nityashree.ram - A Review - Mylapore Fine Arts

Topic started by Nishanth (@ welax1-202.dialup.optusnet.com.au) on Thu Jan 29 04:03:02 EST 2004.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

*=Alapana, **violin alap. too $=Katpana Swaram
%=Nereval #=Tanam&violin @=Tani

Nithyasree
-Concert Review 2
Date-30/12/00
Mylapore Fine Arts

*Thanx to Eshakti.com & Raga Sudha Rasa MSN GROUP OWNER T.M.Sivaraman for allowing me to first listen to this so i could make this review. This is can be listened to in T.M.Sivaraman's Yahoo! Briefcase, & I THINK it's called "nityashree.ram", otherwise you can listen to it at "Eshakti.com"
- Nishanth*

*Varnam (Thama Sim) - Asaveri
*Sri Vignarajam Bhaje - Gambheeranattai
*Smarane Sukhamu$ - Janaranjani
**Kola Mayil - Chalaga Madhyamam
Maa Emmaan
Meevalla Guna$ - Kapi
*Ardhaneaareeshwaram - Kumudhakriya
**Dorakuna-%$@ - Bilahari
*#Nenje%$ (Ragamalika Swaram) - Jaganamohini
Ragathil Sirandha - Ragamalika
*Kayil Kuzhaludan - Moharanjani
*Eppadi Paadinaro

I managed to get a copy of this concert (apparently was a Mylapore Fine Arts Concert). It was also apparently on the 30th of December, 2000. It was a pretty good concert, a bit for everyone to enjoy. When i say "little alapana introduction", i mean it was short so the violin wasn't creating alapana as such alone.

Nithyasree started off with aa little alapana introduction (about 40 seconds long) in Asaveri before moving onto the Asaveri Varnam ("Thama Sim") itself. (Altogether: 04:48)
The next song also had the little alapana introduction (about 50 seconds long). This next song was Oothukadu Venkatasubbiyer's Sanskrit Krithi; "Sri Vignarajam Bhaje" in Gambheeranattai. Sung pretty well. (Altogether: 06.32)

The next one started getting into the kutcheri mood a little, by have katpana swarams (about 4.5 minutes worth), but the it was again a little alapana introduction (about 40 seconds). This krithi was Thyagaraja's "Smarane Sukhamu" in Janaranjani. The katpana swaras were done quite effortlessly, and so was so far a nice start. (Altogether: 09.08)

Then came the alapana that some were waiting for, quite long (12.5 minutes vocal and 3 minutes violin). This song was the tamil composition Kola Mayil in Chalaga Madhymam Raga (reference from the "Sukham" CD by Nithyasree). This was quite nice, and was soothing. Though Nithyasree does sometimes lose control of her voice, no one would think so after hearing this song rendered so beautifully. (Altogether: 23.54)

Afterwards came the song "Maa Emmaan". Not so flashy, but ok. (Altogether: 07.26)
Then came Thyagaraja's "Meevalla Guna" in Kaapi raga. This was sung quite fast, so it it didn't have the full extent of bhava, but was quite reasonable. The katpana swaras (a bit over 3 minutes) were quite fast too. (Altogether: 08.25)

Another little alapana introduction (2 minutes) followed by the slow krithi Ardhaneaareeshwaram in Ragam Kumudhakriya (with reference to S.Sowmya's concert the year before when she announced the Raagaa, and was sung in an album by TNS). This wasn't bad, but was full of bhava. (Altogether: 07.50)

Then came the huge krithi, everyone knew it would come some time during the concert. This included (all include vocal and violin) alapana (13.5 minutes vocal and 5.5 minutes violin), nereval (>5 minutes), katpana swarams (7 minutes) and thani avarthanam (36 minutes). Alapana was ok by the vocalist and violinist. The nereval could have been improved a little, the katpana swarams were ok and the thani avarthanam was quite impressive. The song itself was Thyagaraja's Dorakuna in Bilahari Ragam. (Altogether: 61:01)

After this was the DKP's/DKJ's famous Ragam Thanam Pallavi in Jaganmohini. This was done extremely well. The Alapana was altogether 12 minutes, this was ok. Then the Thanam was done quite professionally and well (and was about 7 minutes or more). It gradually grew faster and was one of the highlights of the concert. D.K. Pattammal and D.K. Jayaraman had sung this and so was know to a few. The pallavi was "Nenje Ninai Anbe Thudi Nerinil Guruparanmel, Anjaada Iru Nam Paavangal Panjaai Parandidum Agayaal. The pallavi of any RTP is usually nereval and it was the same for this one. Then katpana swarams are usually expected, but Nithyasree is famous for a set of special swaras called "Ragamalikai Swarams" (it's unclear whether the audience expected this or not). This is where Nithyasree doesn't stick to the original raagam of the pallavi and after each set of katpana swaras, changes the Raga of the katpana swarams and also the pallavi. DKP and DKJ had also done this. Though i never tried recognising each raga, it was sung very well and was (Altogether: 46.27) and was most certainly a huge highlight of the concert. It is what makes Nithyasree's concerts so unique, almost always she provides one RTP and when she does, usually imports ragamalika swarams.

This was followed by a favourite of everyone "Raagaththil Sirandha Raagamedhu" composed by Kadaloor Subramaniam. This raagamalika piece was taken a little faster than the one in the "Ragam 1 CD" and was sung more like a Tukkada. Nevertheless it was good (still a highlight). I was only disappointed as she didn't include all the ragas in the song and skipped 2 charanams, but still ok i guess. It's like Nithyasree's trademark in each concert and she always finishes off with it because either way, it will be requested. Everyone thought the concert would end, but there were two requests in the queue, so the concert didn't finish there. (Altogether: 07:28)
This next song was from a recent album of hers ("Kuzhaloodhum Kannan"). It began with a 1 minute little alapana introduction. It was "Kayil Kuzhaludan", and she made the effort of announcing this raga at the end of the song, "Moharanjani". This was quite a nice song and was another highlight. (Altogether: 04:43)

Then the song DKP was famous for, Suddhanandha Bharathi's Eppadi Paadinaro. This was another highlight, but far more than just anything. Nithyasree didn't sing it in a common way like in the Eppadi Padinaro Album, she changed her voice a little, and made it sound like she was quite a bit older, so it seemed. Pattammal's album where she sings Eppadi Paadinaro starts off with a certain alapana "naaaaa, ra a a a a, naaaaa a na" with certain swaras and assaivus (just listen to it, it feels so weird to try and write the exact alap!). Nithyasree's imitation was brilliant and sounded very much the same, except her pitch was a little higher (Alapana Time: approx. 30 secs) . Then the krithi itself was quite enchanting. This was a nice finish to the concert, singing what her grandmother & other guru-D.K. Pattammal was famous for. (Altogether: 04:25)

Overall the concert was quite good, so my advice, if she is having a concert in the same country/state/city as where you live, don't miss it. The duration of this concert was 193 minutes, or 3 hours and 13 minutes (Approximately).


CONCERT REVIEW COPYRIGHT NISHANTH (mailto:nishanthanoyomous@yahoo.com.au)
DEDICATED AS A GIFT FOR THE INTERNET (MSN) GROUP- Raga Sudha Rasa
Formerly - (Yahoo!) Group Rasikapriyan
Any corrections/other information is welcome.
SHUBHAM


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