Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

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Sivaramakrishnan
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Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 08:29

Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

Post by Sivaramakrishnan »

PARIVADINI MUSIC SERIES 2017
Ragasudha Hall, Chennai
02 Dec 2017
10 am – 12 noon

Prof K G Vijayakrishnan -Veena
Tanjavur S Kumar --Mridangam

(Webcast by Parivadini)

It was a couple of years back that Lalitharam of Parivadini and I met Dr K G Vijayakrishnan who was on a short visit to Chennai, at the residence of L Ramakrishnan-a Veena enthusiast- to listen to a torchbearer of the parampara of Ranagaramanuja Iyengar who was closely associated with the great music of Veena Dhanammal. He played a few kritis which had the stamp of the legendary school. The fingering technique was absolutely ‘vintage’ and the paathantaram obviously 'unskakable'. (I appreciate Lalitharam for arranging the professor's recital for the benefit of rasikas in Chennai.)

An academician by profession, Prof Vijayakrishnan was till recently with the English and Foreign Languages (EFL) University, Hyderabad and settled there. A few years back Vijayakrishnan had presented a topic in the Lec dem series at the Music Academy, Chennai. More about him later!

The Concert
Kritis played
1. Anandabhairavi- Varnam-Aadi
2. Naatai-Ihaparasaadhana- Aadi-Kumara Ettendra
3. Begada-Gaanarasamudan-Rupaka-Papanasam Sivan
4. Abhogi-Nanubrovani-Aadi-Tyagaraja
5. Mukhaari-Pahimaam Ratnachala nayaka-Aadi-Dikshitar
6. Ramapriya-Smaraamyaham sadaa Raahum-Rupaka-Dikshitar
7. Lalitha-Agastiswaram-Misrachapu-Dikshitar
8. Rasaali-Aparadhamula-Aadi-Tyagaraja
9.Harikambodhi-Endukunirdaya-Aadi- Tyagaraja
Ragamalika Taanam covering Varali, Mandaari, Ranjani, Umabharanam and Kannadamaaruvam
10. Behag -Nirupamaana (javali)- Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar
11. Reetigoula-Vaarijamukhi (Padam)- Tisratriputa- Kshetrayya
12. Punnagavarali-Ehi Annapurne-Aadi-Dikshitar
13. Neelambari (in Madhyamasruti)- Karunananda-Kumara Ettendra
14. Surati-Sreerama Jayamangalam (Mangalam)- Papanasam

It was a garland of rather heavy uruppadi-s but none felt the strain normally associated with listening to such a fare. Because It was sheer delight to enjoy the dexterous yet oriental technique of fingering that maintained the ragabhava and sahitya in tact transporting a Veena-premi to the bygone Dhanammal era. A fitting tribute for the ongoing 150th birth anniversary of the legendary lady!

The Varnam is literally an old and unheard one which had all the prescribed prayogas and sancharas of the raga. The kriti in Naata touching a shadsruti dhaivatam in the very Pallavi had Chittaswara too. An outline of Begada came in next and was followed by Gaanarasamudan- a not often handled Sivan kriti. Abhogi had a compact kalpanaswara package. Alapana of Mukhari was brief and the kshetra kriti of Dikshitar came in quite appropriately.

Alapana of Ramapriya was refreshing and the Navagraha kriti on Raahu(again not common in concerts) seemed to be the best selection with Swara prastara at the Pallavi. Agastiswaram in Lalitha had a beautiful raga sketch and refreshing swaraprastaras. Rasaali that demands absolute mastery of the mettu and meettu was the next.

Harikambodhi – mostly an expert's choice- was the main. Raga aalapana was elaborate with all the must sancharas and pidis. The taanam segment in ragamalika of rather apoorva scales in quick succession threw an interesting challenge to the rasika. I later obtained from the vidwan the name of the totally strange raga (last in the chain) which was Kannadamaaruva . There is a kriti of Oothukadu in this apoorva raga, the vainika informed.

Endukunirdaya - the main kriti with multi-charanas had a pucca swaraprastara segment for an eduppu at arai edam followed by tani on Mridangam.

Thanjavur Kumar-renowned for his accompanying Veena music- followed the rendering like a shadow. His tani was compact and in line with the overall mood of the subtle recital. It was unobtrusive and sruti-aligned throughout.

Post-Tani segment included a very rare Kshetrayya padam in Reetigoula (and of course in Tisra triputa) which I have not come across so far. Ehi Annapurne was meditative. The piece in Neelambari (played in madhyamasruti) was a again a vintage offering. Even for mangalam,Sri Vijayakrishnan had a rare uruppadi in Papanasam Sivan's Sreeramajayamangalam - Surati.


The bonus was that the Vainika sang along at select passages for better introduction of the compositions and sahitya perhaps conforming to the aspect of Veenaagaanam. The fingering technique (that invariably identifies a school) was presumably nearest to Dhanammal legacy - unique and authentic. Needless to point out that the employment of the left hand fingers that traverse on the swarastanas has a lot to do with bringing out the intricacy of raga and sahitya.

A Veena concert of calibre.
Last edited by Sivaramakrishnan on 03 Dec 2017, 09:11, edited 1 time in total.


Jigyaasa
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Joined: 16 May 2006, 14:04

Re: Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

Post by Jigyaasa »

Great song list and wonderful review. Thanks!

The rendition of kannaDamAruva uses some of the notes of vAcaspati as sung here - http://mio.to/hl40 rather than the notes in kalyANi as described in www.thehindu.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmusi ... 6Mqeb6AQfb (I am not using the janya-janaka reference since many rAgas precede such a classification including this one potentially)

bhakthim dehi
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Re: Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

Post by bhakthim dehi »

This kind of confusion is not uncommon with the scales. Same kind of confusion exist for Panchamurthi too. While it is mentioned as a janya of Vachaspathi, it is usually sung (if at all) as a janya of Kalyani.

Sivaramakrishnan
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Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 08:29

Re: Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

Post by Sivaramakrishnan »

Kannadamaaruva (in this concert) belonged to Vachaspati clan.

Sachi_R
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Joined: 31 Jan 2017, 20:20

Re: Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

Post by Sachi_R »

A Veena concert of calibre.
Fully agree!

Lost are the sounds of the instrument today, in a world taken over by electronic strains. A guitar, a mandolin and a veena sound all the same. As musicians vie with one another in intellectual prowess and speedy execution to catch the briga-fed audiences, this was a soothing call, harking back to a bygone era.

Thank you Lalitharam. You're doing many remarkable things, at an age one would be busy making money and spending it all in malls and arcades.

uday_shankar
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:37

Re: Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

Post by uday_shankar »

Sachi_R wrote: 07 Dec 2017, 17:08A guitar, a mandolin and a veena sound all the same.
Electric mandolin, just to clarify. An acoustic mandolin has a distinct sound.

More to the point, sound is not a priority in Carnatic music. It is all about the shape of the curve. Hence the immense popularity of they keyboard (with pitch bender). So the key thing for Carnatic music is the ability to "reproduce gamakaws" with scant attention to sound, tone, timber, color or aesthetics. I think nothing is a greater sham than that word that is bandied about so often in CM, "nadopasana".

It did not used to be like that. There used to be a Thanjavur, Kerala and Mysore sound to vinas, each with distinct characteristics. I think S Balachander ruined it for all plucked string instruments in South India. Instead of working carefully with the architecture of the vina to enable sufficient sustain for his extreme pulling, he took the short cut with amplification.

Sitarists like Vilayat Khan worked extensively with the architecture of the instrument. To date, very few, if any, top sitarists use anything more than a single external mike for amplification. And you can hear nuanced pulling with a natural decay in rich acoustic sound.

Sachi_R
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Re: Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

Post by Sachi_R »

Uday,
Your this single post makes it worthwhile to visit rasikas.org. Thank you.

I agree. Just as I type this, I have just heard on Amruthavarshini 100.1 FM Mrs., Geeta Ramanad's veena. It sounded pure and beautiful.


Here is something for those curious about the wonderful sound of the sitar you have referred to:
https://gaana.com/song/raag-shahana

Sivaramakrishnan
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Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 08:29

Re: Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

Post by Sivaramakrishnan »

Another Vainika who used to offer the purest strains of the Veena was Sangita Kalanidhi K S Narayanaswamy. I had the fortune to listen to him at the sacred Navaratri Mandapam, Trivandrum which is perhaps the best place to listen to Veena. The construction of the Mandapam itself with indigenous acoustic features makes it an ideal enclosure for Veena if not all types of music. No amplification is needed.

Sachi_R
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Joined: 31 Jan 2017, 20:20

Re: Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

Post by Sachi_R »

Yes, Sivaramakrishnan, whatever recordings I have heard of Sri KS confirm your statement.

A test of strength of conviction, and a commitment to the path, will be for Vainikas to support each other and rasikas like us and hold exclusive chamber veena concerts with the minimum of electronic twang and amplification fuss.
That would go a long way on preserving veena idiom and paradigm.

I feel people like Madrasana are trying to document authentic sound in beautiful surroundings. That will also be a wonderful way to promote it.

Meanwhile, we need to go on a diet of pure naada, shorn of drama, loudness, and a general circus-like atmosphere. My other peeve about mridangam issues links to this idea, too.

parivadini
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Re: Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

Post by parivadini »

Check out the young Vainika Guhan Venkatraman this season. He plays without any amplification.

Sachi_R
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Joined: 31 Jan 2017, 20:20

Re: Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

Post by Sachi_R »

Ok! Hope to catch some recordings

Sivaramakrishnan
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Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 08:29

Re: Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

Post by Sivaramakrishnan »

parivadini wrote: 08 Dec 2017, 13:18 Check out the young Vainika Guhan Venkatraman this season. He plays without any amplification.
Kindly inform the event schedule if you know.


Sivaramakrishnan
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Joined: 02 Jan 2010, 08:29

Re: Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

Post by Sivaramakrishnan »

Thanks Parivadini for the link.

sankark
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Re: Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

Post by sankark »

Walled garden, eh?

vainika2
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Joined: 04 Oct 2016, 08:55

Re: Prof. Vijayakrishnan @ Ragasudha for Parivadini 02 Dec 2017

Post by vainika2 »

... for those interested in listening to Prof Vijayakrishnan play/sing/talk about music, we're having an informal gathering at my place (Royapettah) at 430 pm tomorrow Dec 28 (people can leave in time to walk to RKM at MA). If you'd like to come, please get in touch (whatsapp/text 9841557983)

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