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Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Tempo rules supreme - In cricket or in a Carnatic concert!


Vid.TV Sankaranarayanan, Ramanavami 1996 at 'Parvathi'


Excerpts for the Parvathi Finale






Long before cricket pundits understood this, the doyens of Carnatic music sensed it and created a concert format where tempo rules supreme. Indeed, in a Carnatic concert worth its name, there is never a dull moment. Some score at such a breeze that they garner applause like boundaries at will, thrills filled to the gills.

The T.V. Sankaranarayanan brand of Carnatic music celebrates tempo better than perhaps any other brand. Endowed with a robust and sonorous voice, his music always soared relentlessly like his famous pose with raised hands. When accompaniment was good, the sustained tempo was matched by musical values and made every concert memorable. This current concert audio being uploaded for the Parvathi Finale is no exception! The excerpts capture the best of music with many stellar songs enhanced richly by teamwork, another feature of good cricket.

Charukeshi is celebrated grandly, and Ganesh Prasad excels in the Darbari Kanada piece building up to the famous Govardhana Giridhara. The mridangam is very melodious with fine anticipation. The little bit of Tani in the excerpt is enjoyable. Unfortunately, we are unable to trace the name of the Ghatam artiste.

Happy Listening!


Concert Details

Parvathi Festival - Sri Ramanavami, Jaganmohan Palace - March 31, 1996

T.V. Sankaranarayanan– Vocal
B.U.Ganesh Prasad – Violin
T.A.S. Mani– Mridangam
? – Ghatam

Excerpts List

01 Anupama Gunambudhi - Athana - Thyagaraja
02 Adamodi Galade - Charukeshi - Thyagaraja
03 Sarasamukhi - Gaud Malhar - Muthiah Bhagavatar
04 Viruttam-Darbari Kanada
05 Govardhana Giridhara - Darbari Kanada - Narayana Tirtha
06 Mangalam




Sunday, September 3, 2023

The Doyen at Parvathi - Vid. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, 1978


Excerpts from the Doyen's Concert

1978 Sri Ramanavami Concert
Vid. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer - Vocal
Vid. T. Rukmini - Violin
Vid. Tanjore Upendran - Mridangam
Vid. Ramachar - Khanjira


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)

Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer – Vocal
T.Rukmini - Violin
Tanjore Upendran – Mridangam
H.P. Ramachar - Khanjira

Song List in the Excerpts

01. Enduku Nirdaya - Hari Kambhoji - Thyagaraja *** 02.     Nannu Kanna Talli - Sindhu Kannada - Thyagaraja *** 03. Ksheenamai - Mukhari - Thyagaraja *** 04. Ramachandrena Samrakshitoham - Manji - Muthuswami Dikshitar *** 05. Rama Jogi - Khamach - Bhadrachala Ramadas 06. Shloka Ragamalika - Kharaharapriya, Varali, Bilahari, Saveri, Keeravani, Kapi ***. 07. Parulannamata - Javali - Kapi *** 08. Sapashyat Kausalya - Jaunpuri - Panchapakesha Shastri