Dr. M. Narmadha - Duke University - 23.03.18

Review the latest concerts you have listened to.
Post Reply
bilahari
Posts: 2631
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 09:02

Dr. M. Narmadha - Duke University - 23.03.18

Post by bilahari »

Auspices of Duke Sangeet, ICMDS, and SIFAA
Duke University

Dr. M. Narmadha - violin
Sri Vijay Ganesh - mrudangam
Sri Chandrasekara Sharma - ghaTam

3 h

Approximate Songlist:
sarasUDa (varNam) - sAvEri - Adi - Kotthavasal Venkatarama Iyer
gaNanAdanE - sAranga - Adi - Periyasami Thooran (Sketch, S)
sarasa sAmadAna - kApi nArAyaNi - Adi (R, S @ hiTavu mATalentO)
raguvamsa sudA - kadanakutUkalam - Adi - Patnam
manasA eTulOrtanE - malayamArutam - rUpakam - T (R, N @ kalilO, S)
bOgIndrasAyinam - kuntalavarALi - k. cApu - ST
RTP - latAngi - tiSra tripuTa (tani)
'ten pazhani vaDivElanE dEivAnai manavALanE' (eDuppu +0.5)
+swaras in tODi, hamIrkalyANi, kEdAragowLa, abOgi, jOg, aTANA

jagajjanani - ratipatipriya
akhilANDESwari - dwijAvanti - rUpakam - MD (sketch)
bO shambhO - rEvati
vaiSnava janatO - bhajan
srI rAmacandra and tarAna - sindhu bhairavi
bAgyada lakSmi - madhyamAvati
nI nAma (mangaLam) - sowrASTram - Adi

Dr. Narmadha and her team presented a superlative concert at Duke University this evening. The concert began with an MSG classic in his memory, the sAvEri varNam, played immaculately in two speeds primarily on the A string. The sAranga kriti was a sprightly invocation and had beautiful swaras highlighting both madhyamams. Sara sAmadAna was one of the highlights of the evening; Dr. Narmadha announced it as a tribute to the late MMI, and it was truly reminiscent of his verve. The alapanai had an interesting structure combining short, staccato phrases with longer passages with deep glides. The swaras were measured but had beautiful poruttam. Raguvamsa sudA is an instrumental favourite, and was an electrifying presentation as expected. MalayamArutam was a refreshing choice for submain, and was another highlight of the concert. The alapanai was expansive in three octaves and without gimmicks, leading into a bhAva-laden rendition of the T kriti, with a very Parur-esque tAnam in two speeds with great use of the tAnam bow. BOgIndrasAyinam was ever so sweet and announced as a tribute to SSI. The RTP was a grand affair. The latAngi alapanai stretched past the atitAra stAyi, but with supreme clarity, and offered great insight into the ragam. The tAnam was played in both the CM and HM styles with flat madhyamams and nishAdams along with plain note sequences marking the HM version, with alternating accompaniment by Sri Vijay Ganesh and Sri Chandrasekara Sharma. The pallavi was beautiful, and had an elaborate trikAlam and tiSram. The choice of ragamaliga swaras was spot on, and I especially enjoyed the kEdAragowLa, which started evocatively in the upper octave. The post-tani items were all played immaculately. The dwijAvanti was my request, and played movingly with a sketch that had many patterns of the kriti to follow. I also really enjoyed the touching rendition of vaiSnava janatO.

The concert was a resounding success for so many reasons. Dr. Narmadha's technical prowess is truly astounding, and very much reminiscent of MSG, whose violin she played with tonight. I think the sheer nonchalance with which the likes of MSG/Narmadha play often underestimates the complexities and technical challenges of their art. The very ability to produce a bright and even tone with the bow is such a rare find, and Dr. Narmadha's control over the bow tonight was astonishing. She used the full length of it, used bouncing and cut bowing techniques with ease, and produced a stellar tone. In particular, her kArvais, where she slowed her bowing down significantly while retaining a beautiful tone was very admirable. Similarly, I admire the MSG school for its clarity in gamakas, with very accurate fingering, and that was on full display tonight. The rapid playing of anuswaras and janTa phrases often requires at least some element of approximation or obfuscation, but anyone who plays the violin knows that it takes so much practice to get the swara stAnas right in these fast phrases, and they were unfailingly right tonight. I think Dr. Narmadha's music is much more than technical aptitude, though. She brought tonight the minimalism of her style, with ample silences, careful choice of gamakas and vibrato, and eschewed the gimmicks that some people resort to as a display of the 'Parur bani'. There were no endless displays of S-P-S phrases, prolonged passages of mechanical cut-bowing swaras, and octave-to-octave runs. Instead, her sense of aesthetics sculpted this concert into a true work of art, with each kriti chosen thoughtfully and played ever so lovingly, with her singing sometimes to herself and sometimes to us, clearly wrapped in her own music as it enveloped us as well. I admire MSG's solos for his pure, beautiful sarvalagu in swaras, and almost always some passages of intelligent tiSram, and that was on display tonight as well. The kApi nArAyaNi and malayamArutam swaras were just spot on.

Of course, the concert was amply elevated by the excellent percussion. I thought Sri Vijay Ganesh and Sri Chandrasekara Sharma did an extraordinary job tonight. They were active and sensitive in their accompaniment, offering generous moments of silence, but also playing with great anticipation for the swaras, and very appropriately for all the kritis. Their accompaniment for the pallavi was a highlight of the evening. I especially enjoyed Sri Vijay Ganesh's generosity in giving Sri Chandrasekara Sharma many opportunities, even in kritis, to play alone, and I was struck by the clarity of both percussionists today. The tani was lively and very engaging.

All in all, I'm glad I managed to survive a post call day to attend an evening of many a moment of pixie dust.

Thank you to all the organizers and a very attentive and receptive audience.

hnbhagavan
Posts: 1655
Joined: 21 Jun 2008, 22:06

Re: Dr. M. Narmadha - Duke University - 23.03.18

Post by hnbhagavan »

Thank you for the excellent review.Dr.M.Narmada has completely imbibed MSG style.

rajeshnat
Posts: 9907
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Dr. M. Narmadha - Duke University - 23.03.18

Post by rajeshnat »

Bilahari
Just curious did you identify Jog in ragamaliga swaras or was that announced. thank you with your review , your genuine love as a semi graded Violin drop out artist comes through. When only one artist plays it is quite an achievement to play violin for 3 hours , considering there is no violin return to violin alapana neraval and swaras. :)

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Dr. M. Narmadha - Duke University - 23.03.18

Post by arasi »

Bilahari,
Thank you for sharing the pixie dust by bringing us your equal-to-the-brilliant-performance-review :)
We may hear from you once in a blue moon, but it's all worth the wait :)
Novice though I am, her professionalism, immense talent, years of rigorous practice and her love for her craft do amaze me. I was fortunate enough to listen to her once during my short season in Chennai, and at her playing solo at Aishwarya's wedding reception in Bengaluru. I was lucky enough to find a seat close to the dais from where she was performing, away from the main stage where the couple were being greeted. From hamsadhwani to mangalam, we were treated to a perfect performance with all her professionalism and love for her art. No normal kalyANa kachEri this. That too, Cheluvaraju on the mridangam and Bhagyalakshmi on the mukha Sanka got into the spirit of it, and thrilled the group of listeners clustered around them. Narmada moved me to tears at times.
Bilahari,
Your review (warm response with the wow know how) to such music adds weight to what was presented at Duke University. Yours is a review to be cherished...:)
All the best with your work. Your brilliance, may it find more time in picking up the violin and playing it to your heart's content :)

hamirkalyani123
Posts: 214
Joined: 09 May 2009, 22:29

Re: Dr. M. Narmadha - Duke University - 23.03.18

Post by hamirkalyani123 »

thanks for a great review @bilahari.

Post Reply