"MSS Grand Piano, Anil and SGC, Kalakshetra"

sriramnh · Post by **sriramnh** » 25 Jul 2009, 17:45

Concert: To mark the restoration of Grand piano of MSS at Kalakshetra

Performers: Anil Srinivasan (Grand Piano), Sikkil Gurucharan (Vocal), BS Purushotham (Kanjira)

From the first note, it was sheer grandeur and yet, a wholesome simplicity. Further, it was wonderful to see a thousand people attending this concert, a sheer testament to the aura MS exudes, and on a more encouraging note, the support that the Anil Srinivasan-Sikkil Gurucharan combine has achieved. Among the audience were Aruna Sairam, Sanjay Subramaniam, Vijaya Rajendran (MS's niece), Unnikrishnan, CV Chandrashekar, Vyjayantimala Bali and many other notables. And to see all of them close their eyes and listen to the music made by that delectable piano added to the importance of this occasion. For the die-hard skeptics, this time around, it was a piano, and one that belonged to the legend herself. Lets not even discuss the keyboard and harmonium and all those other unnecessary attacks any further. I do not think that Anil Srinivasan or Gurucharan need further validation of their efforts than to perform on this historic occasion, and that too on invitation that Leela Samson so eloquently put in her introduction.

They started with a viruttam-like composition entitled "Nee Varadhirundhal" from the Kantimati Pillai Tamil rendered in a five raga free flow - Sindhubairavi, Purvikalyani, Kalyanavasantham, Neelambari and Madhyamavati. Each note was rendered with care and affection by the pianist, and each phrase sung with relish and delicacy by the vocalist. They then performed Ksheerabdhi Kanyakaku as a tribute to MS with a gently accompanied 5-count harmonic phrasing by Anil on the grand piano. This was followed by a very briskly rendered "Nithirayil" in Pantuvarali. The padam was mostly beautiful, but it appears as though Gurucharan was straining himself on a couple of occasions, but nothing amiss. This was followed by a tribute to DKP on MS's piano, "Naan Oru Vilayattu Bomaiya" in Navarasa Kanada. Anil explained the speciality of the instrument, the 254 string adjustment that he and the workmen have put in during the restoration, etc. IT was truly moving to see that grand instrument covered by a sheath of MS Blue Silk, that Anil then invited Sri V Srinivasan, grandson of MS to unveil and rededicate to Kalakshetra. How nice that the family could be there to support the effort!

This was followed by a Ragam-Tanam-Krithi structure which was novel and quite interesting. The Ragam was Nasikabhushani, followed by a Tanamalika in Malkauns and Natabhairavi - varying speeds and varying note patterns between the two ragams executed by Gurucharan and Anil. Their chemistry was evident and the tanam was very good. Anil then took the Natabhairavi avarohanam as an introduction to the ragam Mukhari. At this stage, Gurucharan sang a brief alapana in Mukhari, to be followed by Brahma Kadigina Padamu by Annamacharya, another MS classic. This piece more than any other, stood out and the rain of music that filled the 1000-strong hall will remain important in the mind's eye for a long time to come.

A brisk tani followed (Gurucharan and Purushotham were particularly good in executing a brief neraval section - followed by tani and then an intelligent eduppu). Post this, they performed the javali, "Saramaina" in Behag which was perhaps a bit hurried and had too much shantham in it, but again, not at all unpleasing. This was followed by Hari Tum Haro, apparently composed on that very instrument - which filled the hall with pathos and that delicate plea for deliverance that MS specialized in. Gurucharan was outstanding in this piece.

The concluding item was the Kalki classic, Punkuyil Kuvum Poonjolayil. The highlight of that was Anil's surprise instrumental interlude in it that went effortlessly into Katrinile Varum Geetham that moved the audience to tears. It was both unexpected and beautifully executed on the solo piano. It was appropriate and deeply respectful of MS.

Initially, I felt that such an event should not be reviewed. It was a benediction to the memory of a great musician and her instrument. However, this was on occasion that demanded some reporting, and to see a full hall listen to two hours of unmitigated bliss and the beautiful sounds of a grand piano was a treat in itself. If MS amma were to be present at this auditorium, it would have pleased her to see her piano come to life again, playing her songs.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 25 Jul 2009, 18:39

Sriram - thank you for the inspired review of what seems to have been a memorable performance - now to go back to my pet peeve - after making us go through it vicariously, I hope it is followed up with a recording that is released. Cienu, any news for us???

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 25 Jul 2009, 21:01

Very nice review! Took us to the dreamland populated by the celebrities with the Queen overseeing.
Any pictures?
it is intriguing to know how the grand piano was integrated into CM. Any samples?

s_hari · Post by **s_hari** » 25 Jul 2009, 21:30

Vijaya Rajendran is MS's daughter and not niece

-hari

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 25 Jul 2009, 21:37

Sriram,
Thank you for bringing such an emotional scene to us in its ambience and musical excellence. You speak about MSS not being there. I have a feeling she was very much there! Without her aura, even the best of efforts would not have resulted in such magic. The well-organized event also makes me think that Sri. Sadasivam was very much there with her!
Anil and Gurucharan were inspired by the occasion to give such a fare.
The interlude you allude to--Anil 's playing kATRinilE varum gItam, merging it with pUnguyil which you say moved the audience is a vital example of Anil's music. His sensitivity and maturity aids him in creating such patterns.
The climate is such where imagination can be overlooked by parents when they are bent on shaping their children as musicians. Devoted, no doubt, but goal-oriented about arangETRam and all the drilling which goes with it. These are our future crop of musicians. For such evolving talents, it is good to have exposure to creativity and newness which does not sacrifice quality for instant fame in the name of fusion.
Gurucharan who comes from very traditional music is an example for the young in that it assures them that creative music while handled responsibly can enrich our music rather then pose a threat to its wellbeing!
Glad to hear that several stars of CM graced the occasion too.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 25 Jul 2009, 21:43

Let us also hear from cienu about this Family heirloom and MS's association with it!

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 25 Jul 2009, 22:07

Sriramnh, that was a lovely review. Thank you! My curiosity is really piqued by this vocal-piano concept, what with thanam even (I suspect thanam can be quite well executed on the piano), and second Ravi's request for at least a few snippets.

sundance · Post by **sundance** » 25 Jul 2009, 23:46

bilahari wrote:Sriramnh, that was a lovely review. Thank you! My curiosity is really piqued by this vocal-piano concept, what with thanam even (I suspect thanam can be quite well executed on the piano), and second Ravi's request for at least a few snippets.

Actually, the thanam on the piano has been performed by Anil on more than one occasion and really is very interesting, although different from what one is used to. I also notice that most of his thanams are presented as a combination of different ragas, which I am guessing is intelligent as it stands the risk of sounding monotonous if played continuously on the same set of notes on the piano. Also, teh element of surprise in the changes keeps the audiences on edge and never fails to please

Sriram - that was an absolutely beautiful review. I was only there for the second half, so I did not see the unveiling of the piano etc. I came in during the tanamalika and I had absolutely no room to even stand so had to content myself by standing somewhere at the back. The Brahma Kadigina Padamu was indeed beautiful as you described and so were all the pieces.

I was not particularly happy with the Saramaina. Indeed, to stretch the point, I felt that Gurucharan did not give the song its due.

However, as you rightly mentioned, this was not a concert for reviewing. The Grande Dame was definitely with us all, sitting quietly in the front row, watching with happiness as her piano came to life again. I can see her smiling for the Katrinile Varum Geetham, beautiful as ever.

Apparently, the concert has been recorded (cienu - you promised!) and should be available to listen to. We would really, really urge cienu to share his thoughts on this as it must have been a very moving tribute to the family!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 26 Jul 2009, 01:46

I wish Anil comes back and shares with us the fine points of his oeuvre as well as the condition of MS's piano! Are there any recordings of MS accompanying herself on that piano?

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 26 Jul 2009, 02:19

A lovely review sriramnh about a concert which was remarkable.

It was truly an unforgettable evening and there could have been no better place other than Kalakshetra to host such a memorable event. A truly brilliant performance by Anil Srinivasan & Gurucharan, whose voice was in superb form. Purushotham showed remarkable restraint and wherever he did chip in, the combined effort lifted the concert to a higher plane.

There can be no better person than Anil to play this piano, keeping in mind his extensive knowledge of both Western Classical and Carnatic Music.

I must confess that Anil did catch me off guard by requesting me to unveil the Grand Piano and rededicate to Kalakshetra

It truly was a very moving moment.

Keeping in mind the requests of fellow rasikas I transcribe below what I spoke at Kalakshetra immediately after the end of the concert.

Quote:

Namsakaram to one and all.

What a wonderful evening this has been. Thank you so much Anil , Gurucharan and Purushotham and not to forget Leela Akka and Kalkshetra.

When I first saw Anil’s invitation “Ebony & Ivory” , I was stunned by the beauty of the layout. A wonderful picture of MS Amma & the Grand Piano connected with a string of Jasmine Flowers. Coming as I do from a Perfumery background it struck a chord in my heart!

There are a lot of similarities between Music & Perfumery. Both are captured by notes and a combination of notes is called a chord. Both play on the senses.

Jasmine is one of the most precious & Grandest of flowers in perfumery which surprises the imagination by it’s sensuousness. Can we ever think of the “Queen of Music” on the concert stage without her customary crown of neatly strung Jasmine flowers adorning her hair ?

The Piano is without any doubt the Grandest of instruments in Western Classical music.
All the three, MS , the Grand Piano and Jasmine are truly Grand.

I compliment Anil for the simplicity and at the same time grandeur of the invitation.

A short history of the Grand Piano which came into the Kalki Gardens Music room sometime in 1947.My mother remembers that my grandfather Sri T Sadasivam paid a sum of Rs 2000/- for this lovely instrument. (A princely amount in those days)

The person who did compose most of the music on this piano was Sri Vaidyanathan (brother of film star Ranjan), a brilliant composer. He had the habit of playing on the piano while composing. Some of the songs composed on this piano by him were:

Hari Tuma Haro - Meera - Darbari Kanada
Prabhuji Tuma Bin Kaun - Surdas - Tilak Kambod
He Govinda - Surdas - Kapi
Bhajamana Rama Charan Sukha Dayi - Tulasidas - Khamas
Bhajore Bhaya - Kabirdas

The hymn composed by Rajaji “ May the Lord Forgive our sins” and sung in the UN General Assembly in 1966 was set to tune on this instrument by Handel Manuel, a great pianist of our times.

The Afro Asian Ophthalmological conference was held in Madras in 1976 for which my Grandmother and mother sang the inaugural multi lingual prayer.

1)A Sanskrit Sloka - Om iti tava nirdeshtri (on Lord Shiva in the form of Sambasadashiva) in Yaman Kalyani.
2)Arabic - Alhamdulilla (From the Paatthihaa Sooraa of the Holy Quran)
3)A Japanese Buddhist hymn – (in Japanese Language)
4)Death is the Kingdom of Heaven (From the Holy Bible in English)
5)An extract from Kannapa Nayanar's Shiva Pathigam.in Tamizh - Raga Mohanam

The Japanese Buddhist hymn and the verse from the Holy Bible were sung to the accompaniment of this Piano.

I must be failing in my duty if I fail to acknowledge one more person who had played a lot on this piano. She is my aunt Thangam Ananthanarayanan and the niece of MS. She had learnt the instrument from Sri.Vaidyanathan and surprisingly used to play when there was no one around at Kalki Gardens, usually when MS had left for concerts and tours. On one such occasion MS surprised her by coming back & silently stood behind her observing her play & waited till she finished. She then hugged Thangam from behind and complimented her with these words “The Piano by itself is a melodious instrument, but the music should flow from the fingers. And I am glad you have it”

Next, coming to the question which most of you have on your lips “ Did MS herself play the piano ?” The answer is “ Yes, but not as well as Anil played today.” !!

While most of you know that MS played the veena wonderfully and some of you know the she also played the mridangam occasionally, yes, she did love to play chords on the piano. According to Smt Thangam, there were certain ragas which she loved on the piano, like Sindhu Bhairavi, Malkauns and Shubhapantuvarali. But apparently her favourite was Mohanam!

Anil was talking about instruments having a temperament. Yes, I concur with his view. This Grand Piano had a pride of place in the Music Room of MS in Kalki Gardens along with her Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Miraj Tamburas. If only this instrument could speak it could tell us about the innumerable practice sessions which my mother and Grandmother had with Semmangudi Mama and other giants of Carnatic Music.

My mother Smt Radha Viswanathan was keen to come for this program today but was unable to do so due to health reasons. She sends her best wishes to Leela Samson and Kalakshetra on behalf of the family and she also said that she is extremely happy that this Piano will now be with Athai’s piano.

Thank you

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 26 Jul 2009, 04:58

Beautiful! I am sure we will get to hear the audio too!
Any pictures will be delightful...

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 26 Jul 2009, 07:56

Here is what Anil wrote prior to the concert: http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/07/24/stor ... 460700.htm

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 26 Jul 2009, 08:03

Thanks Shankar for that link!

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 26 Jul 2009, 11:26

Cienu
Very very precise speech, any one who talks about MS ammA just goes gA gA with her renditions , but you circled on the right context of piano and MS only. Did your daughter accompany you ?

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 26 Jul 2009, 11:45

Must have been quite an event - great review Sriram

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 26 Jul 2009, 11:54

rajeshnat wrote:Cienu
Very very precise speech, any one when talks about MS ammA just goes gA gA with her renditions , but you circled on the right context of piano. Did your daugher accompany you ?

Thanks a lot Rajesh,

Much as I would have loved, Aishwarya could not accompany me from Bangalore due to her school tests

anandabhairavi · Post by **anandabhairavi** » 26 Jul 2009, 15:11

My God ! what a divine concert and what a wonderful review.Sure those who were not there did miss a grand concert shall I say concert of the year!!

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 26 Jul 2009, 19:00

Cienu - thanks for sharing what you spoke on the occasion - like Rajesh says it was short, sweet, and succinct...

Any idea about the recordings?

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 28 Jul 2009, 12:39

Moved Anil Srinivasan specific posts to http://rasikas.org/forums/post130528.html

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 28 Jul 2009, 12:56

rshankar wrote:Cienu - thanks for sharing what you spoke on the occasion - like Rajesh says it was short, sweet, and succinct...

Any idea about the recordings?

Thanks Ravi

Should have a few pictures and audio posted by weekend.

krishna kumar rangachari · Post by **krishna kumar rangachari** » 31 Jul 2009, 19:52

On the topic of Piano and carnatic music - I have a recording of Dave Brubeck ( a great Jazz pianist) with Palghat Raghu in an album titled Summit Sessions. A great 4 min recording in Simendra Madhyamam. Has anyone heard about this or listened to this track. Would love to share it unfortunately mine is a LP recording.

cacm · Post by **cacm** » 31 Jul 2009, 22:24

krishna kumar rangachari wrote:On the topic of Piano and carnatic music - I have a recording of Dave Brubeck ( a great Jazz pianist) with Palghat Raghu in an album titled Summit Sessions. A great 4 min recording in Simendra Madhyamam. Has anyone heard about this or listened to this track. Would love to share it unfortunately mine is a LP recording.

I used to live in NYC in the sixties & was close to KVN& RAGUU to the point that every weekend after the Curry Concert at Weslyan on Fridays I used to drive them down to my Manhattan apartment with them & drop them back on Sunday night. I was fortunate to attend Many sessions with them at the famous Village Gate where Legends like Thelonius Monk used to perform; Almost all of them were admirers of OUR Music esp. the rythmn part. Actually Dave Brubeck's Drummer Morelli came to India in 1958 & played in AIR Chennai with Legendary Palani Subramania Pillai. I have a recording of a Jam Session at a private residence I can share. do you live in India or usa? I can help to convert your LP to cd (my email is: [email protected]). Dave Brubeck used to live just 15 mins from Weslyan & Raghu gave lessons to his drummer also! His son learnt Veena at Weslyan & actually has incorporated the instruments in his Jazz-Fusion type compositions. Incidentally like Anil Srinivasan he has the knowledge, sensitivity & creativity to present his ideas in a subtle & creative fashion.....VKV

VISHNURAMPRASAD · Post by **VISHNURAMPRASAD** » 01 Aug 2009, 00:07

I have got an excerpt of joe morello / psp combo percussion concert's radio relay recorded from an old cassette given by a friend of mine. If it is a rare one, i can share it with every one.

Regards,
Vishnu