Venue: Sri Thiagaraja Sangeetha Vidwath Samajam, 5, Thiagarajapuram, Chennai

Date: 25 Apr 2007

Organizer: Sri Thiagaraja Sangeetha Vidwath Samajam (Sri Thiagaraja Jayanthi Concerts Series)

Vocal: Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan

Violin: Sri M.A. Sundaresan

Mridangam: Sri Tiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam

Ghatam: Sri V. Suresh

List of songs:

1) sObillu – jaganmOhini – rUpakam – thyAgarAja (OS)

2) rAma bhakti sAmrAjyam – sudha bangALa – Adi – thyAgarAja (OS)

3) vADEra deivamu – pantuvarALi – Adi – thyAgarAja (ANS)

4) entani nE – mukhAri – rUpakam – thyAgarAja

5) krupaju – chAyAtarangiNi – adi – thyAgarAja

6) kadanuvAriki – tODi – Adi – thyAgarAja (ANST)

7) entamuddO – bindumAlini – Adi – thyAgarAja (O)

8 ) vinAyakuni – madyamAvati – Adi – thyAgarAja (S)

9) nI nAma rUpa mulaku (mangaLam) – saurAshTram – Adi – thyAgarAja

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

A nice concert by Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan and his team of experienced accompanists. tODi stood out. Sri M.A. Sundaresan was brilliant as usual.

Taniavartanam by Sri Bhaktavatsalam and Sri Suresh comprised chatusra and tisra naDais and a kuraippu. Kuraippu started like a kanDa kuraippu. First two rounds were played starting 2 beats (8 aksharams) after samam as 4 patterns of 5 aksharam each first in chatusra gati, then in kanDa gati and then again in chatusra gati (total = 2 beats gap + 14 beats of patterns = 16 beats = 1 avartanam of Adi tALam – 2 kaLai). The basic structure in the next round consisted of 3 patterns of 6 aksharam each with a one aksharam kArvai between the first and second and between the second and third pattern ( 6 + 1 + 6 + 1 + 6 = 20 aksharams). This was played starting 2 beats after samam, first time in chatusra gati, next in kanDa gati and then in chatusra gati (total = 2 beats gap + 5 beats in chatusram + 4 beats in kanDam + 5 beats in chatusram = 16 beats = 1 avartanam of Adi tALam 2 kaLai). The same structure was used in the next round except that the patterns were played now in double speed as “(6 x 1) + 2 aksharam gap + (6 x 2) + 2 aksharam gap + (6×3)” in place of the earlier “6 + 1 gap + 6 + 1 gap + 6” in normal speed. The combination of slow and fast speeds went on for one more round. The next few rounds all followed the structure of the first two rounds, viz 20 aksharams taken after 2 beats from samam and played in chatusra, kanDa and then back in chatusra gati one after the other. The half avartanam portion was played starting one beat after samam (or mid-point of the avartanam) as 2 x 5 aksharams in chatusram followed by 2 x 5 aksharams in kanDam followed by 2 x 5 aksharams in chatusram (total = 8 beats). The quarter avartanam portion was played starting 0.5 beats after samam (or after each 25% point of the avartanam) as a 5 aksharam pattern in chatusram followed by kanDam followed by chatusram again. After this, normal patterns in chatusra naDai for quarter avartanam portions started.