Lec Dem by D. Balakrishna on Pallavis performed by stalwarts of yesteryears

This year’s morning academic sessions at the Music Academy, Chennai started with well known veena vidwan D. Balakrishna’s lecture demonstration on pallavis performed by stalwarts of yesteryears. He demonstrated the following 9 pallavis in 40 minutes and also sang trikAlam, pratilOmam and kalpana swarams for some of them:

1) Pallavi played by Veena Seshanna – “cakkani sAmikidi manci samayamura, nEDu” – rAgA tODi – misra jampa 2 kaLai. eDuppu 0.5 beat before samam. arudi 3.5 beats.

2) Pallavi played by Tirukodikaval Krishnaiyer. Taught to his father, well known vainika Doraiswamy Iyengar, by Mysore Vasudevachar – “elarA nAtO calamu, jEsEvurA srIkrishna” – rAgA kAmbOji – Adi 4 kaLai. eDuppu 3 beats after samam (3/4 iDam). arudi 7 beats.

3) Pallavi sung by Mazhavarayanendal Subbarama Bhagavathar who was known for elaborating rare ragas. Told to D. Balakrishna’s father by Alathur Srinivasa Iyer – “nAmoralu vinavE, nA kannatalli” – rAgA kuntalavarALi – tisra tripuTa tisra gati. eDuppu – 1 count (1/3 beat) before samam. arudi 4 counts (1 + 1/3 beats)

4) Pallavi performed by Karaikudi brothers – “palukavE patita pAvani nIvu, cinnari cilukavE ambA” – rAgA mOhanam – catusra rUpakam kanDa gati. eDuppu – after 1 beat (5 counts) in lagu. arudi – 4 counts (in dhrutam)

5) Pallavi performed by Doraiswamy Iyengar – “cakkagani bhajana, jEsE vAriki, takkuva bhuvi galadA, rAmA dina dinamu” – rAgA shankarAbharaNam – Adi 2 kaLai 2 Avartanam. eDuppu 1 beat after samam (1/2 iDam) in first Avartanam and 1.5 beats after samam (3/4 iDam) in second Avartanam. arudi 1.5 beats after mid point in first Avartanam and 3.5 beats after mid point in second Avartanam

6) Pallavi performed by Alathur Srinivasa Iyer – “ninnu nammiti nIvE gati nIraja daLa nEtrA, harE rAmA” – rAgA hEmavati – kanDa jampa kanDa gati. eDuppu 3 counts before samam. arudi 3 counts

7) Pallavi performed by Chingleput Ranganathan – “venkaTa ramaNA sankaTa haraNA pankaja nayanA, tirupati tirumalai saptagiri vAsA” – rAgA shankarAbharaNam – Adi misra gati. eDuppu 1 count after samam. arudi 5 counts

8) Pallavi performed by Alathur Brothers – “kadir vaDivElA unadu pAdam tuNayE, OrArumuganE dEvadi dEvanE” – rAgA shanmukhapriyA – Adi sankIrNa gati. eDuppu 3 counts after samam. arudi 6 counts.

9) Pallavi performed by T.R. Subramaniam – “dasharatha tanayuni maravaka manasA, dinamu kSaNamu” – rAgA shankarAbharaNam – Adi 2 kaLai. eDuppu 0.5 beat before samam. arudi 4 beats. Has trikAlam in pallavi line itself.