Sanjay Subramaniam @ Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai

Venue: Bharaytiya Vidya Bhavan Main Auditorium, East Mada St., Mylapore, Chennai

Date: 01 Dec 2006

Organizer: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Vocal: Sri Sanjay Subramaniam

Violin: Sri S. Varadarajan

Mridangam: Sri Srimushnam Raja Rao

Ghatam: Sri Coimbatore Mohanram

List of songs:

1) I vasudhA – sahAnA – Adi – thyAgarAja

2) pollA puliyinum – mAyAmALavagOwLa – Adi – pApanAsam sivan (AS)

3) sAkEta nagara nAtha – harikAmbOji – rUpakam – mysore sadAsiva rAo (ANS)

4) srI kamalAmbAyA – bhairavi – Adi – misra jampa – muthuswAmi dIkshitar (A)

5) niravadi sukhadA – ravichandrikA – Adi – thyAgarAja

6) mAnamulEdA – hamIrkalyANi – Adi – thyAgarAja (AST)

7) kANavEndAmO – srIranjani – chatusra Eka (tisra gati) – pApanAsam sivan (O)

8 ) viruttam (don’t remember the words) – rAgamAlikA

angai koDumalar thUvi (?) (thiruppugazh) – chenchuruTTi & nAdanAmakriyA – misra jampa & kanDa tripuTa – aruNagirinAtar

9) ArumO Aval – mAnD – Adi – kaNNan iyengAr

10) pavamAna (mangaLam) – sOwrAshtram – Adi – thyAgarAja

(Key: O=raga outline, A=raga alapana, N=neraval, S=kalpana swaram, T=taniavartanam)

Hearing a concert of the highest quality is what would probably give the maximum satisfaction to a rasika and playing in such a concert would probably give the maximum satisfaction to a good accompanist. I am sure both the rasikas as well as the accompanying artists in Sri Sanjay Subramaniam’s concert today would have gone back home fully satisfied as they have done umpteen number of times before from his earlier concerts also. Sanjay simply rocks !!!!!

Sri Sanjay started his concert with Sri Thyagaraja’s composition in sahana “I vasudhA“. He followed it up with three compositions that had elaborate raga alapanas. Each of these alapanas were gems in themselves. The raga was apparent as soon as Sri Sanjay started an alapana and he used his imagination very well to paint beautiful pictures of the ragas. I especially liked the harikAmbOji raga alapana. Sri Varadarajan was also awesome in his alapanas and in his replies in the neraval and kalpana swarams. Sri Sanjay soon followed with an elaborate hamIrkalyANi raga alapana which was again beautifully essayed. A rasika request “kaNavEndAmO” was promptly honored next.

Sri Srimushnam Raja Rao showed unusual restraint while playing for the songs and his accompaniment was full of sowkhyam at many places. It was a joy to hear this side of his. The taniavartanam he played consisted of chatusra and tisra naDais. Sri Coimbatore Mohanram was brilliant in his replies in the taniavartanam and was duly praised by both Sri Sanjay and Sri Raja Rao.