For those of you seeking music, you may find some under 'Audio' (below) or in an index regarding the others under the 'Audio Postings' Label . We will either be embedding some concerts of the Vidwans in the 'Audio Postings'section itself or providing pointers to the appropriate posting in which they could be found
Vidwan Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer strode the Carnatic scene for about 80 years as a colossus with his hugely charismatic and energetic vocal style that earned him the Sangeetha Kalanidhi when he was just 39. He had musical lineage and shone brightly as a torch-bearer for an energetic Carnatic music style that perhaps dominated the minds of students of Carnatic music who subsequently rose to become stars. His legion of Bhaktas included great singers like Vid. MSS herself, and instrumentalists like Vid. T.N. Krishnan and Vid. Vellore Ramabhadran and so on. Vid. Semmangudi also gave us his unforgettable musical creations through tuning a major portion of King Swathi Thirunal's compositions. The music and sahitya that came together in the final body of work made Swathi Thirunal a unique composer in Carnatic music.
The home of Parvathi played host to the doyen many times. We have managed to retrieve for the Finale excerpts from his concert in 1978. He is ably assisted by Vid. T. Rukmini and Vid. Tanjore Upendran and Vid. Ramachar. The musical value of these excerpts is immense as it celebrates the coming together of two great personalities in Carnatic music - Vid. Semmangudi and Sri. K. Srikantiah.
Details (Parvathi Sri Ramanavami festival, 21.4.1978)
Vid. Mandolin U. Shrinivas 1984 'Parvathi' Ramanavami Concert
Review by R. Sachi
We are pleased to share yet another wonderful concert of an unprecedented genius in the Carnatic world, Mandolin Shrinivas. Shrinivas was almost a member of the Parvathi family.
Nowadays we are presented a number of youngsters hardly ten to twelve years old, as prodigies. They are also compared to Mandolin U Shrinivas. But we think at Parvathi that there can be no other musician like him. He did not have a family tradition in Carnatic music, nor rigorous training from infancy, nor influential patronage. He emerged from the rustic hinterland on to the concert stage through sheer effort and more importantly, divine grace. His success, his enchantment, and his leaving us destitute through his early passing away, are all part of a unique “divine leela”.
There is this famous shloka of how Goddess Saraswati confers literary and musical gifts like a mother breastfeeds her child:
So a Shrinivas is nurtured musically by Divinity in ways we cannot fathom.
In this 1984 concert, where he is ably assisted by senior musicians like Sri. Govindaswamy, Sri. Upendran, and Sri.Venkatram, we see the early signs of his genius, through his rendering a wide variety of famous compositions with panache.
His choice of the song, “Marivere” appears to be his constant prayer to the Goddess for grace.
Come, let us enjoy the concert without further ado!
Details
U.Shrinivas....... Mandolin
M.S. Govindaswamy... Violin
Tanjore Upendran... Mridangam
Bangalore Venkataram.... Ghatam
On April 10, 1984 at 'Parvathi' during Sri Ramanavami Music Festival.
Rasikas who have journeyed with us in Parvathi would attest to this fact: most musicians raised their concert standard memorably and gave of their best in the Parvathi setting. It was an ambiance filled with devotion and celebration. Vid. Santhanam, a shining star in Carnatic music in 1970’s and 1980’s, came often and performed many concerts in Parvathi. His music that we have shared here stands out for a vibrant delivery style, a wide repertoire, and a lyrical impact that left rasikas asking for more. We share below a photograph from one of Sri Santhanam’s innumerable concerts.
[ Maharajapuram Santhanam from an earlier indoor "Parvathi" concert with Ramabhadran, Manjunath and Chandrasekharan ]
This 1983 Ramanavami concert that we share this time is no exception. Filled with a wide range of krithis composed by the masters like Thyagaraja and Vasudevachar, the concert leaves a lasting emotion of Bhakti in our minds for a long time.
The feeling of Bhakti comes in several flavours. There is the filial devotion as in Seethamma Mayamma. There are praises of the glory of God, in one’s favourite form like Ganesha, Shanmukha, Krishna and Rama. There is the plea for protection, and benediction. There is the intense longing of separation from one’s ishta devatha. Then there is the glorious joy of beholding or experiencing the Divine as in Kannare Na Kande.
All prayer is a preparation for the union with the Ultimate. That is the essence of Bhakti Yoga. We are deeply moved by this narrative describing the last day on earth of Vid. Mysore Vasudevachar in 1961, when he was 96 years old.
We reproduce below the relevant portion from the famous book, With Masters of Melody (S. Krishnamurthy, pub: Ananya)
This narrative shows how a man who lived and breathed devotional music all his life attained a fitting end in the lap of the lord. That is the crux of what is yoga in the Bhagavadgita (8.10) And the resounding assurance of the lord in Bhagavadgita, to always take care of his devotee, never goes in vain (9.22).
Come, let us enjoy the concert!
Concert Details
Maharajapuram Santhanam --------- Vocal
T.G.Tyagarajan ------------------------Violin
Tanjore Upendran ---------------------Mridangam
Ramanavami Concert held on 24-4-1983 at "Parvathi
We are very glad to share a spectacular concert of Vid. Madurai Somasundaram from the 1977 Ramanavami series at Parvathi. Rasikas are quite familiar with our love for this unique vocalist. He brought to Carnatic music an energy and creativity unmatched. He exulted in the company of great accompanists. He engaged the audience in an inimitable empathy. He sang songs we wouldn’t hear from anyone else perhaps. He made up songs for the occasion at will. He wore his heart on his sleeve. He left a deep imprint on our hearts.
This concert is no exception. We are unable to catalogue the names of composers for many items. But suffice it to say that we attribute it all to Vid. Madurai Somu. Because these songs live and breathe through his musical genius. He also thrives on some excellent violin and mridangam accompaniment by the very melodious Vid. Chalakudy Narayanaswamy, and the energetic Vid. Tanjore Upendran. Not to forget Vid. Seshagiri das-Khanjira, and Vid. Krishnamurthy-Ghatam. Egged on by the redoubtable Vid. Somu, they all combine to create impactful percussion at several points in the concert.
Vid. Somu also refers affectionately to Sri. K. Srikantiah, and sings a song on the lord Srikantheshwara of Nanjangud. Vid. Somu attributes his melody-soaked music to Saint Thyagaraja’s guidance, and at once launches into Ragasudharasa. His approach elicits many bursts of encouragement and applause from the audience. If you see closely, the photo below shows the world-famous writer R.K. Narayan (bespectacled) sitting at the edge of the stage with characteristic intensity.
The major ragas in this concert are Thodi and Kharaharapriya.
At the end of it all, we can only feel bemused by the inherent richness of Carnatic music. What variety, what lyrical abundance, what an expanse of ragas and talas, what a scope for improvisation, for team work and finally spectacular peaks of aesthetic pleasure. Only a great World Cup tournament of the beautiful game football, in exuberant Brazil, can approach to being a distant parallel to our beloved Carnatic music.
Concert Details
Madurai Somasundaram -------- Vocal
Chalakudy Narayanaswamy ----- Violin
Tanjore Upendran ------------ Mridangam
Sheshagiri Das -------------- Khanjira
M.A.Krishnamurthy ----------- Ghatam
on 6-4-77 at "Parvathi" during Sri Ramanavami Music Festival.
We are pleased to share with rasikas a wonderful flute recital held in the Ramanavami festival in 1977 at Parvathi, Mysore. Vid. KS Gopalakrishnan has been rather elusive and inaccessible to most Carnatic rasikas all these decades, although he is readily hailed by the cognoscenti as a great flute maestro. In this concert, like the one we shared before with rasikas from 1976, he indelibly stamps the music with his melodious manodharma and virtuosity.
The concert begins with the enchanting phrases of Ravichandrika. The raga name evokes images of the sun as well as the moon! The raga itself is a favourite of Saint Thyagaraja, with well-known krithis. The song Nirvadhi Sukhada is a special one. It is very popular with instrumentalists who render it at breathless speed. But here, Vid. Gopalakrishnan has created a wonderfully evocative mood and for the first time we feel like contemplating the meanings of the lyric. And the line śaṅkarādi gīyamāna sādhu mānasa susadana captures the Saint Composer’s sentiment about Rama. According to him, Rama is worthy of worship and therefore is the subject of his own songs: Rama is unparalleled in grandeur, grace and capacity to instil devotion. Lord Shiva himself sings Rama’s glories. And Rama dwells in the hearts of his devotees. No wonder that in the Ramanavami festivals at Parvathi, we have had a continual flow of wonderful music full of songs dedicated to Rama by so many stalwart musicians.
O Lord who confers unceasing comfort!
O Lord of blemish less form!
O Lord who removed the sage's curse (on Ahalya)!
O builder of the causeway on the Ocean!
O Lord saluted by Indra!
One sung about by Siva and others, abiding in the hearts of pious people!
Please protect me, O Lord with emerald-like body!
One enamored by the precious Lakshmi!
O Nourisher of dependants!
One with terrifying prowess!
O Lord worshiped by the very hands of Bhima!
O Lord far-removed from people given to
inertia (darkness) and passion (action)!
O Lord whose feet is praised by Thyagaraja!
( Source: sahityam.net )
The concert features an expansive Abheri and the krithi Bhajare Re Manasa Sri Raghuviram of Mysore Vasudevacharya. The flute maestro is in a mood of creative exuberance as he develops the raga, the song and then embarks on an array of raga-malika swaras at the end of the song. This is like a shahi bhojan with a series of unexpected delicacies! The violin, mridangam and ghatam accompaniment are very good, too.
Details : Concert held on 7-4-1977 during Ramanavami at "Parvathi"
Through sharing this concert with rasikas worldwide, we offer our respectful remembrance of the late Prof. T.R. Subramaniam (1929-2013). Over the years, Prof. TRS came and performed many times in Parvathi.
(Photo from one of several TRS concerts in Parvathi)
While we were reading the various tributes and obituaries on his recent passing away, and preparing this upload, the title for this posting suggested itself. You have here a master class in how to sing a great Carnatic vocal concert. A master class from a vidwan who was always a student and a teacher, one who earned a devoted following among rasikas, fellow artistes and students for several decades.
We quote Vid. Chitraveena Ravikiran on Prof. TRS:
" Few people have brought to the Indian music field as much innovative spirit, intellectual merit and more than all these, a positive attitude as Prof T R Subramaniam has done for several decades. His story reveals that he has not only done different things but also done things with a difference. Right from the beginning, he carved a special path for himself, one that several others are following today.
Prof TRS has made wonderful use of the gifts he possessed – an analytical and objective brain, exposure to several great styles, creativity and strong laya sense. He combined these to create a style of his own that wafted into the music field in a refreshing manner. It goes without saying that his approach and all too well known musicianship have accorded him a great status today "
Prof. TRS was active even on the last day, teaching in the Music Academy (4 Oct., 2013). For many decades, he had been a music professor in Vijayawada College, later Delhi University , finally settling down in Chennai where he set up the Music Education Trust to implement his ideas of creative musical exploration and developmental pedagogy. His Lec-dems on RTPs and other subjects are very well known and available through several DVDs.
Importantly, the concert opens uniquely, with three consecutive pieces offered as a tribute to Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar (MD), youngest of the trinity and often cited as the most accomplished vaggeyakara in Carnatic music. The first one is MD’s Malahari krithi in praise of Ganesha, then follows a rarely heard MD composition in Hindola in praise of Saraswathi; the third being a tribute by the famous Tanjavur Quartet in raga Purvi Kalyani to their incomparable guru, Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar.
Then there comes a another major item to cherish- the Abhogi exposition and the krithi Nikeppudu daya by Mysore Sadasiva Rao.
Prof. TRS is well known to be masterly in rendering Kannada compositions, especially rare Dasarapadas, with impeccable diction and with his own original musical score. In this concert he has sung a Purandaradasa krithi, in which the saint composer is himself giving a master class in how a musical concert should be!
For a great musical experience, there should be “Tala” and appropriate accompaniment. One should find a quiet time (without hurry!). The lyrics should have poetic graces like Yati and Prasa (alliteration, rhyme); and the right tempo and time sense. Both the musicians and the listeners should harbour great love for the Lord (Vishnu=Ratipatipita). The singer should sing with a clear voice and be knowledgeable (like Prof. TRS!) He should cast aside worldly cares, and have a happy countenance. The listeners should be knowledgeable too (both musically and spiritually). The concert should spread joy all round. And one should have firm devotion to the supreme Lord, Purandara Vitthala.
After singing this beautiful song in Sriranjani, Prof. TRS takes up Mohana and later the Natabhairavi RTP, both highly cherishabe renditions. The concert concludes with some lovely Kanakadasa and Purandaradasa compositions and a Lalgudi tillana. Throughout the concert Prof. TRS motivates the accompanists to give of their best.
So dear rasikas, come, let us sit in the master class of Prof. T.R. Subramaniam and listen to some divine music.
To introduce the artistes we feature in this concert, we cannot do better than to quote the article that appeared in the Hindu in 2002 when they were conferred the Sangeetha Kalanidhi title by the Madras Music Academy:
"Indeed, the Sikkil sisters, as they are popularly known in the music fraternity, have perfected the `gayaki' style of playing on their musical instrument-the flute-certainly no mean achievement for, in Carnatic music unlike in the West, there are no separate scores for musical instruments. ``To us the audience is of prime importance. We sincerely try to please them. That is the aim of our music," declares the elder of the sisters, Kunjumani. An unassuming artiste, she talks, on their music, in a manner totally devoid of any frills and artifices. Her sister Neela seemed content to allow her sister to narrate their story. As Kunjumani began her narration, we travelled back in time just sixty years to the place of their birth - Sikkil, a small village in Thanjavur district.
Back home at Sikkil, the sisters plunged heart and soul into their chosen field. They gave many concerts together. They were guided in their every move, not only in their career but also in their music by their father. With careful monitoring was shaped the `style' of the Sikkil sisters. A slow and gradual revelation of the colours of the raga, well within the rules of grammar, delicate swara volleys, a firm eschewal of populist trends in classical music and with several other attributes in their music, the Sikkil sisters firmly entrenched themselves both in the hearts of the listening lay public and the discerning connoisseur. Recognition came in the form of several concert assignments both in different parts of India and abroad. As a natural corollary to their music also came awards aplenty. The earliest was the Venugana Praveena awarded to them as early as 1942, by the Mysore samsthanam. The latest is the ultimate aspiration of any musician, `Sangeeta Kalanidhi,' to be conferred on January 1, 2003."
Mysore is here again shown as a great centre for the promotion of fine arts, and the Parvathi concert by the sisters Sikkil Neela and Sikkil Kunjumani in 1976 is a feast for the ears. Two interesting aspects…we have always said that Kharaharapriya was a favourite of the Parvathi audiences. And also we have featured some great flute concerts (of Vidwans Ramani, Mahalingam and Gopalakrishnan). So the tradition continues as we feature an elaborate rendition of Chakkaniraja on the flute this time by the Sikkil Sisters.
The Concert Details ( held at at Parvathi on Aug 29, 1976 )
Sikkil Sisters (Neela and Kunjumani) ---- Flute Mysore Nagaraj -------------- Violin Tanjore Upendran ------------ Mridangam M.A. Krishnamurthy -------- Ghatam
We have been, till now, providing you with audio concerts and showing you rare and still photographs of "Parvathi", Mysore, infusing you with memories of a great era in our Carnatic music heritage.
Now, for the first time, we attempt to do the same by showing you views of some of the great concerts in video snippets.
VIDEO 1:
April 8, 1985
For our very first video, we offer you a very soulful artist, none other than Sri Vidyabhushan Thirtha. Back then, he was a Swamiji affiliated with the Subrahmanya Matha. Having been blessed both with the vocal chords and the inspired heart of a great devotee, he cast many a spell all over southern India, on the several that thronged to hear his music in 'bhakti'. We present to you his first performance in "Parvathi". Even though sick at the time of the concert and being treated for fever by an ENT professor/doctor from Mysore's famous Krishna Rajendra (KR) hospital, he refused any obligatory rest and stepped onto the podium to provide one of the most thrilling of performances in front of what was a mammoth crowd that day.
And, who were his accompanists? None other than Mysore's Vidwan Nagaraj (Violin), Vidwan Erode Gururajan (Mridangam) and the redoubtable Ghatam Vidwan Bangalore Venkataram.
Though he relinquished the Sanyasa Ashrama, at a later stage, and entered the 'Grihastha' (family) life, Sri Vidyabhushan still continues to provide rave concerts in devotion, even to this day.
Memories, only Memories
Release of M.S.Subbalakshmi's Biography by T.J.S. George
[ L to R: India's former Union Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, Chowdiah Memorial 'visionary' K.K. Murthy, India's current External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna , author T.J.S. George ]
[ Courtesy : The Hindu ]
K.Srikantiah honoring eminent Mrudanga Vidwan T.K. Murthy in "Parvathi"
[ Rasikas will remember him accompanying M.S. Subbalakshmi in our 1967 concert posting. Vidwan Murthy graced the podium innumerable times in "Parvathi". ]
VIDEO II:
April 7, 1985
The irony with our featured artist Sangeetha Kalanidhi Vidwan D.K. Jayaraman, here, is that he came to "Parvathi", first, all by himself, and it is only after stealing the hearts of all the Rasikas did he lay the stage to accompanying his ever famous sister, Sangeetha Kalanidhi Vidushi D.K. Pattamal onto the "Parvathi" platform.
As Rasikas will recognize, he is accompanied here by the redoubtable triumvirate of M.Chandrsekharan (Violin), Tanjore Upendran (Mridangam)and once again, Bangalore Venkataram (Ghatam). You will see what their unified zest does to the ambiance, and why Vidwan DKJ was such a favorite of the cognoscenti! You will also get to hear parts of a rare Kambhoji piece "Sriraghuvaraaprameya".
Vidwan MannarGudi Easwaran being presented with the "K.Puttu Rao - Palghat Mani" Award
The concert we feature this time is from Dr. Ramani, a perennial favourite with the rasikas in Parvathi, Mysore. The concert held during Ramanavami festival in 1974 features also the redoubtable M.S. Gopalakrishnan on violin, Tanjore Upendran on the mridangam and Mysore Manjunath on the ghatam.
The concert starts off with the Begade varna and then moves to a splendid rendition of the Sriranjani krithi from Papanasam Sivan, “Gajavadana Karunasadana”.
It is our tradition to begin all auspicious activities by paying obeisance to Ganesha and seeking his blessings for a successful endeavour without impediments. Papanasam Sivan has taken this prayer to a higher level in his song. He says therein that Ganesha is the spiritual preceptor and will show the way to liberation through conferring devotion and spiritual insight (Shivaagama). In other words, the popular deity is not just one to confer worldly success but one who shows the way to the ultimate goal of life. If we take our song and prayer to that level, we not only enjoy the wonderful music of a krithi but also progress towards life's ultimate goal. That is true worship through music.
Ramani has given us a memorable rendition of this Sriranjani krithi, one of the famous compositions of the “Tamil Thyagayya” Papanasam Sivan.
The next krithi, with a brisk tempo, is in Chakravakam. After exhausting our resources, we approached an expert and friend, Shri Shailesh Ramamurthy. He painstakingly researched all sources and finally found the krithi and its notation in the Tamil magazine Swadeshamithran dated 3 April 1955. It is a krithi of Mysore Vasudevachar! Talk of 'the butterfly effect'... Our profuse thanks to this rasikottama. In the process our listeners have a chance to hear a rare krithi of a master composer in Chakravakam.
The concert progresses to lofty musical levels in Charukeshi and Mohana. In Mohana, one of Ramani's favourite ragas, the music unfolds with a multi-faceted splendour. Ramani, and MSG, by turn, charm the listener. Upendran plays with much zest in the song that follows, Nanu Palimpa, one of the immortal krithis of Thyagaraja. We share in the vivid experience of the saint as he describes how he is overwhelmed by the blessed vision of Rama and Sita.
After Nadaloludai in Kalyana Vasantham, Ramani takes up Kambhoji for Ragam Thanam Pallavi. The raga is presented majestically in a very gayaki style that harks back to the grand masters of yore. His sedate and lustrous alapana is responded to in kind by MSG. The emotive weight of the raga is manifest in both presentations.
There are generous touches of Hindustani music from MSG... for that matter even from Ramani, in many places. Mohana, Abhogi and Behag stand out...
One of the prodigiously talented Carnatic musicians performing actively for the past four decades at always the top level is Vidwan T. N. Seshagopalan. Apart from being a brilliantly creative vocalist, he is also a talented vainika and plays even the key-board. He also performs musical Harikathas which showcase his musical as well as narrative skills and sense of humour. He comes from the lineage of Harikeshanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar, being a disciple of Vidwan Ramanathapuram C. S. Sankarasivan, himself a direct disciple of the great composer.
(Gratefully acknowledged: "Photography by Kartik Pashupati" )
Being a versatile artiste. Vidwan Seshagopalan attracted the best accompaniment as well as critical acclaim early in his career. He started performing in early '70s and the concert featured here is from 1973. The concert features an absolutely brilliant Shanmukhapriya, with excellent alapana, manodharma-filled rendering of Patnam's “Marivere dikkevaraiya Rama?”.
The violin and mridangam support make the concert even more memorable.
Listening to his wonderful Mohana and “Rara Rajeevalochana Rama”, we may be excused for remembering that the delightful raga Mohana Kalyani was conceived and the Kannada kriti Bhuvaneshwariya was composed by his lineage guru Sri Muthiah Bhagavathar, while under the Mysore royal patronage.
His Kabir bhajan is very evocative, and the words have been intoned with much feeling.
Vidwan Seshagopalan has been conferred the titles of Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 2006 and the Padma Bhushan in 2004. He can be described as a connoisseur's musician, as he approaches each item in the concert with a spontaneity that stems from mastery over the idiom as well as a creative exuberance. His exuberance is shorn of egoism, which is rare. When we listen to musicians like Vidwan Seshagopalan, we are intrigued and wonder what must be going on in their minds, as their musical output seems to be always daring and fresh, and never a canned fare, all rehearsed and perfected with concert effects. This chronicler heard Vidwan Umayalpuram Sivaraman mention once that Vidwan Seshagopalan's repertoire is so vast that he knows 300 kritis in Thodi alone!
We found a very charming description from the vidwan of his early musical training in an interview in Carnatica.net:
"At that period it was music, music and only music. I used to get up at 5.30, bathe, do sandhyavandanam, visit the temple and then my guru's house. I did not even have the idea of going to the movies. No recreations, only music, spiritual discourses, temple, books and literature. That was the prevailing situation. Always bhajans, namasankeerthanams, Kamban vizha, sloka competitions, etc. If you turned to one side, there was Anantharama Dikshitar's house and on the other Variyar's... There used to be political conferences and I have attended the speeches of Anna and EVR to see how they talk. If we used to hear the news it was to know about the cricket scores. We would buy Sportstar and Illustrated Weekly to know how Barrington played and how wickets were kept. Radio was switched on only for commentary."
The Concert
Madurai T.N.Seshagopalan-----Vocal Chalakudy Narayanaswamy ----Violin Tanjore Upendran ------ Mridangam Sosale Sheshagiri Das ---- Khanjira at Parvathi on April 13, 1973
The year is 1976, Parvathi is again celebrating the Ramanavami music festival. A grand pandal is in place, and fills every evening with crowds eager to soak up truly classical music. And on this day, Lord Rama and his devotees decide to enjoy some flute music.
The tender breeze that prefaces the onset of monsoon is specially delightful in these idyllic parts of old Mysore state. It blows over the western ghats from Malabar, and in Sanskrit it is called Malayamaruta….
On this day in April 1976, the music blows across from the flute of Vidwan K.S. Gopalakrishnan. Vidwan KSG as many refer to him fondly, hails from Kerala and lives in Trivandrum. After initially impressing everyone with his vidwat on ample display in many memorable concerts, Vidwan KSG had turned reclusive and subsequently was not seen in the active Chennai concert circuit for reasons unknown. But many Carnatic aficionados have been blogging about his excellent music and also his wonderful serene personality. He seems to have made a deep impression among the cognoscenti.
Vidwan KSG reportedly had his initial training under his father, K.Shankaranarayana Iyer and later studied under K.Raghava Warrier of Thiruvananthapuram.
In this Parvathi concert from 34 years ago, a young Vidwan K.S. Gopalakrishnan is accompanied on the violin by Vidushi T. Rukmini, whom many consider Karnataka’s gift to Chennai. Over many decades, she has accompanied many stalwarts like Mali and Balamurali and younger vidwans like Gottuvadyam Ravikiran. In this concert, her violin has a limpid tonality and adds a very cheerful touch.
Vidwan Tanjore Upendran,, a southpaw, has enlivened the concert on the mridangam. He has a solid presence in all songs, especially brisk ones like Vathapi and Marivere in Lathangi, where again Vidwan KSG has played with a sparkle.
In the middle of the concert, Vidwan KSG takes up Kharaharapriya. To many of us, it seems that the Parijatha and Audambara trees in the Parvathi precincts harboured not only well-known gods but also the Raga Kharaharapriya. Almost every top artiste has exulted in presenting this wonderful raga in his or her Parvathi concert. Merely as an archive of the kaleidoscope of Kharaharapriya manodharma and its wide lyrical repertoire, this blog would occupy a great place in Carnatic music. Vidwan KSG’s elaborate Kharaharapriya and his delectable rendition of Raama nee samaanamevaru lasts nearly 60 minutes. Vidushi Rukmini gives an excellent swara response at the end of the song.
The Parvathi Concert ( Ramanavami Series April 11, 1976 )
Thanks to the keen interest evinced by 'Rasikas' towards the music brought forward from "Parvathi", the internet, somewhere, might have reached some sort of a critical mass bringing to its fold the attention of a reputed journalist of Mysore like Mr.M.R. Shivanna who wrote the following piece on July 21, 2010 in the popular paper The Star of Mysore. We are pleased to reproduce the article in our indebtedness to both the 'Rasikas' and to Mr.Shivanna.
Starting in the late 1950's, Vidwan Lalgudi Jayaraman and his sister Srimathi Brahmanandam started performing the violin duet concerts accompanied by none other than the Mridangam maestro Sri Palghat Mani Iyer. Note: If the audio doesn't play, please click here:
This became hugely popular all over the country.
The trend set by the duo gave rise to a creative collaboration between two great violinists, Vidwan T. N. Krishnan and Vidwan M. Chandrasekharan. To add to the rich concert experience, they also brought in the double mridangam accompaniment of Vidwan Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman and Vidwan Tanjavur Upendran. Thus came about the occasion ( 'Rama Navami' festival and T.Chowdiah 'smaranam') for the Mysore cognoscenti to be treated to this rich feast of music from these stalwarts in "Parvathi" , Mysore, in 1972.
[ Raagas you will hear in one continuous stream (in sequential order); Ninnukori(Mohana);Pranamamyaham (Gowla); Ramabhakti (Suddha Bangala);Paridaana Micchite (bilahari); Manavyala (Nalinakanti); Paramapaavana Rama (Poorvi kalyani);Maarubalka (Sriranjini)Brochevaarevarura (Kamach);Sarasijanabha sodari (Nagagandhari);Akhilaandeshwari (Dwijaavanti); Raghuvamsha sudha (Kadana kutuhala);Teeraada vilayatt pillai(Ragamaalika);Bhaavayaami (Ragamaalika);English Note;Tillana (Danaasari);Krishnaa nee begane (Yaman kalyani);Jagadodhaarana ( Hindusthani kaapi) ]
[Hint: You will feel a certain joy within all these artists in this concert]
