Lec Dem sessions @ Parthasarathy swamy sabha Dec 09

[thanjavooran]

Uniquness of GNB by TRS @ Parthasarathy swamy sabha on 17th dec 09

The lec dem started exactly by 8 30 am sharp. Few interesting points noted are given below. His speech was manipravalam [ English, Tamil and Telugu ]
1. Few muscians are identified by their native village. But for GNB mere initials are sufficient.
2. Nowadays no Gurukulam at all. Gurukulam is an outmoded fashion.
3. In US guru tappo maheswaraha [ Tape ] Is the slogan at present.
4. W/O gurukulam GNB came up to the top level, is an Uniquness in him
5. His father was Shriman GV Narayanaswamy Iyer , Principal of Hindu high school , Triplicane.and a lover CM
6. Most of the yester years' musicians' general education was zero. Max 5th std pass only
7. GNB was an Hons graduate
8 Nowadays w/o gurukulavasam everything is achieved in fast food fashion.
9. Once SSI mentioned that he was not given a chance to sing in Thyagaraja aradhani at Thiruvaiyaru till his 40th year.
10. GNB never approached anybody to get a chance to sing in any sabhas and opportunity came to him naturally sheerly because of his vidwat
11. Once he was invited to Calcutta for a concert along with PMI. Rasikas wanted him to perform once again in the same venue. Next day he performed again to satisfy rasikas. PMI was given a lion's share of the sanmanam for which PMI openly thanked him saying that like Maharaja GNB is offering.
13. The normal perofrmance in olden days goes like this. 1. should sing in the Puja room in front of God. 2. Next in the temple 3. Nama sangeerthanam / Bajan
and all audience in those days were above 60
14. Once when GNB was travelling to Kallidakurichi he was greeted by a set of students headed by TRS at Tirunelveli junction. Head master of TRS questioned him who was GNB? TRS 's feeling at that time was a person who does not know GNB could never be a principal.
15. He was a famous personality in those days like MGR and Sivaji and all were having a passion to see him in person.
16. During a concert, if anybody comes late, to indicate how many krits he sang, instead telling the number of songs 'Twice he snuffed' will be the standard reply
17. His activities were noted down In detail by the youngsters and this was practice in his school days.[ TRS studied in Tirunelveli]
18. He deviated from Chavukka kala singing which was in vogue in those days.
19. He used to sing Adhi Dhuritha kalam . His speed can defy any machine
20. Only after GNB , brugas were widely popularised.
21. Prominance to word bruga was brought in by GNB only and it was a novel presentation.
22. He put the speed into correct tempo and utilised it for sweet presentation of brugas.
23. Raga alabana is unique in CM. utilising standard notes/ swaras
24. Nadaswara vidwans personal property was raga alapanai in those days since sahithyam was not important for that wind instrument . Dilineation of raga with brugas with speed was possible in nadaswaram only. GNB brought it back from them.
25. He can sing a raga for 45 mints and also in 3 mins bringing aesthetic beauty to that raga.
26. Vina Dhanammal used to play veena in her puja room only. On Fridays musicians and rasikas used to visit her home to listen to her music and she never played any concert outside. Her rendering of kritis after raga dilineation used to be pleasant .
27. SYK ICS [ 50/ 50 club] has mentioned in one of his books that rendering of raga by Veena Dhanammal for 3 mints will picture the portrait of raga Devathai
28. GNB has learnt from Tiger . Once Tiger sang Vathapi ganapathim , hamsadwani kriti with 400 avartham of swaras.
28. He was a witty person too. Once he visited vijayawada when TRS was in AIR and he was hosted by a mirasudar. He was served with Gonkura chutney a famous and spicy item known as Andhra Matha at first. GNB tasted it and could not bear the hot taste and immediately told 'Sesha loga paryantham' it hurts him
29. In Tamilnadu water [ salaiva ] in the tongue and in Andhra water [ tears] in eyes.
30. Once he was to sit in a chair with a broken leg when he was cautioned, he immediately told that orukal vizhundhuviduveno
31. He was a man with great human touch. Though TRS was younger to him in all respects , will ask him whether his telugu kriti is correct
32. A Bahudari kriti ' Mara koti sundari malini by him was later corrected by TRS as marakoti sodhari since the comparison of Manmathan to a lady was incorrect. Before this correction was made, lot of musicians sang with the earlier padantharam only.
33. Divya akshara prayogam was not known during Purandara dasa and Annamacharya period. It was only a later development and GNB has done kritis meticulously following this grammar. Kriti Sivanandha in the raga Kamavardhani is an example for his proficiency in this.
34. Though he was not a Telugu / Sanskrit scholar he used to mention that he had learnt and borrowed from Thyagaraja and MD
35.. He had not stamped his name in of his sahithyams and he never sang his own kritis [ excepting very rarely]
36. Karaharapriya and Harikombodhi were not known in ealier years .Karkarapriya a highly portential raga is well handled by Thyagaraja bring out its swaroopam in many of his creations.
37. Once when Chembai was asked why he is not singing Hari kambodhi he jocularly told that one side Kamaz and the other side HK above all on top Kambodhi. One should practice rope walking for singing this.
38. Thyagaraja has composed Dinamani vamsa even with a slight tinge of Kamaz and this is pure HK and one should concentrate on swara ' RI '
39. Once when GNB was asked why he was not singing raga K P he told that it belongs to SSI and he had established KP in a perfect form
40. 1937 to 50 he was singing KP and later mastered Kalyani etc.
41. The same way he replied to a question regarding Nagumomu that it belongs to Musiri and he will never lay hands on that.
42. TRS conducted an workshop at Krishna gana sabha recently exculusively for GNB's kritis.
43. Nobody can sing like GNB as it requires abhara sadhana.
44. He had established that Human voice also can produce the naunces of raga playing in par and above with Nadaswaram
45. He over took TNR in dilineation of raga playing and TNR used to admire him
46. All Vadhyams are man made and GNB's voice was God made.

The programme was well attended though it was raining heavily. As usual all were senior citizens only. In his 50 mints slot he justified the task of establishing Uniqueness of GNB. He mentioned very casually that MA the organisers are more time conscious and will indicate the time expiry openly but here he himself is cutting short his lecture as he has another program after this. In fact he had attended a function earlier to this program also elsewhere and could not play any of GNB's recording as he had not prepared for for want of time.

Thanjavooran

[balusatya]

THQ for sharing &vivid description of Lec.dem.

[rajeshnat]

Thanjavooran
Tx for this write up, TRS must be the most intent and no #1 rasika of GNB, it must have been a treat to hear him speak about GNB.

[thanjavooran]

Lec dem by Chengleput Renganathan on Panchanadai Pallavi on 18th Dec 09

The lec dem started at 8 45 hrs, 15 mints late. CR assisted by A sundresan on violin and Arun prakash on mirudangam, spoke for few mints about Pancha nadai pallavi.
1. Both song and thalam should be on panchanadai.
2. Song pancha nadai , thalam single kalam
3. song single kalam , thalam pancha nadai.
For this dem he took the third one.
Ragam sankara baranam
Thalam Thisra jathi Rupakam with chathusram, thisram, misram, kantam and sankeernam in order
Pallavi in kanta nadai 4 kalai chavukkam starting after half beat
' Venkta Ramana, Sankata harana, Pankaja Ramana, Thirupathi Thirumalai Sapthagiri vasa
Anulomam Keezh, Samam & Mel
Prathi lomam 2 Kalai

He performed RTP with usual delineation of the raga and thanam. Violin and mirudangam gave an excellent support and thani was good. In general the performance was nice though his voice did not cooperate, the accompanying artistes substatiated this performance. He specially thanked them for their able support. His lec was the same as of his previous one at Ragasudha Hall few days back, with ' No new points ' added. Today few young ladies were also present along with senior citizens. VIP s were Parur MS Anantharaman, Trichy Sankaran and Sriram parasuram. There was no discussion after the perforamance. This time I attended with more expectations of his lecture covering different pattern of pallavi singing by Yesteryear vidwans / stalwarts. But he did not touch this aspect.

Thanjavooran

[semmu86]

' Venkta Ramana, Sankata harana, Pankaja Ramana, Thirupathi Thirumalai Sapthagiri vasa

Is it pankaja ramana or pankaja nayana ? It seemed pankaja nayana to me though .

Arvind.

[thanjavooran]

Shri Semmu 86 avl,
yes . You are right. It is pankaja nayana. Sorry for the typo
hanjavooran

[thanjavooran]

Lec dem by J Venkataraman on ' Technique of singing Varnam with gathi bedham' on 19th Dec 09

Lec Dem started exactly by 08 35 hrs. Shri J Venkataraman in association with Hemalatha and Arun kumar, took up the varnam in the raga Saveri.
He has chosen this varnam Sarasuda since his Guru's name is embedded in it [ Alathur Srinivasa Iyer] As a mark of respect to him he sang this piece.
It was in 5 gathis at Kanta nadai chathusra gathi 4 mathirai with 2 kalai chavukkam. All kanakku only. Hemalatha did her best and thani was very nice. Today's VIPs were Madurai GS Mani, TM Krishna to name few. Most of the rasikas were students taking down notes. J V as a teacher took class for them. He explained Srotho vaham and go pucham patterns while singing swaras.

Thanjavooran

[Rasika911]

Lec dem by J Venkataraman on ' Technique of singing Varnam with gathi bedham' on 19th Dec 09

Lec Dem started exactly by 08 35 hrs. Shri J Venkataraman in association with Hemalatha and Arun kumar, took up the varnam in the raga Saveri.
He has chosen this varnam Sarasuda since his Guru's name is embedded in it [ Alathur Srinivasa Iyer] As a mark of respect to him he sang this piece.
It was in 5 gathis at Kanta nadai chathusra gathi 4 mathirai with 2 kalai chavukkam. All kanakku only. Hemalatha did her best and thani was very nice. Today's VIPs were Madurai GS Mani, TM Krishna to name few. Most of the rasikas were students taking down notes. J V as a teacher took class for them. He explained Srotho vaham and go pucham patterns while singing swaras.

Thanjavooran

I really hope there is audio for this.
Ive been looking for this sort of thing for ages