Mangalam Krishnamurthy @ Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai

Venue: Narada Gana Sabha Mini Hall, TTK Road, Chennai

Date: 10 May 2007

Organizer: Narada Gana Sabha (Golden Jubilee Celebrations)

Vocal: Vid. Mangalam Krishnamurthy

Violin: Vid. Padma Shankar

Mrudangam: Vid. A.V. Manikandan

List of songs:

1) nalla vAkkuNDAm nalla manamundAm (invocation – Lord Ganesha) – rAmapriyA

2) rAghavam nAma smaraNam (varnam) – rAmapriyA – Adi – p.s. krishnamUrthy (S)

3) rAmO rAja maNihi sadA vijayatE (viruttam) – nATTai

namO namO raghukula nAyakA – nATTai – rUpakam – annamAcArya (OS)

4) nI vaNTi deivamu – varALi – Adi – spencer vENugOpAl (ANS)

5) nishAntakAraka kula (?) – khamAs – kanDa cApu – AlathUr vijayakumAr (O)

6) dAsharati ninnukOri – rishabhapriyA – misra cApu – bidAram krishnappA (AS)

7) centanE sadA – kuntalavarALi – Adi – tyAgarAja

8 ) maracitivEmO nannu – pUrvikalyANi – Adi – mysore vAsudEvAcAr (ANST)

9) shrI rAm jaya rAm – bindumAlini – Adi – suddhAnanda bhArati

10) shyAmAbhirAmam nayanAbhirAmam (viruttam) – dEsh

hE dayALuvA rAmA hE krupALuvA (abhang) – catusra Ekam (tisra gati) – tukArAm

11) nI nAma rUpa mulaku (mangaLam) – saurAshTram – Adi – tyAgarAja

12) mangaLam kOsalEndrAya (slOkam) – madyamAvati

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

The theme of the concert was “Rama Prabhavam – Rare Kritis of Vaggeyakaras on Lord Rama“. Most compositions presented by Vid. Mangalam Krishnamurthy are not heard much in the concert circuit at present. Her rendition was marked by clear pronunciation of words and one could easily note down the sAhityA she was singing. Her style resembled Sri T.N. Seshagopalan’s at many places, notably during the nATTai raga outline and at some places in the viruttams. She started the concert with a slOkam on Lord Ganesha and with a varnam composed by her husband in rAmapriyA. One of the composers of the kritis she sang, Sri Alathur Vijayakumar, was present in the audience.

It been a while since I heard a kriti in pUrvikalyANi being chosen for the main composition and so I was more than happy when the pUrvikalyANi alapana started. If I recall correctly, the bindumAlini kriti that came next was started from the anupallavi “nArAyaNa oM nama shivAya …“. It was set to the tune of Sri Tyagaraja’s composition “entamuddO“.

Vid. Padma Shankar was simply brilliant on the violin. She is one amazing violin artist. I cannot stop raving about how well she played !! Her alapanas, kalpana swarams, neravals and accompaniment for the kritis were all quality stuff. Her unhurried approach to alapanas was commendable. The nAdam that came from her violin made whatever she played thoroughly enjoyable.

This is the first time I am hearing Vid. A.V. Manikandan and I must say he was very impressive. That he was a student of Sri Karaikudi Mani was very much evident from the style with which he played. He followed the songs very well. He played taniavartanam in Adi tALam – 2 kaLai for eDuppu of 1.5 beats after samam, primarily in the catusra naDai.

Now for “kOrvai of the day” 😉

The last kOrvai in the taniavartanam went like this:

Basic structure during each one of the three times (figures in braces represent kArvais i.e, silent portions):

5 + 1 (2) + 2 (2)

6 + 1 (2) + 2 (2) + 1(1) 1(2)

7 + 1 (2) + 2 (2) + 1 (1) 1 (2) + 1(2) 1(2)

—————————-

5 x 3 + 1(2) + 1(2)

7 x 3 + 1(2) + 1(2)

9 x 3

The way it was played (in terms of sollus):

tha dhi ki Na thom tham ; tha tham ;

tha dhi, ki Na thom tham ; tha tham; tha, tham;

tha, dhi, ki Na thom tham; tha tham; tha, tham; tha; thAm;

—————

(tha dhi ki Na thom – 3 times) tham ; tham ;

(tha, dhi, ki Na thom – 3 times) tham ; tham ;

(tha, dhi, ki, Na, thom – 3 times)
Total akshara count = 130 (=32.5 beats). When played thrice, it comes 6 aksharams after samam i.e, 1.5 beats after the samam in catusra gati which is the eDuppu.