T.R. Mahalingam 1964 Audio

The audio here refers to the 1964 concert with interesting music and more interesting exchanges between Mali and Chowdiah! The original blog post is here: http://chowdaiahandparvati.blogspot.com/2010/01/t-chowdiah-and-tr-mahalingam-flute-mali.html
And now the music:

Ramanavami Music from Mysore - In the good old days

Vid.TV Sankaranarayanan, Ramanavami 1974 at 'Parvathi'

Reflections by R. Sachi

Nothing enhances the value of music like nostalgia. And surely, it’s better to be nostalgic about the good music one enjoyed long ago rather than recall bygone memories with perhaps sadness. Music heard long ago can still remain in our hearts and give us much joy. This is one of life’s blessings indeed.

The good old days of Ramanavami music from Mysore are very much in our thoughts as we hear this vintage recording from Vid. TV Sankaranarayanan. A protégé of the great Madurai Mani Iyer, he came into his own strongly in the 1970’s. His concert at Parvathi in 1974 was a classic, with some wonderful accompaniment from the doyens.

The concert recording is not available in full, but we HAD to share these gems with rasikas worldwide. In these days of quantity, it is better to go back to those days of quality indeed!

Happy Listening!

Concert Details

T.V.Sankaranarayanan -------------- Vocal
V.Sethuramiah ------------------------Violin
T.K.Murthy--------------------------Mridangam
K.S.Manjunath ---------------------Ghatam
on 3-4-1974 at "Parvathi" during Ramanavami.

Song List

01 Vatapi- Hamsadhwani- Muthuswami Dikshitar
02 Ora joopu- Kannadagowla-Thyagaraja
03 Niravadi sukhada- Ravichandrika- Thyagaraja
04 Nitya Rupa-Darbar-Thyagaraja
05 Raghuvara-Kamavardhini-Thyagaraja
06 Brochevarevarura-Khamach-Vasudevachar

A Master class in Carnatic Vocal Music

Prof. T.R. Subramaniam, Parvathi 1972

A Tribute by R. Sachi

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!

Pallavi
tāḷa bēku takka mēḷa bēku

Anupallavi
Ollē vēḷe bēku gāna kēḷabēkembuvarige

Charanam
gaḷa śuddavirabēku tiḷidu pēḷabēku
kaḷavaḷa biḍabēku kaḷe mogavirabēku

yatiprāsavirabēku gatige nillisabēku
rati pati pitanoḷu ati prēmavirabēku

aritavarirabēku haruṣa heccalubēku (sabheyalli)
purandara viṭhalanalli sthira bhakti irabēku

Here is a free –style translation:

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.

Concert Details

Vid. T.R. Subramaniam ------------ Vocal
Vid. V.Sethuramiah ------------------ Violin
Vid. Tanjore Upendran ------------- Mridangam
Vid. ??? ---------------------------------Khanjira

on 2 April 1972 at " Parvathi " during Ramanavami.

Song List

01-Panchamathanga-Malahari- Muthuswami Dikshitar*** 02-Saraswathividiyuvathi-Hindola-Muthuswami Dikshitar*** 03-Satileni-Purvikalyani-Tanjavur Quartet*** 04. Nikeppudu daya – Abhogi – Mysore Sadasiva Rao *** 05-Varanarada-Vijayashree-Thyagaraja*** 05a-Talabeku-Sriranjani-Purandaradasa*** 06-Mohanarama-Mohana*** 07-Yarukkum Adangada Nilli-Begada-Muthiah Bhagavatar*** 08-Thathwameruga-Garudadhwani-Thyagaraja*** 09-RTP-Natabhairavi (+Ganamurthi )*** 10-Haribhaktisara stanzas-Behag, Valachi- Kanakadasa*** 10a-Vasudevana nenedu - Valachi-Purandaradasa*** 11-Tillana-Bageshri- Lalgudi Jayaraman***

Thyagaraja's Faith in Sri Rama – Vidwan K.V. Narayanaswamy

The House of Sankalpa "Parvathi", Mysore, congratulates Vidwan Trichy Shankaran for winning the "Sangeeta Kalanidhi" award for 2011

The Parvathi Ramanavami festival started in 1970. Its inspiration for the Chowdiah Memorial that later came up in Bangalore is documented in this blog elsewhere. In that watershed year, many glorious concerts were held in Parvathi in memory of Sangeetha Rathna Chowdiah. The concert we feature here is one such gem, with stalwarts KVN, V. Sethuramiah, Trichy Sankaran, H.P. Ramachar and Mysore Manjunath.

Vidwan K.V. Narayanaswamy, whose name comes up every time we discuss the great Carnatic musicians of the last 60 years, has done exemplary service to the spirit of the Ramanavami festival in this concert. Every song is a masterpiece of music and devotional excellence.

The Pantuvarali song Ninne nera nammi nanura, sung with gusto, translates thus ( taken from The Spiritual Heritage of Tygaraja) :

From my early days, convinced that everything in the world is unreal, I have placed my implicit faith in you and you alone, Oh Rama! I have seen people learned in Vedas, Sastras and Puranas stand bewildered at the undetermined religious controversies. I have seen people roam restlessly performing Yagas passionately for worldly enjoyments. I have come to the conclusion that unless one obtains your grace, one cannot thrive in life in this world.

The saint composer states in Evarani:

I prostrate to those wise ones who combined the spirit of the two mantras viz. Ma from Shiva Panchakshari, and Ra from Narayana Ashtakshari and arrived at your blessed name “Rama”.

He goes on in Mokshamu galada:

Is it possible for one who is devoid of real devotion and knowledge of divine music, to attain salvation?

The concert has three stellar compositions – Pakkala Nilabadi in Kharaharapriya, Sri Subrahmanyaaya in Kambhoji, and Brochevaarevarura in Khamach. KVN delivers his trademark punches in the neraval and swara cycles in each song, replete with laya gymnastics, glides and curls around key musical phrases.

Maestro Sankaran's long career as a professor in Canada has limited his appearances in India somewhat to the December festivals (which he compares to the Olympics). This great artiste has made a unique contribution to Carnatic music over so many decades now. Vidwan Sankaran's mastery over the 'naada' of the mridangam as well as the art of accompaniment is in full flow in this concert.

Vidwan Sethuramiah's seven stringed violin accompaniment respectfully invokes the presence of his guru and rounds off this concert as a true tribute to T. Chowdiah, the epochal star of Carnatic music.

The Concert Details

K.V.Narayanaswamy ---- Vocal
V.Sethuramiah ----------- Violin
Trichy Shankaran -------- Mridangam
K.S.Manjunath ----------- Ghatam
H.P.Ramachar ------------ Khanjira
On 23 - 4 - 1970 at Parvathi.


Song List

01. Evarani – Devamruthavarshini – Thyagaraja *** 02. Ninne nera nammi – Pantuvarali – Thyagaraja *** 03. Pakkala Nilabadi – Kharaharapriya – Thyagaraja *** 04. Mokshamu galada – Saramathi – Thyagaraja *** 05. Sri Subrahmanyaaya – Kambhoji – Muthuswami Dikshithar *** 06. Brochevarevarura – Khamach – Mysore Vasudevachar ***.

(PS: We regret the vagaries of tape speed in this 41-year old recording.)