Aishwarya Venkataraman - violin, on 4/14/09

appu · Post by **appu** » 16 Apr 2009, 21:48

Accompanied by Vinod Venkataraman (Mridangam)

Song List

1. Nattakurunji Varnam Ragam outline with elaborate swarams.
2. Kanathandrinapai Ragam Devamanohari (R,K)
3 Tolinenu jesina Ragam Kokiladwani
4. Samanamevaru Ragam Kharaharapriya (R,K,N,S)
5. Nadhabrahma Ragam Nadhabrahmam (K)
6. Yevaru Ninnu Vina Ragam Mohanam (R,K,S)
7. English Note

For a 16 year old this kid definitely has some grace, technique and serious knowledge. One thing that stuck out was the control of her bow hand. The bow was always parallel to the bridge at all times. I learnt a little violin myself and that was by far the hardest to accomplish for me. Watching her on stage definitely felt like a kutti TNK performing. The handling of devamanohari and Mohana ragam was clean. The development was done well. Karaharapriya neraval and swaram once again reminded me of the Semmangudi bani. Of course TNK Sir was a senior disciple of this school.

I felt she rushed through the Mohanm piece Yavarura Ninnu Vina and was hoping for a tani. Only later on did I find out that she was asked to shorten her recital because the earlier concert went over by 40 mins. The mridangist, her father did well to support young Aishwarya. The mridangam did act up a little and this was bothering him. At the end of the varnam he spent time to adjust the shruthi and from their on the nadam was excellent. The right hand chapu and nam and dhims were like the bells ringing in a temple.

Aishwarya is definitely an artist worth watching as she has imbibed the TNK bani to its fullest right from posture to long bowing to kalpanaswarams. I wish she was awarded a better time slot as many rasikas missed out a good concert. There were only about 100 or so people in the audience as all had gone for lunch. The 4 th piece Nadabrahmam had some very intricate swarams in the anupallavi and charanam sections and was handled very deftly by Aishwarya. later on she mentioned that the kriti was taught to her by the wonderful Shri SR Janakiraman mama.

VV Sundaram spoke eloquently about this artist and her achievements and called her a poster child propagating music. That was the last concert I attended. I headed off to the airport my heart filled with joy and happiness and a promise of visiting Cleveland next year. Hope I have done justice in my coverage. Thank you all.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 16 Apr 2009, 22:20

appu wrote:
For a 16 year old this kid definitely has some grace, technique and serious knowledge. One thing that stuck out was the control of her bow hand. The bow was always parallel to the bridge at all times. I learnt a little violin myself and that was by far the hardest to accomplish for me. Watching her on stage definitely felt like a kutti TNK performing.

appu,
We had her once performing for our rasikas concert . She has definitely grace in violin ,her guru's technique and vidwat. BTW we can call her as Junior kutti TNK , because there is a senior kutti TNK here (charumathi raghuraman) who also plays brilliantly.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 17 Apr 2009, 01:28

Thanks for the review, appu. I've never heard of the nAdabrahma krithi or ragam before...

Aishu · Post by **Aishu** » 17 Apr 2009, 05:22

Bilahari, Nadabrahmam ragam is a janya of the 64th melakartha Vachaspati. The song I played Nadabramha is a rare composition of Sri Mishu Krishna Iyer, a popular composer in the 30's and 40's. I will try to send you a link for that song later.

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 17 Apr 2009, 07:12

rajeshnat wrote:
appu wrote:
For a 16 year old this kid definitely has some grace, technique and serious knowledge. One thing that stuck out was the control of her bow hand. The bow was always parallel to the bridge at all times. I learnt a little violin myself and that was by far the hardest to accomplish for me. Watching her on stage definitely felt like a kutti TNK performing.
appu,
We had her once performing for our rasikas concert . She has definitely grace in violin ,her guru's technique and vidwat. BTW we can call her as Junior kutti TNK , because there is a senior kutti TNK here (charumathi raghuraman) who also plays brilliantly.

You said it rajeshnat; charumathi is brilliant; we have seen her graduating from 'junior kutti' to senior kutti'- as if seeing a small bud unfold infront of our eyes.

May such youngsters have gloriousyears ahead in the music world.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 17 Apr 2009, 08:29

Aishu, thanks for the info on nAdabrahmam and looking forward to the clip.
I also agree with Rajesh and Punarvasu about Charumathi Raghuraman--she is brilliant. However, she's not keen on making it her profession: http://world.rediff.com/news/article/ww ... -music.htm

Hope there are more kuTTi TNKs being created as we speak! His is a style that must be preserved and propagated.

Sreeni Rajarao · Post by **Sreeni Rajarao** » 17 Apr 2009, 18:56

Scale for nAdabrahma:

s p m2 p d2 n2 s

s n d p m g3 s

I have with me a composition of my Father Veena Raja Rao, composed on Nov 29th, 1941

It's in kannaDa language with the lines "abhayavittu salahayya prabhuve srI krshNayya"

Sreeni Rajarao

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 17 Apr 2009, 19:02

Sounds like it'll resemble amritavarshini.

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 18 Apr 2009, 00:10

The song nAdabrahmA in the rAgA nAdabrahma is by R.S.Gururajachar.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 18 Apr 2009, 00:33

I'm glad to hear good news of her, that she is continuing to accomplish.

I'd like to have seen her father playing mridangam for her, especially given the comlimentary remarks on his nadam. Another time, maybe.

newyorker · Post by **newyorker** » 18 Apr 2009, 01:20

Sounds like it'll resemble amritavarshini. smile

I have not heard the ragam, but the similarity to Amritavarshini seems unlikely, given Sreeni Rajarao's scale

Note that the nishadam is N2 not N3 (it is a janyam of vachaspati not kalyani). IMHO, the way N2 is played in carnatic (usually as an oscillation between D2 and S), makes it very distinct from N3, (which is usually anchored on the mEl S) and in most ragas there's no room for ambiguity. There's also D2 in the scale and a pretty unusual jump from S to P in the arohanam.

Of course, given that I have never heard, or even heard of this raga, I could be way off! Perhaps our resident 'kutti' expert could clarify?

However, she's not keen on making it her profession: http://world.rediff.com/news/article/ww "¦ -music.htm

Charumathi says: "I don't see a great career for a female violinist." What a curious observation from the young lady!

Aishu · Post by **Aishu** » 18 Apr 2009, 03:50

Hello Bilahari and Newyorker,

Here is a link that I have uploaded on Youtube. Nadabrahmam taught to me by SRJ mama. Should clarify all doubts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7wIQMR9HE8

Suji Ram · Post by **Suji Ram** » 18 Apr 2009, 04:12

very sweet!
sounds a bit vAcaspati

Sreeni Rajarao · Post by **Sreeni Rajarao** » 18 Apr 2009, 04:34

Thanks for the video clip - it's very nice!
I hear vAcaspati.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 18 Apr 2009, 06:23

Lovely composition and well played! Thanks for the clip, Aishu. The S-P jump in the arohanam gives it a rather funky feel.

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 18 Apr 2009, 09:52

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 18 Apr 2009, 12:13

Nice clip. Thanks Aishu. What SRJ says in those last few seconds is the best compliment you can get.

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 18 Apr 2009, 18:08

Another song in nAdabrahma with the same starting words is by Misukrishna.

nAdabrahma anurAgamE. nAdabrahma. Adi tALA.

P: nAdabrahmA anurAgamE naravarulaku sAyujyamu
A: vEdAntasAra vidyAdhara sangItAcAryA shrI tyAgarAjA
C: bhavatAraka brahmamu rAma bhakti yOga sudhApAnAbhirAmA
shrI vAlmiki avatAruDau mIshu krSNAnandAmbudhi sOma

appu · Post by **appu** » 18 Apr 2009, 19:35

Lakshman wrote:The song nAdabrahmA in the rAgA nAdabrahma is by R.S.Gururajachar.

Lakshman, The song that Aishwarya played was definitely the one that you quoted in Post # 18 not the one by Gururajachar. Couuld you post the lyrics for this nadabrahma and also tell what talam it is in.

Thanks

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 18 Apr 2009, 20:08

I don't have the lyrics of the R.S.Gururajachar song. The tALA is t/rUpaka.

appu · Post by **appu** » 19 Apr 2009, 09:00

vasanthakokilam wrote:Nice clip. Thanks Aishu. What SRJ says in those last few seconds is the best compliment you can get.

Vasanthakokilam, I do not speak the language. What is SRJ saying in the last few seconds?

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 19 Apr 2009, 09:12

( paraphrasing ) SRJ says that she has imbibed excellently the sahitya aspects from him and the swara aspects from TNK. He says 'avar' to refer to the other guru and I assume he means TNK.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 19 Apr 2009, 09:35

Aishu
Excellent clip, it is very nice to hear your practice sessions too. BTW you also look like charumathi raghuraman (not just violin cut even in face cut)

appu · Post by **appu** » 19 Apr 2009, 22:11

Lakshman wrote:I don't have the lyrics of the R.S.Gururajachar song. The tALA is t/rUpaka.

Lakshman, Does t/Rupaka mean thisra rupakam or is it Rupaka talam thisra nadai which I guess is one and the same or is it something else. Rupaka talam is 12 pulses (4 pulses to a beat). T/Rupakam then would mean 9 pulses with 3 pulses to a beat like a waltz. Could some mridanga vidwan please explain.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 19 Apr 2009, 22:28

appu, I agree that just specifying 'tisra' is ambiguous as it can apply to either the laghu jAthi or naDai. Since majority of the songs are in Chathusra Nadai, here the appellation is for the jAthi. So it would be tisra jAthi rUpakam chathusra naDai ( ( 2 + 3 )*4 = 20 pulses ).

Here is an opportunity to air a pet-peeve of mine which is this widely practised but unnecessary conversion of Chathusra Jathi rupakam to a 3 beat thala like Tisra Ekam. Now a lot of people think Rupakam is a 3 beat thala!! If Chathusra Rupakam suffers this kind of split, what is the fate of tisra rupakam, convert it to khanda chapu?

appu · Post by **appu** » 22 Apr 2009, 01:57

vasanthakokilam wrote: So it would be tisra jAthi rUpakam chathusra naDai ( ( 2 + 3 )*4 = 20 pulses ).

VK, I am still confused how you get 20 pulses. Tisra jathi rupakam, how are you getting (2+3). Explain please.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 22 Apr 2009, 02:12

Rupaka tala structure, IIRC, is O I (a drutham followed by a laghu). The drutham has 2 beats (two waves), and then the tisra laghu has 3 beats. They add 2 + 3 = 5 beats totally. Multiplied by 4 counts in chatusra naDai yields 20 pulses.

Chatusra rUpakam is the most commonly rendered jAthi in this tala, with 2 + 4 = 6 beats which are usually represented as two claps and a wave.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 22 Apr 2009, 02:23

bilahari, thanks. That is exactly right. Appu, hope it is clear.

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 22 Apr 2009, 06:35

If Chathusra Rupakam suffers this kind of split, what is the fate of tisra rupakam, convert it to khanda chapu?

We already convert (tiSra) tripuTa into m-cApu. Btw I like calling the conventional rUpkam as rUpaka cApu.

There are two ways to convert rUpakam in to rUpaka cApu: one is to speed up the song, and another is to reckon one rUpakam of the song as two rUpaka cApus. If the second thing's what happened, it's actually good, I think. Most songs are very intuitive in the present way.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 22 Apr 2009, 06:49

>Most songs are very intuitive in the present way.

May be so, but in RTP that would not quite work

In RTP, the artist do reverse the thing, the Laghu first and then the drutham.

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 22 Apr 2009, 07:21

That's actually an eDuppu to the third beat.

I meant songs, songs like rAmA nI samAnamevaru etc.