Lalgudi's music - a lecdem with illustrative clips

Ideas and innovations in Indian classical music
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Rsachi
Posts: 5039
Joined: 31 Aug 2009, 13:54

Lalgudi's music - a lecdem with illustrative clips

Post by Rsachi »

Image

I have started listening to this very beautifully presented Lec-dem on the Lalgudi Bani by Dr N Ramanathan.
He has painstakingly collected several examples from many concerts spanning different phases of the maestro's long musical career. He presents them with great efficiency and makes very informative comments.

This is a wonderful feast for the long weekend starting with Gouri Ganesha today!
Enjoy!
Click the pic to go to the You Tube video.
Best wishes
Sachi

vasanthakokilam
Posts: 10956
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:01

Re: Lalgudi's music - a lecdem with illustrative clips

Post by vasanthakokilam »

Good stuff Sachi. Thanks.

If at all being a better rasika can be learned, it is from a person like Dr. Ramanathan. While that is intellectually stimulating, it is better to be on the side of the heart than the mind, as Ramanathan himself alludes to. But, even at the level of purely emotional connection to music, it makes sense for someone like him to point out certain things which we may miss, like in the Kanada alapana.

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: Lalgudi's music - a lecdem with illustrative clips

Post by msakella »

While going through this sub-thread, as a critical and professional-violinist and teacher, I have a feeling of, what I call in my very limited knowledge of this unfamiliar foreign language, disgust, as much of the details of the invaluable treasure of the very rare finger-techniques of the Violin-trinity, MSG-LGJ-MC, have never either been cared to preserve them for the posterity or brought out by any of the Violinists due to so many reasons. To tell the fact, these three giants have brought out their own finger-techniques of Violin-playing which have never been used by any of the past Violinists as far my knowledge goes. Some people may tell that so and so Violinist had already played all these techniques like some people who always harp on telling us that everything has already been furnished in our Vedas. But none of them can produce any valid proof in this respect.

In fact, I have little acquaintance with MSG’s finger-techniques having followed them successfully right from 1960. But, as I have learnt much and had to accompany my Guru Sangita Kalanidhi Shri Nedunuri Krishna Murthy I have tried to get acquaintance with Lalgudi’s techniques also. I have personally observed the rare finger-movement of Lalgudi, which was furnished by Dr.N.Ramanathan in his article to ‘Shruti’, even in 1958 or 59 in Vishakhapatnam. By that time, as I have already been acquainted with a different usage of finger-technique, I could not dare to follow this particular technique. But, in very strictly following the tradition of our Karnataka music, in bringing out the required flavour and also in maintaining the continuity of sound in Violin, I found that much of Lalgudi’s techniques help the aspirant in maintaining a strict discipline. That is why, even though I have not personally seen much of his finger-techniques, I could guess many of them by constantly listening to his audio-recordings. Basing upon these finger-techniques only I have myself played the select Varnas and uploaded to ‘youtube.com.user/msakella’ for the benefit of the Violin-aspirants all over the globe unlike any other Violinist.

Prof.N.Ramanathan has been a very close friend of mine since many decades that I revere and love him very much. However, I feel very unhappy in respect of the above video as he did not touch at all this particular aspect of the rare finger-techniques of the Great Lalgudi even in this lengthy video of 02:43:31 hrs., which would have helped the Violin-aspirants a lot. Previously, even while elaborating another Todi-raga-clip and writing an article to the seminar of Rabindra Bharathi University, he had defined only the simple notation of around 2.30 mts., only out of 17.50 mts., of his total duration of accompaniment to Great G.N.Balasubrahmanian but not the rare finger-techniques of Lalgudi at all.

While going through this particular aspect a much clearer notation only helps properly to any professional Violinist either to verify or learn. That is why I have furnished his version of simple notation along with my clearer notation of the same (two pdfs are furnished hereunder in Dropbox) for the kind information of the interested. amsharma

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/llbr5s4568wg ... P9Bea?dl=0

shankarank
Posts: 4043
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Lalgudi's music - a lecdem with illustrative clips

Post by shankarank »

It is mentioned that the Suki evvarO piece in this presentation is accompanied by UKS. However the pharans and general descent - like tAkida takadhin dhin na sounds like PR - a mellowed one at that. pharans sound like being done on a kappi Mridangam. Especially doubtful of the indulgence into caturaSra tiSram during the fast swara passages on "rAmA nAma". Have heard that UKS never likes to play this nadai - not his preference. Also have heard that PR and LGJ kind of discovered this with the approval of PMI. I am not convinced LGJ would indulge on this without the company of PR.

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