Guru puja of Palani Subramania Pillai he 59th annual guru puja of Nirvana satakam composed by the legendary mridangam Adi Sankara, he continued with Sri Tmaestro, Palani Subramania nathadi guruguho, a composition Pillai was conducted virtually by of Muthuswami Dikshitar in the Palani Sri M. Subramania Pillai Mayamalavagaula,. The highlight Trust. The programme premiered on of the performance was the artist’s 2 June 2021 on the Trust’s YouTube impressive voice and extended breath page. A number of Carnatic vocalists control. voluntarily sang as a tribute to this great master. Most of the artists sang N.S. Kamakshi was the next to only to the accompaniment of the present her piece—Muthuswami tambura. Dikshitar’s Manasa guruguha in the raga Anandabhairavi. While listening After a short introductory speech by to the artist’s rendition, Sangita mridanga vidwan K. Arun Prakash (one of the trustees), the event Kalanidhi S. Ramanathan’s version continued with a clip of Semmangudi of the same song came to mind. The artist’s clear voice executed brigas Srinivasa Iyer (accompanied by Palani Subramania Pillai T.N. Krishnan on the violin, and with no visible strain. Palani Subramania Pillai on the The first performance of the Srirangam V. Venkatanagarajan’s mridangam) rendering Marivere, evening was by Carnatic vocalist rendition of Muthuswami Dikshitar’s a composition of Syama Sastry in Sikkil Gurucharan. Beginning his Sri Ramachandro (Sreeranjani) Anandabhairavi raga. performance with the first verse brought out the piety of the lyrics. His voice, adept in singing fast phrases, was just as skilled in singing phrases in the lower octave too. K. Bharat Sundar’s Brochevarevarura (Khamas), was like a breath of fresh air. His version of the song was very different from the trademark M.S. Subbulakshmi’s version. Changing from chatusram to tisram in the chittaswaram, the artist displayed his control over laya. “Who made the history and the great epics? How did Satyabhama get the idea of giving her own husband as a gift?” Tyagaraja asks in his song Naradaguruswami in the raga Darbar. G. Ravikiran sang this composition with admirable voice modulation and veneration. This piece, often sung in the past, is almost never heard in concerts nowadays. Subbaraya Sastry’s Hameerkalyani masterpiece, Venkatasaila vihara was sung by Vignesh Ishwar. Popularised 12 l SRUTI July 2021 by vidushis T. Brinda and T. Muktha, dexterously. This slow, melancholic this song is on the deity of Tirumala. piece was sung beautifully, and the Though the artist’s version was much few fast phrases were sung with different from the above mentioned admirable ease. The artist’s rendition duo’s, the quaintness and beauty of reminded the listener of vidushi the song remained the same. T. Brinda’s version of the song, emotive and full of bhava. Brinda Manickavasagam sang Marakatavalli, Muthuswami Muthuswami Dikshitar’s classic Dikshitar’s composition in Kambhoji. piece—Sri Subramanyo in Todi Intricate sangatis were sung was sung by Ramakrishnan Murthy. comfortably, and those in the The piece began with the sadharana higher octave were rendered with gandhara – it was sung plain— delectable ease. Trichy Sankaran a rarely sung prayoga of the swara. S. Adithyanarayanan presented One could notice a few swaraksharas, Sangita Kalanidhi Trichy Sankaran Sri Guruguhasya dasoham in raga and the song was rendered without ended the session with a tani Poorvi. Taking the artist’s age into compromising the integrity of avartanam in Misra Chapu. He consideration, this composition of the raga. shifted from one nadai to the next Muthuswami Dikshitar in the sixth effortlessly. The rhythm was slowly “Know unerringly the grandeur vibhakti (shashti vibhakti), was sung coaxed out of the mridangam by the with which the supreme Lord is with great depth. maestro’s gentle playing. The nadam effulgent,” says Tyagaraja in his kriti, of his mridangam was wonderful, Amritha Murali’s version of Paramatmudu velige. This kriti in and the sound of the cymbals in Vadanyeswaram brought out the the raga Vagadeeswari was sung by the background elevated the artist’s beauty of Devagandhari without Rithvik Raja at a slow pace, his voice avartanam. phrases of Arabhi or Sama straying emotively bringing out the meaning in. Her perfect pronunciation did not of the lyrics excellently. The event concluded with the vote fail to impress. of thanks by senior mridanga vidwan Palghat Ramprasad sang Sri Rama Muthuswami Dikshitar’s Sri and trustee, Mannarkoil J. Balaji. jaya Rama, Tyagaraja’s magnificent Guruguha moortey in raga He thanked all the artists who had kriti in Yadukulakambhoji. Before Udayaravichandrika was sung by performed, the younger members of he began, the artist narrated an Sumithra Vasudev. This audava raga the trust, as well as Trichy Sankaran anecdote involving this song and was sung effortlessly, and the artist’s and K. Arun Prakash for their Pillai Subramania Pillai as told by voice modulated at the right places, contributions. with no touch of artificiality. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer to him and his father. The lilting melody of VIBHA KRISHNAKUMAR (A young student at Vidya Mandir, Aishwarya Vidhya Raghunath sang Yadukulakambhoji made the rasika Mylapore, and also a disciple of vidushi Syama Sastry’s Brovavamma (Manji) feel peaceful at once. Geetha Raja) w w w Charsur Digital Workstation prissne carnasc music 13 l SRUTI July 2021.