Smt.Sowmya 16/2/19 -THE FINE ARTS SOCIETY MUMBAI

[priyashekar]

Smt. Sowmya - Vocl
Embar Kannan - Violin
Neyveli narayanan - Mridhangam
Chandrashekara Sharma - Ghatam
Nisha - Tambura

Thematic concert - Nandanar Charitram - Gopala Krishna Bharathi

Gananatha - Mohanam
Tirunalaippovar - Kamas - A
Sivaloga Nadanai _ mayamalagowla - A N S
Vazhi marai - Nattakurinji
Satre Vilagi - Hamsadwani
Chidambara darisanamaa - Mukhari - A
Sedi solla _ Dvijavanti
Innamum sandeha - Kiravani - A N S at Ponnambalam
Varugalamo - Manji
Chidambaram Pogamal - Chenchurutti
Thillai Veliyile - Yamuna Kalyani
Ayye mettha kadinam - Punnagavarali
aadum Chidambaramo - behag
Tirunalai povarukku - Asaveri

What a grand concert Sowmya gave -we will remember it lifetime
Learnt so many interesting points as a student.
Her comparison of Gopala krishna bharatis songs and Subramaniaya Bharatis usage of same ragas for his songs left one awestruck at her knowledge.

She started with a clear message that it was not kalakshebam.
She introduced the opera with its characters and informed the situations leading to the song very briefly.

Each song was a gem -some of them moving us to tears.
Added advantage was understanding tamil so it was more enjoyable.

It is no point explaining where she was excellent as the whole concert was a gem for archives.

Embar ,Neyveli And Chandrashekar ably supported her in this grand concert.

Fine Arts should be congratulated for the amazing innovative concert in a festival.

[arunsri]

Was planning to post, but just did not get the time to do so... few additions and corrections

The khamas kriti is like an introduction to the opera.

N in the mAyAmALavagauLa kriti was at 'arpasugatai ninaindOm aran tiruvaDi marandOm'. Total of 3 charanas were sung.

mukhAri kriti had only rAga AlApana -- no neraval or swaras.

In the main kIravANi piece, Dr. Sowmya sang nEraval in the anupallavi line 'ponnambalam tanil tAnDavamADiya'

[arunsri]

The mangalam song in this opera is in asAvEri just as in the rAmanATakam by aruNachala kavi (shrI rAmachandranukku jayamangaLam is also in asAvEri)

She said that GKB introduced the vEdiyar (as the antagonist) in the opera. This character was not there in the original pEriyapurANam version.

vazhimaraithu is sung originally in tODi, tuned to nATakuranji.

the mukhAri piece is a reprimand by the vEdiyar to nandanAr - oh you want to go to chidambaram, is it?

the dwijAvanti is a precursor to this, where the villagers go and complain to the vEdiyar about nadnanAr's madness, he bites and beats in his helplessness in not being able to convince the people about his idea of going to worship shivA
Apparently, the community that nandanAr belonged to made animal products and by products, they had their own sets of gods and demigods.

The opera was greatly influenced by the Marathi musical forms prevalent at that time in the Thanjavur region. Forms like lAvaNi, abhang, khaDgA, sAkhi, tohEra are used in compositions by GKB. in addition to this, kalipA, vEnpA, kirtana and kriti formats are also used. Wish Dr. Sowmya had the time to explain and demonstrate each of these forms!!! May be another time!

She said that the entire credit for this goes to her guru Sangita Kalanidhi Dr. S. Ramanathan --- who having studied at Annamali Nagar, Chidambaram - had the access to the original versions etc. He has published a book with the entire sahityam and another one with notations for selected ones.

Wish time was never a constraint for such presentations!!