Neyveli Santhanagopalan @ Phoenix 3/28

newyorker · Post by **newyorker** » 29 Mar 2009, 10:17

Neyveli Santhanagopalan
Violin: S.D. Sridhar
Mridangam: Thanjavur Murugaboopathy
Kanjira: Mahesh Subramaniam

1. Viriboni - Bhairavi Varnam - Ata
2. Merusamana - Mayamalavagowla - Adi 2 kalai - Tyagaraja (NS)
3. Nadatanumanisham - Chittaranjani - Adi - Tyagaraja (NS)
4. Jnanamosagaradha - Poorvi Kalyani - Rupakam - Tyagaraja (ANS)
5. Naan Oru Vilayatu - Navarasa Kanada - Adi - Papanasan Sivan
6. Marugelara - Jayathashri - Adi - Tyagaraja
7. Rama Katha Sudha - Madhyamavathi - Adi 2 kali - Tyagaraja (ANST)

I left after this.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 29 Mar 2009, 11:27

Impressions, newyorker? Thank you for the songlist.

newyorker · Post by **newyorker** » 31 Mar 2009, 00:52

Bilahari, I have to confess the concert was very ordinary, which is why I refrained from comment. His voice was in terrible shape and the choice of hackneyed compositions didn't help. The violinist seemed very much out of his element and constantly had issues with the mandra Sa string on his violin.

I am listening to concerts again after a bit of a hiatus, and am disappointed to note that the last two I've been to have been really miserable. The ubiquitous lack of vocal fidelity in CM is appalling, and I fear that my enthusiasm for cutcheris is on the wane. But then again, maybe I am listening to the wrong artists.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 31 Mar 2009, 13:12

newyorker, vocal fidelity, whatever that means, has never been one of the strengths of CM...from Tiger onwards we have had several vidwans who have reached great heights despite their voices.

NSG sir's voice is no longer what it was in the mid-90s...but I find his music even more appealing now....and then there are hordes of honey-laced crooners whom I find utterly boring. Of course a good voice can add lustre to a performance - but for me, increasingly, it is only one of many many things that make an engaging performer...

Nothing wrong with the list either although I do agree that it is rather conventional - I could never tire of compositions like Viribhoni, Merusamana or Ramakatha.

This is not a refutation of your viewpoint - just another perspective on the maestro's music. You are entitled to your opinions and I welcome the diversity of views on this forum. We just had an engaging discussion on TVS sir!

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 31 Mar 2009, 21:50

2. Merusamana - Mayamalavagowla - Adi 2 kalai - Tyagaraja (NS)
3. Nadatanumanisham - Chittaranjani - Adi - Tyagaraja (NS)
4. Jnanamosagaradha - Poorvi Kalyani - Rupakam - Tyagaraja (ANS)

newyorker,
I am surprised that he sang three neravals in succession before the main. Are you sure about that.

newyorker · Post by **newyorker** » 31 Mar 2009, 23:22

@ Vijay:

I definitely understand your vidwat-trumps-voice-in-some-cases argument, but I do feel that this has been abused to a great extent in CM. As a performing artist, presentation is key and if you blatantly sacrifice aesthetics, you are not only running the risk of alienating the common rasika but also planting the seeds of doubt in the minds of the connoisseurs. Of course, as you rightly noted, this is highly subjective and probably just depends on what each person expects from a concert.

@ Rajeshnat:

I am positive he sang neraval for Merusamana and Jnanamosagaradha (at the usual 'Ala Kala ..' and 'Paramathmudu ...' respectively). For the Chittaranjani krithi, if memory serves me right, he didnt do a full blown neraval, but played with a few sangathis as if hinting at one, and then followed it with swaras bringing out the one-octave uniqueness of this raga.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 01 Apr 2009, 00:28

Newyorker, thanks for your candid comments... Personally, I think NSG's voice is not generally in good shape these days but I think nonetheless that his singing is exceptionally aesthetic and sowkhyam-laden (not to mention tremendously imaginative)! But if a good voice is important to you, yeah, maybe you might give other artistes a listen and don't give up attending kutcheris so hastily!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 01 Apr 2009, 04:38

Yes, it is all a highly personal thing, this thing called taste--agreed. Yes, a sweet voice attracts listeners instantly. Latha, in capital letters--but those who have appreciated Noorjahan, Shamshad or Latha's own sister Asha might disagree with the idea that voice is all there is to it.
As Vijay and Bilahari have pointed out, aesthetics and sowkyam along with his vidvat and imagination is what appeals to me about NSG's music. While I enjoy listening to different krutis from him (he has a large repository of them), even when he repeats some songs, I see newness in the way in which he presents them each time. His clear pronunciation, unimpeded flow of bhAvam and the sense of tranquility he brings to us is what appeals to me.

newyorker,
You might be interested to know that during the season, a kharaharapriya I heard from a prominent singer did not move me. When I met a few of those who had heard it, I said the concert was very satisfying but for the kharaharapriya. Obviously, they thought highly of it and wondered what was wrong with me

I would like to know what the singer's feelings were at the time when he sang it! Perhaps it was a great rendering and I was not receptive enough at that time for reasons I do not know. Is this what we mean by mood (the frame of mind we are in) when we listen to a concert? Of course, as against the mood of one single rasikA, the mood of those on the stage and of the majority of listeners is what counts...

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 01 Apr 2009, 23:03

newyorker wrote: The ubiquitous lack of vocal fidelity in CM is appalling <...snip...> I am listening to the wrong artists.

Wrong on the first count. Right on the second!

mridangam.karthic · Post by **mridangam.karthic** » 01 Apr 2009, 23:41

doesnt anoy one record these great cocenrts?

if so please tell em where i can download it

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 02 Apr 2009, 00:23

Karthic:

Typically, in the US, concerts are recorded by the organizers who then sell the recordings later. So, any private recording, uploading, and downloading will be illegal.

newyorker · Post by **newyorker** » 02 Apr 2009, 01:56

sureshvv wrote:
newyorker wrote: The ubiquitous lack of vocal fidelity in CM is appalling <...snip...> I am listening to the wrong artists.
Wrong on the first count. Right on the second!

Suresh, in your opinion, who should I be listening to?

sureshvv · Post by **sureshvv** » 02 Apr 2009, 02:56

newyorker wrote:
Suresh, in your opinion, who should I be listening to?

Among male artistes: Vijay Siva, Sanjay, O.S.Arun, Unnikrishnan, O.S.T, Abhishek Raghuram, Prasanna Venkatraman

Among female artistes: Sowmya, Gayathri Venkatraghavan, Sangeetha Swaminathan, Savitha Narasimhan, Amritha Murali

Or you can just punt on vocalists and listen to Shashank, Lalgudi G.J.R.Krishnan, Jayanthi Kumaresh, Sruthi Sagar

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 02 Apr 2009, 07:07

Tastes 'do' differ!

annamalai · Post by **annamalai** » 02 Apr 2009, 18:42

rshankar wrote:
Typically, in the US, concerts are recorded by the organizers who then sell the recordings later. So, any private recording, uploading, and downloading will be illegal.

Cleveland Aradhana concerts are posted on the web.

Do organizers sign a contract with the artists for sale of CDs ?

Any royalties of sale of concert recording given to artists ?

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 02 Apr 2009, 21:03

AFAIK, the concert recordings are only sold/given to members of the particular sabha/ residents in that community (I have tried to purchase recordings from, say, CMANA and have been told I couldn't since I don't live in NJ), and since these recordings are "limited" release, I believe the proceeds merely go to the sabha. While the artistes have to give permission for even this local release of recordings (some don't), they do not receive any royalties I think. I once asked my local concert organizers why they don't sell recordings to a wider general public and the response was precisely the copyright laws/ need to give royalties complicating such a larger sale.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 02 Apr 2009, 21:40

Bilahari,
In the past twenty years, we have purchased many cassettes and CDs from the US sabhas. It is getting more difficult now. Even if they are available, one has to wait for a long time to get them! In one case, we waited two years! Then again, you cannot blame the organizations because it is the spirit of the volunteers which makes these concerts happen-let alone the recording and sending them on to us.

annamalai · Post by **annamalai** » 03 Apr 2009, 12:33

To term something as "illegal", there should be a legally binding framework for the sale of the CDs.

That is why I was asking about royalties to artists from the proceeds of CDs sold by the sabhas.

drohit · Post by **drohit** » 04 Apr 2009, 21:03

i walked away after the main krithi here in Austin. The only interesting piece was Dikshitar's kOkilAravaM krithi kOdaNDarAmaM anishaM bhajAmi. One can feel his vidwat and enjoy the flights of imagination in bits. However, with a recalcitrant voice, the overall kutcheri sags. He employed the known krithi, madhyama kala speed, interesting swara combos but it could not stop some audience from leaving. He sang Sahana varnam, tulasai dala, rama bhakti samrajyam, raghuvara ninnu, sita pate, nannu palimpa. Due to uncooperative voice, at many places, the attempted sangathis were not clear.