Recorded at Darbar Festival 2007 on 14th April at the Phoenix Theatre, Leicester.

Musicians:
- Mysore A Chandan (flute)
- Dr. Jyotsna Srikanth (violin)
- Neyveli Venkatesh (mridangam)
- RN Prakash (ghatam)

Raag Vijaysri, instrumental composition by Saint Thyagaraja (1767-1847)

‘Varanarada Narayana’ is a composition of Saint Thyagaraja (1767-1847). Set to Raag Vijaysri in Adi talam, it is one of the fast instrumental kritis that has been composed by the doyen of Carnatic musical trinity. Laden with murkis (curly notes), gamaks and drawn-out, patient notes, Mysore A Chandan gives a befitting performance of this enthralling piece.

He is accompanied on the violin by Dr. Jyotsna Srikanth, on the mridangam by Neyveli Venkatesh and on the ghatam by RN Prakash. With commendable phrases, Chandan weaves the raga using full, breathier standing notes and chirpy, percussive phrases. He adorns the kriti with swarakalpanas woven around intricate rhythmic patterns, building up a short but elaborate representation.

Dr. Srikanth, Venkatesh and Prakash support with heart-warming team-work and detailed melodic and rhythmic nuances.

Raga Vijaysri is considered a rare raga in the Carnatic system. It is derived from the 47th melakarta, Suvarnangi. It is a shadav-shadav raga, that is symmetrically uses 6 notes in its ascent and descent, omitting dhaivata in both the movements. Its arohana and avarohana are as follows:

S R1 G2 M2 P N2 S

S N2 P M2 G2 R1 S

It is said that Saint Thyagaraja was the first and the only one of the trinities to introduce this raga through this kriti.