Saketharaman - MA - Dec 26, 2018

[mkausal]

Saketharaman presented a wonderful concert in the company of Akkarai Subhalakshmi on Violin, Anantha R Krishnan on Mridangam and Anirudh Athreya on Khanjira, at the Madras Music Academy.

• Palayasumam – Arabhi

• Sundaratara deham – Pantuvarali

• Amba Neelambari – Neelambari

• VaraNarada – VijayaSri

• Marakathavalli – Kambhoji

• Ragam Tanam Pallavi – Varamu & Saveri (dwi-raga)

• Aadu Chidambaramo – Behag

• Tirupugazh – Hamir Kalyani

Saketh started the concert with a slokam in Arabhi followed by Syama Sastri’s composition Palayasumam. Thyagaraja’s composition Sundaratara deham in Pantuvarali was very good, with a short yet intense niraval at ragadi samharam raghavam udaram followed by some scintillating swaras and nice poruthams. Both Akkarai and Anantha played complemented Saketh well.

A very beautiful aalapana in Neelambari was a treat to the audience. These kind of ragas in slow pace actually add a great variety to the concerts! Having started with a slokam yet again, Manikyaveena.., he brought out his typical soulful rendition of Ponnaiah Pillai’s composition Amba Neelambari in a lovely fashion! A brisk VaraNarada served as a nice filler and lifted the energy in the auditorium. Flashy swaras in a variety of interesting patterns were to be savoured.

A languid Kambhoji aalapana by Saketh was simply outstanding. Akkarai also returned well but it was a bit too long. Dikshitar’s masterpiece Marakathavalli was presented very well. Niraval could have added more beauty. Some very nice swara patterns and poruthams were an absolute treat, with a brilliant korvai structured around Ga and Ma to sum it up. Akkarai returned swaras well with Anantha and Anirudh beautifying them too. Tani Avarthanam was played well but was eternally too long (close to 30 min). I think the co-artistes should keep a check on the time to allow the concert to happen as per the main artistes’ plan and not get carried away with the moments on stage. We were hardly left with 45 minutes to witness the much awaited RTP and other songs.

Saketh started with an amazing Varamu aalapana and transitioned well to Saveri. Violin return could have been shorter again. After elaborating each ragam separately, he sang small phrases alternating between two ragas in a very interesting manner. Certainly it is not the easiest of the jobs! He did similarly in Tanam as well. A dwi-raga pallavi with Poorvangam in Varamu and Uttarangam in Saveri with raga names in it, was composed very well. Varamulosagi Brovavayya Saveri Ragapriya Kaveri Rangayya was set to 35 beat cycle and the Talam chosen was innovative, 5 beats per cycle with kalapramanam decreasing in geometric progression! So first cycle will have 5 * 4 = 20 aksharas, second 5 * 2 = 10 and the last 5 * 1 = 5, with a total of 35. After an amazing Trikalam by Saketh, the swaras included both the ragas in each avarthanam followed by ragamalika swaras in Reetigowla and Kapi before concluding with an impressive korvai in two ragas! Outstanding stuff indeed to come up with such innovative ideas.

A viruttam in Behag was followed by Gopalakrishna Bharatiyar’s composition Aadu Chidambaramo. The concert ended with a Tirupugazh in Hamir Kalyani and a traditional Mangalam.

Originally published on my blog - https://kausalmalladi.wordpress.com/201 ... c-26-2018/

[rajeshnat]

thanks kausal this slot saketharaman got as chitraveena ravikiran had to pass.Possibly because of bit longer tani u missed lalgudi thillana.

marakathavalli usually does,not have neraval. Once when i said that some one in the forum replied that kvn has sung neraval for marakathavalli.

just curious this crt was after aruna sayeeram. how was the crowd considering the previous crt was aruna sayeeram.

The behag krithi is aadum chidambaramO

appreciate ur writeups please do continue to write more

[mkausal]

Thanks Rajesh.
Crowd was decent for the concert. Not much change from Aruna Sairam's than this. Probably just a tad more crowd in her concert than Saketh's but not a noticeable difference.

[rajeshnat]

MKausal
Was Aruna a complete 100 percent full house? If you attended even say part of it please put the song list in another thread , since it her SK concert wanted to know what she sang.

[mkausal]

No. Aruna Sairam wasn't full house. I was there only for last 15 minutes or so. I was in Narada Gana Sabha for Kanyakumari concert till 6:15 PM

[vs_manjunath]

Rajeshnat-Haapy to read your review after a long break.

[Madras-Talkies]

I attended both Aruna and Sakethraman's concert. I will only write about Sakethraman's concert. The balcony was 70% full.

Good stuff:
1. Part of saveri raga was good.
2. Akkarai was spot on! She certainly elevated the concert.

Things I did not like:
1. His kambhoji lacked the punchy experience. For a second, khamas flashed in his ragam
2. Amba neelambari sowkiyam was missing especially at padambhuja neramithi.
3. Varana narada- brisk swaram did not pick up the pace and rendition did not present beautiful patterns of vijayasri.
4. Varamu ragam- certain sections of the ragam sounded like sivasakthi.
5. The last five beats of the talam made the last section of the rtp sound like namavalli.

Somehow did not enjoy his concert. In my opinion, Akkarai scored highest points.

[rshankar]

3. Varana radana

In a lighter vein: Elephant (vAraNa) tusks (radana)?
I guess you meant vara nArada!

[Madras-Talkies]

Edited it sir!!@rshankar

[maadhu]

@Madras-Talkies
You are spot on with your comments

Music is an art not math/science. We are looking for Sowkhyam in music. It shouldn't be 5, 10, 20, 40 and so on. It is Nadopasana that would elevate us to realize our self - realize the ultimate. Purpose of music has been well explained in many krithis Nadopasana etc - nAda-anta vihArENa in Dikshitar's Sri Guruna Krithi comes to my mind immediately with Kanchi Mahaperiyava's wonderful explanation.

Saketharaman's music is marked by nasal singing throughout which becomes unbearable at higher octaves.

The MGM/MGMP is common phrase between Kambhodi and Khamas. When this is used far too often you get feeling of Khamas. It's critical to weave the sangatis in such way that Kambhodi Raga swaroopa is shown.

Same story with Sivasakthi and Varamu as to how you handle sangatis avoding N while going up. Aesthetics , moorchana pidi/sangatis are important in bringing out the Raga swaroopa/lakshana , not traversing up and down using the scale.

[mkausal]

Reg your comments on voice/singing...
I believe he was not well and had some issues with throat for this concert. He cancelled his concert at Vani Mahal as well, a couple of days before this concert.
I think sometimes we need to give them the benefit of these kind of things that are not in anyone's control!

Though I agree on your point that soukhyam is what we all look for, math makes it more interesting. I am of the opinion that it is nice to have both. Having said that, I didn't find it lacking in soukhyam. Amba Neelambari was indeed so soothing. Not sure why you felt otherwise.

[rajeshnat]

this varamu saveri got best pallavi award for saketaraman

[Madras-Talkies]

lol!@ award.

[maadhu]

@mkausal
If you are into software technology, probably you would heard of encapsulation - object oriented concept. Math should be encapsulated, aesthetics shouldn't be lost. Saketharaman's guru Lalgudi was adept at that. I am happy he got an award. I remember TN Rajarathinam pillai's Radio program where he mentions and values the person holding the lantern saying a "sabash" much more than awards.