Lalgudi GJR Krishnan/Vijayalakshmi @ Hamsadhwani, Chennai

Venue: Youth Hostel, Indira Nagar, Adyar, Chennai

Date: 21 Jan 2007

Organizer: Hamsadhwani

Violin Duet: Vid. Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan &  Vid. Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi

Mridangam: Vid. Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman

Ghatam: Vid. E.M.Subramaniam

List of songs:

1) nIvE gatiyani (varnam) – naLinakAnti – Adi – lAlguDi g. jayarAman (O)

2) aparAdamula – rasALi – Adi – thyAgarAja (OS)

3) thyAgarAja yOga – Anandabhairavi – rUpakam – muthuswAmi dIkshitar (AS)

4) aparAdamula- latAngi – Adi – paTTaNam subramaNya iyer (AS)

5) eppaDi manam – husEni – misra chApu – aruNAchala kavi

6) sItammA mAyammA – vasantA – rUpakam – thyAgarAja (O)

7) eduTa nilachitE – shankarAbharaNam – Adi – thyAgarAja (AST)

8 ) nI dayarAdA – vasantabhairavi – rUpakam – thyAgarAja

9) rAgam tAnam pallavi – saraswati – kanDa tripuTa (kanDa gati) (T)

    pallavi wordings: “sabarI girIsham sadA bhajAmi, shAstAram harihara sutam”

   kalpanA swarams in saraswati, kEdAram, sAvEri, madyamAvati, sahAnA, danyAsi, sAmA, kalyANavasantam , rEvati & dEsh

1o) tunga tarangE – hamsadwani – Adi – sadAsiva brahmEndra

11) enna solli – kAnadA – Adi – ambujam krishnA

12) thillAnA – brindAvani – Adi – lAlguDi g. jayarAman

13) nI nAma rUpa mulaku (mangaLam) – sowrAshTram & madyamAvati – Adi – thyAgarAja

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

Vid. Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan & Vid. Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi presented a melodious, thoroughly enjoyable violin duet concert. What was most impressive was the way they played the compositions so beautifully as though they were singing it with full bhava rather than playing it on the violin. If you knew the compositions, you could just sit there, sing along if you wanted and note what all beautiful sangathis could be put. If you didn’t know the kritis, you could simply sit there and enjoy the melodious journey.

Sri Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan’s shankarAbharaNam alapana was the hallmark of the concert. Neraval was conspicuous by its absence. Sri Umayalpuram Sivaraman was in top class form and he played a gem of a taniavartanam along with Sri E.M. Subramaniam for the shankarAbharaNam kriti. The percussionist duo also played a short taniavartanam for the ragam tAnam pallavi.

The ragam tanam pallavi in the raga saraswati was set to kanDa jAti tripuTa tALam in kanDa gati. The pallavi wordings were “sabarI girIsham sadA bhajAmi, shAstAram harihara sutam”. The pallavi line was structured as follows (B=beat, C=count; 1 avartanam of the talam = 22.5 B = 22.5×4 C = 90 C): (eDuppu = 0.5B after samam) sa (1.5B) ba (1.5B) rI (1B) gi (1B) rI (1.5B) sham (1.5B) sa (0.5B) dA (1.5B) bha (0.5B) jA (1.5B), mi (+gap=3B)  shA (1B) stA (1B) ram (1B) ha (0.5B) ri (1B) ha (0.5B) ra (1B)  su (0.75B) tam (0.75B).