This is the first concert that TMK & Sangeetha are performing together. It seems yesterday was their wedding anniversary. Here’s wishing them a long musical life together! :)

Concert at Narada Gana Sabha (Bharat Sangeet Utsav) on 6th November, 2009

Accompanists:
Akkarai Subbulakshmi - Violin
Poongulam Subramaniam - Mridangam
B.S.Purushotham – Khanjira

Duration of the concert: 2hrs 30 min

List of Songs:
1. mAtE (varnam) – khamAs

This was a pleasant surprise since it was only on the previous day of the concert that I read Dandilsa’s post and remembered how long it had been since I listened to this varnam! :)

2. ninne nera nammi – pantuvarALi – Short AlApana; neraval at vEdashAstra purANa vidyalacE bhEda; swarams at vedashAstra by Sangeetha & swarams at purANa by TMK

3. bhuvinidAsuDane – SrI ranjani – AlApana; swarams at bhuvini
(sung by Sangeetha alone)

4. kanakashaila vihAra – punnAga varALi – AlApana; neraval at shyAmalAmbike bhavAbdi taraNe
(sung by TMK alone)

This was sung in a slow pace and as is always the case with any slow song by TMK, this was also excellent.

5. bhOgIndra Sayinam - kuntalavarALi

6. AlApanas in SrI, Arabhi, gowrI, nAttai, gowLai, mOhanam, sAmA, lalitA, bhairavam, sArangA
tAnams in SankarAbharaNam, kAmbhoji, dEvakriya, bhUpALam, SrI
SrI viSvanAtham – caturdaSa rAgamAlikA
tani AvArtanam

AlApana, tAnam & swarams in all the above-mentioned rAgAs were alternately sung by TMK & Sangeetha with TMK starting with SrI AlApana. Akkarai Subbulakshmi played the AlApana, tAnam & swarams for the rAgAs sung by Sangeetha alone. Poongulam Subramaniam and Purusothaman played for the last round of tAnam in SrI rAgam. The swarams concluded with a round of fast-paced swarams in all the rAgAs, ending with SrI.

It was refreshing to hear a main piece like this. I loved the SrI AlApana and the fast-paced tAnam and swarams in SrI. SrI viSvanAtham was sung really well!

7. Verses from Kalidasa’ abhijnAna SAkuntalam

I got the verses from this site.

1st verse: (sung in hamIr kalyANI by TMK)
adharaha kisalaya-rAgaha komala-viTapa-anukAriNau bAhU
kusumam iva lobhanIyam yauvanam angeSu samnaddham

After Dushyanta first sees Shakuntala, he sings this verse describing her.

2nd verse: (sung in valaji by Sangeeta)
kim nu khalv imam prekSya tapo-vana-virodhino vikArasya gamanIyA+asmi samvrttA

This is sung by Shakuntala after she first sees Dushyanta.

3rd verse: (sung in hindOLam by Sangeeta)
tava na jAne hrdayam mama punaha kAmo divA api rAtrAv api
nirghrna tapati balIyas tvayi vrtta-manorathAyA angAni

Shakuntala and Dushyanta have still not conveyed their feelings to each other. That’s when Shakuntala writes a letter to Dushyanta describing her feelings. The verse that was sung is the content of the letter.

4th verse (sung in dEsh sung by TMK)
tapati tanu-gAtri madanas tvAm aniSam mAm punar dahaty eva
glapayati yathA SaSa-ankam na tathA hi kumudvatIm divasaha

Even as Shakuntala is writing the letter, Dushyanta comes & expresses his love and that’s the verse that was sung.

The verses were followed by the song prEmaiyil yAvum marandEnE (from the old movie Shakuntala) – dEsh

This is the piece that I loved the most in this concert. The choice of rAgAs for the verses was good and they both sang well. I was happy to listen to TMK’s hamIr kalyANi after a long time. I liked the dESh played by Akkarai Subbulakshmi after TMK concluded the last verse in dEsh. Her dEsh was followed by a very beautiful song, prEmaiyil yAvum marandEnE! I have not listened to this song before and I just loved this.

8. brUhi mukundEti - kurunji

brUhi mukundEti sung by TMK & Sangeetha in a CD of Sadasiva Brahmendra kritis is one of my favourites. I was happy that they sang it in this concert.

9. nI nAma rUpamulaku – sowrAshTram
madhyamAvati – outline