Charumathi Raghuraman@nadasudha On Jan 02nd,2018

[rajeshnat]

Charumathi Raghuraman@nadasudha On Jan 02nd,2018
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Violin : Charumathi Raghuraman
Mrudangam : Anantha R Krishnan
Indispensable String : Tambura Vaidyanathan

Concert Type : Nirvana - No concert to follow
Day/Duration : Tuesday/ 2 hours and 05 mins (06:35 PM to 08:40 PM)
Concert Type: Donar Pass Concert
Hall : ganapathi sachidananda Ashram , Velachery

Year on Year for the last century the season keeps moving , the new year 2018 unfolded . I made up my mind when I went to hear Palakkad Mani Iyer Grandson vocal concert that I have to make it to Palakkad Raghu Grand Son mrudangam . There was also another equally precious incentive where anantha's illustrious spouse who plays violin with superb perfection was also there. I was not disappointed with nadasudha as nAda was indeed out there.

1.sarasijanAbha - ata tAla varnam - kAmbOdhi - ST/Vaidvelu
2.duddugu gala - gowlai - T
The bowing press of TN Krishnan is very easy to get even for an untrained ear and the gayaki experience of Charumathi was indeed there with right stress and bow strength. Her start was in KAmbOdhi, she played bit like her guru's favourite musician ariyakudi . I can cheekily say she was testing violin sAreeram like ariyakudi ,Not a very strong typecast like typical kAmBodhi ata tala varnam but still quite a good start. The krithis of trinity without swaras or neraval is always great as long as you take something weighty.Charumathi taking up the weighty gowlai pancharatnam was well done . Anantha R Krishnan got in the groove and he lifted it really up.

3. ananda natana prakAsam (R,S) - kedaram - MD
5 mins each for alapana and swaras
4. birAna brOva idi (R N S) - kalyani - Tarangampadi panchanatha iyer
5. sadA madhim - gambheeravani- T
Kalyanai alapana was concise and the krithi birana brova ide was played very much in line with the semmangudi parampara . I had nice moments to cherish kalyani excepting the last minute or two in her swaras where the instrument had a bit of fusionish route and few early yawnish sangathis in alapana. The gambheera vani filler did not register that well ,i would love to have fast fillers with also swaras . The preceding kedaram alapana was lovely it just dripped with intense serenity , i just love this MD krithi anantha natana prakasam , the rhythmmic orientation of anantha guided kedaram to its unknown chidambara ragasiyam.

6A. sukhi evarO (R S T) - kAnadA - T
11 mins alapana and 8 mins swaras
6B. tani for 15 mins
What a joy it is to always hear sukhi evarO . TNK has taken a lot from MMI too in polishing and presenting in his concerts . I would not say charumathi Sukhi evaro was intensely ganakaladhara but had so many ganakaladhara touch points . The alapana showed how important it is to get the different shades of bowing press , the sukhi evaro is an exhibition to demonstrate the thick and thin shades and charumathi did a great job there.Swaras in kAnadA could have been bit more that too with anantha rocking with such lovely patterns.

Anantha R krishnan is the finest of finest mrudangam artist . His play had such azhuttam , during tani he played distinctly the valanthai and thoppi side very distinctly in a mutually exclusive mode . For atleast 30 seconds i got educated with the nAdham of valanthai and thoppi . For few concerts in the past i heard a touch of UKS or Sankaran but this time i heard very distinctly the intellectual aesthetics of palakkad raghu. His play had assertion but I never felt obtrustion and the patterns were systemically built in the course of a song - very much a palakkad raghu school feature.

7. ashtapadi - yA ramitA (raga sketch) - suddhasArang - jayadeva
8. chandrasekara eesA - sindhubhairavi - anai ayya
9. thillana - sindhubhairavi- Lalgudi G Jayaraman
Tukkadas started with sudda sarang ashtapadi which was neat and emotive . Two sindhubhairavis followed - one a janaranjaka krithi and another a thillana. IT is a great feeling that Lalgudi thillana is played by TNK school which I thought is perhaps the first time that has ever happened. But musically I may have liked another raga then 2 repetitions of the same raga.

Personally when only violinist and mrudangam artist play, i was not knowing that the tambura artist will sit opposite to the mrudangam artist in the upa pakkavadhyam artist position . It was rare to hear a musical couple and it was way too rare to also see tambura vaidyanathan artist seated opposite right in the front , atleast the shruthi and layam are equal here than the countless blurbs where we dont hear the shruthi.Tambura Vaidyanathan rocks with his continous strumming of tambura.

I donot have the habit of taking mobile photos only few i have taken.I have never seen the full performing face of tambura in full . But this one below is worth it as it is very rare.

Overall a very good to excellent concert for 2 hours and 10 mins.

[rajeshnat]

[Sachi_R]

Rajesh, great pic! Now tell me, does the Tambura artiste taking the front stage makes it a first, or has TM Krishna already done it?

[rajeshnat]

Rajesh, great pic! Now tell me, does the Tambura artiste taking the front stage a first, or has TM Krishna already done it?

No idea , Here is my calculated guess , one concert TMK had violin and upapakkavadyam only i think still with say violinist in that unortodox position that TMK keeps , TMK may not have had tambura in front . Usually TMK also keeps 2 tamburas in most concerts . I think there were few vocal concerts without percussion . This possibility may happen only with violin or veena solo and with just one pakkavadyam . Still I am not sure , rest of the fellow rasikas can answer if that has happened

[kvchellappa]

Why not cede some originality to the couple? there appears to be some visual symmetry in it. It might be odd if it was leftist!

[Sachi_R]

Honestly, KVC, it would be more symmetrical and more pleasing to me if the tambura had stayed in the middle, violin on its right where tambura is now, facing the audience, and mridangam where it is, on the left, of tambura.
The impact would have not waned. At least for me.

[kvchellappa]

Maybe, but the vidushi is too young to be sidelined!

[sureshvv]

Honestly, KVC, it would be more symmetrical and more pleasing to me if the tambura had stayed in the middle, violin on its right where tambura is now, facing the audience, and mridangam where it is, on the left, of tambura.
The impact would have not waned. At least for me.

That would have appeared like a tambura concert. Not a good idea

[vijay.siddharth]

Wasn't there a member who suggested that tamburas be given thani avarthanams too?

[kvchellappa]

Was it also done here?

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Seeing the pic I am even more impressed by an exclusive mike for Tambura.
Kudos to the dedicated team!