis were all rendered very well. The AlApanai of mAyAmALavagauLa was very short and crisp. The kriti was rendered well with a nice round of neraval svarams. The rItigauLa was very good. There was an inherent freshness in the AlApanai, kriti rendition. The svarams were very inspiring. The chandrajyOti affair was kept short and sweet with some great prayOgams. The main shankarAbaraNam was an excellent and elaborate AlApanai with a beautiful tAnam. The kriti was rendered beautifully with an elaborate round of neraval and svarams. Being the last concert of the day, Sri Venkataraman chose to slightly extend his one-hour slot and presently the concert in a leisurely fashion. The accompanists were very good and played very accomodatively. The concert was on the whole very enjoyable.

Trivandrum Venkataraman, Nada Inbam

Trivandrum R Venkataraman - Mannargudi A Eswaran - Vaikom R Gopalakrishnan

SVK Birthday Series, Nada Inbam, Raga Sudha Hall.
11 April 09. 6 pm

calamEla jEsE - nATTaikuranji - Adi - Rangaswami Nattuvanar (short sketch)
ninnu jUci - saurAshTram - Adi (short sketch)
Ema ninnE - mUkhAri - Adi - Subbaraya Sastri (RNS)
sItamma mAyammA - vasantA - rUpakam - T (RS)
sukhi evarO - kAnaDA - Adi - T (R)
Emi jEsitEnEmi - tODi - misra cApu - T (RtNS)
tani
rAgamAlikA AlApanai/tAnam in aTANA, danyAsi, bEgaDa, hamsAnandi, nATTakuranji, dEvagAndhAri
rAma rAma pAhi - dEvagAndhAri - misra cApu - ST
sAramaina - bEhAg - rUpakam - ST (R)
nI nama rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

It was a fabulous concert. Each piece was rendered with great bhavam and the phrases were all totally moving and inspiring. The manOdarma parts were all totally classical and made a real treat to the listeners. The choice of songs and their renditions were all very good. mukhAri was very moving. The main tODi was very elaborate and bore the true colours of the ragam to the fullest. The accompanists were very good and played very very aptly.

It was a great concert. Truly inspiring and wonderful concert from the veteran musician.

Trivandrum Venkataraman, Nada Inbam

Trivandrum Venkataraman - Guruvayur Dorai - Thirupunitura Radhakrishnan

Nada Inbam
27 Dec 08. 6:15 pm

karuNimpa idi - sahAnA - Adi (short sketch) [varNam]
rA rA mA inTidAka - asAvEri - Adi - T (RS)
karuNA samudrA - dEvagAndhAri - Adi - T
srI bAla subramaNyA - bilahari - misra cApu - MD (RNS)
marivErE - Anandabhairavi - misra cApu - SS (RS)
durmArgajarA - ranjani - rUpakam - T (R)
kaligiyunTE - kIravANi - ADi - T (RTNS)
tani
gAngEya vasana - hamIrkalyANi - Adi - ST (R)
taruNi nyAn - dvijAvati - misra cApu - ST (R)
visvEsvara darisan - sindhubhairavi - rUpakam - ST (R)
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

It was a superb concert. All the renditions were stunning. The kritis, neraval and svarams and AlApanais were all very very impressive. It was all soaked in deep classicism and rendered rather effortlessly. The AlApanais of asAvEri and Anandabhairavi were especially very moving. Those of bilahari and ranjani and kIravANi were very quite elaborate. The tAnam was very good. The accompanists were very supportive. The tani was quite elaborate and made very interesting to listen as well.

Trivandrum Venkataraman, Saraswathi Vaggeyakkara Trust

Trivandrum R Venkataraman - Trichur C Narendran - Pudukkottai N Ramachandran

Saraswathi Vaggeyakkara Trust. NGS Mini Hall
11th September 2008. 6:30 pm

sarasIruhAsana priyE - nATTai - Adi - PDI (short sketch, S)
mAmava sadA varadE - nATTakuranji - rUpakam - ST (RNS)
mundu vEnugA - darbAr - Adi - T
bhajarE rE citta - kalyANi - misra cApu - MD (RNS)
rAma nIyaDa - kharaharapriyA - Adi - T (RTNS)
tani
rAgamAlika tAnam in aTANA, sAvEri, kAmbhOji, hamsAnandi, khamAs
marubAri - khamAs - Adi
sAramaina - bEhAg - rUpakam - ST (R)
visvEsvara - sindhubhairavi - rUpakam - ST (R)
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T

What an amazing concert it was!

The concert began with a punchy rendition of the nATTai kriti with elaborate rounds of svarams with korappu as well. The AlApanai of nATTAikuranji included a lot of weighty phrases and made it a heavy beginning. The kriti was rendered effortlessly with detailed neraval and svarams at the caraNam line. The darbAr kriti was stunningly rendered.

The AlApanai of kalyANi was very classical and made one expect bhajarE rE citta, which eventually followed. The neraval and svarams were done very beautifully. The main AlApanai of kharaharapriyA was awesome. The tAnam was brilliant. The kriti was rendered with elaborate neraval svarams.

The post tani session had an elaborate rAga-tAna-mAlikA followed by the khamAs jAvaLi. The bEhAg and sindhubhairavi AlApanais were both done leisurely and kindling the right senses.

In all, Sri Venkataraman's Veena recital was one of its kind. The effortless way in which he handles this intricate instrument has never failed to amaze me. All his renditions were too good to be true. One only wishes he gets due recognitions, before it would be too late.

Sri Narendran on the mridangam played second veena, on his mridangam. His playing gelled so well to the main artist's playing that one realised the existance of percussion instruments only during the korappu parts and during the tani. Sri Ramachandran was enjoying the party as well. His playing was also well absorbed into the total nAdam that was being filled into the hall. The tani was elaborate and rendered very well.

A concert of great quality and one that filled the rasikas mind, heart and soul.

Trivandrum Venkataraman, Mylapore Fine Arts Club

Trivandrum Venkataraman - Madirimangalam Swaminathan - H Sivaramakrishnan

MFAC. 14th December 2006. 9 am

sarasUDa ninnE - sAvEri - Adi - KVI (short sketch)
mahA gaNapatim - nATTai - Adi - MD (short sketch, svarams)
aparAdamula - rasALi - Adi - T (S)
sabApatikku - AbhOgi - rUpakam - GKB (RS)
mInAkshI mE mudam - pUrvikalyANi - Adi - MD (RNS)
smaraNE sukhamu - janaranjani - Adi - T
tanayuni brOva - bhairavi - Adi - T (RTNS)
tani Avarththanam
manasI dussam - Ahiri - cApu - ST
taruNi nyAn - dvijAvanti - cApu - ST (short sketch)
tIrAda viLaiyATTu piLLAi - rAgamAlikA - kaNDa cApu - Bharathiyar
sAra maina - bEhAg - rUpakam - ST (short sketch)

The concert began with a unorthodox short sketch of sAvEri and the varNam was rendered well. The nATTai short sketch was nice. The kriti was played in the old style with all the dhaivata laden sangatis intact. The svarams at the pallavi and the korappu were good. The rasALi kriti was rendered with a nice set of svarams.

Sri Venkataraman started AbhOgi in an unambigious fashion, completely ruling out srIranjani or any other allied rAgams. The AlApanai was done very beautifully. The kriti was rendered well with a quick round of svarams. The pUrvikalyANi AlApanai was good. The kriti was rendered neatly with neraval at 'madurA puri nilayE maNivalayE' and a quick set of svarams. The quick janaranjani piece was good also.

The main course, bhairavi AlApanai was awesome. The 15 minutes of AlApanai and a nice tAnam made a good prelude to the kriti, which was rendered in a leisurely fashion. The neraval and svarams at 'vatsamu veNTa dhEnuvu canunO' were done very well. The korappu svarams and the last kOrvai were beautiful.

The Ahiri padam was rendered beautifully. The short sketch of dvijAvanti and the padam were good as well. 'tIrAda viLaiyATTu piLLai' was rendered in kaNDa cApu, and the slow rendition did give a better effect than the usual catusra Ekam version. The bEhAg jAvaLi was good.

Sri Venkataraman gave a nice concert. All AlApanais were very inspiring and the neraval and svarams were very good also. Sri Swaminathan on the mrudangam, played with a lot of anticipation. He played aptly for the sangatis. One could distinctly hear the use of thoppi and the right palm while he was playing thro' the concert, and especially during the tani. He was ably supported by Sri Sivaramakrishan on the ghatam, who played well. The tani they shared was nice also.

Trivandrum Venkataraman, Sravanam

Trivandrum Venkataraman - Veena
Umayalpuram Mali - Mrudangam

Sravanam, TTD Premesis. 3rd July 2006, 6 pm

sarasuDa ninnE - sAvEri - Adi
sarasIruhAsanapriyE - nATTai - Adi (S)
sObillu - jaganmOhini - rUpakam
janani ninnu vinA - rItigauLa - misra cApu (RS)
EtAvunarA - kalyANi - Adi(2) (RTS)
tani Avarththanam
srI vEnkaTagirIsham - suruTTi - Adi (R)
kR.SNa nI bEganE - yamunakalyANi - cApu (R)
jagadhOdhAraNa - kApi - Adi
tillAnA - danasrI - Adi
sAramaina - bEhAg - cApu (R)
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTRam - Adi

While performers grow old with every passing day, the music they bring out in their performances go young with every passing day. The music gets more polished and matured and it becomes more soothing to the ears as the person who performs gets older. This concert was yet another example to this.

The nATTai svarams invited me and the long korappu svaram he played was just too good. rItigauLa AlApanai was just the way it should be. From the first phrase, he just glided thro' the phrases and the AlApanai needless to say was awesome. He wrapped a quick set of svarams.

The kalyANi AlApanai was done well and the tAnam was good also. There were some real nice sangatis which made the kriti enjoyable. The svarams were good also.

The post tani part featured a beautiful suruTTi AlApanai. The yamunakalyANi AlApanai was done beautifully as well. All the kritis were rendered real good. The bEhAg AlApanai was lovely as well.

Sri Venkataraman played a superb concert. Sri Mali on the mrudangam did a good job with accompanying the veena and also, played a good tani.

Trivandrum Venkataraman, Podhigai TV

This morning Trivandrum Venkatraman played vINai on podhigai TV between 8:30 and 9:30 am.

I dont know who the accompanists were. It was a DD, Thiruvananthapuram telecast.

AnandAmrutakarshini - amrutavarshini
O jagadamba
parama pAvana rAmA
visvEsvara darisan - sindhubhairavi

The AlApanais for both Anandhabhairavi and pUrvikalyANi were very good and had a lot of rare sancarams. I enjoyed the full telecast, though i could not sit and listen attentively, there was a lot of beauty in his playing.

Trivandrum Venkataraman, Nada Inbam

Nada Inbam, Raga Sudha Hall. 27th December 2005 6:30 pm

Trivandrum Venkatraman (Veena) - Trichur Narendran - Pudukkottai Ramachandran

sarasIruhAsana priyE - nATTai - adi (S)
mAmava sadA varadE - nATTakuranji - rUpakam - ST (R N S)
durmArgacarA - ranjani - rUpakam - T (R)
sItamma mAyamma - vasantA - Adi - T
O rangasAyI - kAmbhOji - Adi - T (R N S)
tani

A nice concert. Sri Venkataraman's nattakuranji and ranjani alapanais were good. The kambhoji was quite long and enjoyable as well. The concert was nice.

After the mandatory Sri SVK talk at the end of the tani, Sri Venkataraman played madhyamavati to end the concert.

The percussionist did a good job.

Trivandrum Venkatraman, Music Club IIT Madras

Thiruvananthapuram Sri. R. Venkataraman - vINai
Vellore Sri. G. Ramabhadaran - mrUdangam

23rd Sept 04 Music Club IIT Madras

varNam - nATTai - paramEsvara bhAgavatar
vAtApi gaNapatim - hamsadvani - muthusvAmi dIkshitar
tanavAri tanamu - bEgaDa - tyAgarAjar
mAmava mInAkshI - varALi - muthusvAmi dIkshitar
indha kaNTE - kannaDa - ramanAthapuram (pUchi) srinivAsa iyengAr
rAma rAma guNa sIma - simmEndra madyamam - svAti tirunAL
tanyAvardanam
rAga(tAna)mAlika in aTANA, danyAsi, sAmA, Ananda bhairavi, bEhAg
sAramaina - bEhAg - svAti tirunAL
jagadOdhAraNa - kApi - purandara dAsar
kr.SNa nI bEganE bArO - yamunakalyANi
mangalam - saurAshtram

The concert started with a refreshing nATTai varNam, with kalpanai svarams. Then came a short hamsadvani AlApanai and vAtApi gaNapatim was rendered with svarams at the pallavi line. The first elaborate piece was a good bEgaDa AlApanai, the tyAgarAja kriti tanavAri tanamu was well played with svarams.

varALi AlApanai started on a slightly tentative note but developed into its full form as it progressed. mAmava mInAkshi had neraval at "shyAmE sankari tigvijaya pradAbini" with svarams. The rare kannaDa kriti was definitely a good change of mood for the main simendramadhyamam. The AlApanai and tAnam were good and the kriti had neraval at
"munimAnasa tamA mrugamada sulalAma" and svarams. This was followed by a beautiful taniyAvardanam.

Soon after the tani, Sri. Venkataraman started off with a tAnam in aTANA and then into danyAsi. This was followed by sAmA in which he could not quite maitain the tempo of a tAnam and, instead, sketched an AlApanai; this was followed by Anandabhairavi and bEhAg rAga and culminated in the jAvali in bEhAg. A short kApi AlApanai and jagadOdharaNa was followed by kr.SNa nI bEganO bArO in madhyama sruthi.

Sri VenkatarAman's penchant for adventurous brigAs on the veena, his overall grip over all the aspects of manOdharma sangitam carried the day for him notwithstanding some slips while playing and a recalcitrant vINa that refused to stay with the sruti! Adding to his discomfiture was the unbelievable sight of Sri Ramabhadran's mridangam also staying a trifle above the sruti, presumably due to the air-conditioning in a sparsely populated auditorium!

Trivandrum Venkatraman, Nadopasana

Sri. Trivandrum Venkatraman on vINai gave a lovely concert for nAdOpAsanA at PS School's Dakshinamurty Auditorium on 19th July 2004 at 6:30 pm.

The kAmbOji varNam 'sarasija nAbha ninnu' of Tanjore Quartette was the starter which was followed by a small AlApanai of mAyAmALavagauLa and svAti tirunAL's 'dEva dEva kalayAmitE' with neraval and swarams at jAtarUpa. A Vintage Arabhi AlApanai was the next and the svAti tirunAL kriti 'narasimha mAmava' was beautifully rendered. The first elaborate piece of the evening was tyagarAjA's 'nidhi cAla sukhamA' with AlApanai, neraval and swarams which was enlightening. dEvagAndhAri was taken up for AlApanai next to be followed by the svAti tirunAL kriti 'rAma rAma pAhi'. 'gAnamUrthE' was next. Sri.Venkataraman to many's surprise, then started kAmbhOji AlApanai and elaborated the ragam showing all its shades to be followed by an ultra short tAnam. 'O rangasAyI' was followed by neraval and swarams. the tani Avartanam was excellent. Sri. GuruvAyur Durai on mridangam was just in his greatest moods and the morsing vidhwan Sri. Srirangam Kannan gave good replies. the bEhAg kriti of svAti tirunAL 'sAramaina' was preluded with a rAgamAlika AlApanai involving danyAsi, bEgaDa along with bEhAg. sindhubhairavi AlApanai and svAti tirunAL's 'visvesvara darisan' was the concluding kriti with pavamAna at the end. A truly satisfying concert by the veteran.

Trivandrum Venkatraman, Nada Inbam

Trivandrum Venkatraman - vINai
Vellore Ramabhadran - mrUdangam

May 8th

the song list:

sarasuda - sAvEri varNam
sarasIruhAsana priyE - nATTai - puliyur duraiswamy iyer
dEva dEva - mAyAmALavagauLa
mundu vEnukA - darbAr
cEta sri - dvijAvanti
gAnamUrthE - gAnamUrthI
gAngEya - hamIr kalyANi
mInAkshi mE mudam dEhi - pUrvi kalyANi
tanayuni brova - bhairavi
panimathi mukhi bAlE - Ahiri - padam - swati tirunAL
mArubAri - khamAs
nI nAma rUpamulakU - saurAshtram

the concert was very beautiful. he elaborations of darbAr, dvijAvanti, hamIr kalyANi, pUrvi kalyANi and bhairavi were truely a class apart. but for gAnamUrthE and the tukkadAs all the pieces had some neraval and/or vibrant swarams. a very remembarable concert. vellore ramabadhran was literally playing all the kritis. it would be more apt to call it a vINai mrudangam duet than to call it as an accompaniment.