MSG-Narmada violin duet @ rAgasudhA - 19.9.09

semmu86 · Post by **semmu86** » 19 Sep 2009, 22:31

Sri.M.S.Gopalakrishnan
Dr.M.Narmada - Violin duet
Sri.Mannargudi Easwaran - Mrudangam
Sri.Pudukottai Ramachandran - Ghatam

Song list

1. intha mOdi - sArangA varnam - Adhi thAlam
2. swAminAtha paripAlaya - nAttai - Adhi thAlam ( S @ pArvathI )
3. krithi name ? - saurAshtram ( not sri ganapathim ) - Adhi thAlam -
5. seethammA mAyammA - vasanthA - rupakam (S)
6. AnandhAmrutavarshini - amruthavarshini - Adhi thAlam ( R,S)
7. ninne nammi nAnu - thOdi - misra chApu ( R, N , S @ kAmakshI )
8. ?? - rAga vardhani - rupakam
9. evari mAta - kAmbhoji - Adhi thAlam ( R, S, T)
10. ?? - sindhubhairavi - adhi thAlam
11. niraimadhi mugam enum - hamsAnandhi - Adhi thAlam
12. mangalam.

If i have missed out something , someone who attended please fill it.

OH boy what a concert. My third MSG concert in as many weeks. Each and every piece was rendered masterfully. Incidentally i was just listening to the sArangA varnam by MSG early this morning and he played it today . The swarams in nAttai were very good and crisp rounded off with the usual flair Narmada does now a days . sourashtram and vasanthA were rendered beautifully. It is here that i remember a few things about the krithi " seethammA mAyammA " which i would like to share here. Our holy Acharyan HH Srimad Andavan swAmigal used to say in his upanyAsams ( and i have also heard this in kalyAnapuram Aravamudhachar swAmi's harikathA ) that this vasanthA krithi indirectly has proof for the popular belief that vAlmIkI maharishi incarnated as tyAgaraja swAmi.

I quote their words " if we see the charanam - paramesha , vasishta , parAshara , nArada , shOunaka , sukha - tyAgarAja swAmi while saying the names and saluting these maharishis , has omitted the name of vAlmIkI ( who is considered mudhalmayAna rishi ) , which shows us that he is indeed an incarnation of vAlmIkI" .

thOdi alApana was done beautifully by MSG and narmada and she announced , that today being the first day of navarAthri , this SS krithi on kAmakshi is played and she even sang the niraval line wonderfully. Then she announced ( kindly excuse me for a very bad memory ) the name of the krithi in rAga vardhani ( it seems the only one in this rAgA composed by tyAgarA swAmi ). kAmbhoji and evari mAta came out in all its splendour with the expert handling by the duo..

What can one expect when Mannargudi Easwaran ( hence ME for simplicity ) sir is playing? Just an absolute treat and lessons of rare value for laya students and pure bliss for the layman. The way he accompanied , especially for the thOdi krithi was wonderful . Pudukottai Ramachandran followed ME sir like a shadow , just as a violinist should do to the vocalist . He played wonderfully.

The thani had some wonderful moments as usual . The way ME used 9's in chatusram and tisram combination to get into the tisra nadai was great. The tisra nadai was punctuated by a good kOrvai.. Then the final kOrvai ( as i had pointed out in the previous review ) , was in the same line as the kOrvai played by narmadha in the final round of kAmbhOji swarAs . I just got so engrossed in that , i just couldnt stop wondering how can one compose patterns so intricately on stage ( as these kind of things cant be prepared before coming to concert ). Just lovely. unable to say anything more .

As i had received some calls , i couldnt concentrate on the pieces after the thani. In spite of the heavy spells of rain in the afternoon and the dark clouds in the evening , it was heartening to see a near full house rAgasudhA . Another unforgettable concert and an unforgettable evening . Hoping to get many more such evenings from the master.

Arvind..

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 19 Sep 2009, 22:51

The way ME used 9's in chatusram and tisram combination to get into the tisra nadai was great.

He did? Goodness!!! Arvind truly is a laya vidwan

But for all my lack of understanding, I can echo that it was a great concert.

cameo · Post by **cameo** » 20 Sep 2009, 07:46

srinivasrgvn · Post by **srinivasrgvn** » 20 Sep 2009, 08:24

srinivasrgvn · Post by **srinivasrgvn** » 20 Sep 2009, 13:59

srinivasrgvn · Post by **srinivasrgvn** » 20 Sep 2009, 19:50

cameo · Post by **cameo** » 20 Sep 2009, 20:02

go ahead sir!!!!

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 20 Sep 2009, 20:29

I always loved Shri Mannargudi Easwaran's playing. It is so nice to know a mridangist shares my views!

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 20 Sep 2009, 21:56

Mannargudi Easwaran is brilliant... his music is filled with sowkhyam and his accompaniment is so highly sensitive.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 20 Sep 2009, 21:58

Thanks for the reports, Arvind and Srinivas, and Cameo, for the picture.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 20 Sep 2009, 22:01

ME=Mighty and Elegant in his play

music_is_life · Post by **music_is_life** » 20 Sep 2009, 22:07

Reading about the story of 'Seethamma mayamma' reminds me about the harikatha of a young girl at Cleveland festival last year. I have attached the link here for those who might have missed it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NFTHaiWy3o

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 20 Sep 2009, 22:30

Srini, yes, it was both semmu86 (Arvind) and myself! What a shame we missed meeting you.

I have to thank Arvind for an early-morning SMS that decided me to attend this concert, I haven't seen MSG play for quite a while. Whilst I would dearly like to see him play by himself again, I guess those days are past. Still... that he is elderly cannot be denied, ageing is a natural process that none can avoid, but I am still in awe of what he does. In so far as there may be some secret of eternal youth, I think music must be a great contender.

I agree about Dr.Narmadha... I had not really appreciated her in the past, and this time I did; excellent.

Easwaran's mridangam was sublime! (Gosh, I'll be writing for The Hindu soon if I start using language like that!).

It was strange when only the ghatam player played, without mridangam! He should be accompanying throughout, without a second's break, although it is cruel!

and I would have to disagree with that comment, as I think that one of the really good things is his "management" of the percussion section. I do think that the ghatam sections give variety in the texture of sound for the listeners, and that that is something which really improves a concert experience. There is the matter, also, of giving time to the other accompanists, of course. I don't like it when a mridangist plays 100%, or even restricts others to the replies. Easwaran also has the knowledge that sometimes silence is best. Sri.Pudukottai Ramachandran must also share that knowledge, for he never spoilt any of Easwaran's beautifully played silences

Only one other bone to pick: srinivasrgvn, I do not have a 'foreign' accent!

(at least, no more foreign than is to be expected of a foreigner!)

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 20 Sep 2009, 22:47

I also like concerts in which there are at least some sections left to the ghatam. Apart from the sections in the tani and during melodic accompanist's replies, I mean.

srinivasrgvn · Post by **srinivasrgvn** » 21 Sep 2009, 08:29

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 21 Sep 2009, 09:17

srini,
Even Nicks' bird sounds are very tamizh sounding. Wonder what they thought of his accent in the Lake District this summer

Anyway, his vESHTi, kurta and shoulder bag would have given you a clue.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 21 Sep 2009, 14:15

Srini... Being English, and having an English, middle-class "non-accent", I have to insist, according to my upbringing, that we do not have accents --- it is the rest of the world that has accents!

Arasi, you are very kind, but I am afraid that even my konnakol has an English accent! I always notice this if I record myself and listen. In England, although my Tamil friends told me some time back that my name pronunciation had become better, they probably notice only that my word order might have become a little strange. I am like that, only.

I saw one of the top mridangists, recently, giving barely any time at all to the ghatam player, who was also a senior. Not only did I not enjoy, but I really thought it was rather rude, and my response was flavoured by this experience

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 21 Sep 2009, 16:08

nick H wrote: I am like that, only.

Nick - looks like you are translating from tamizh - so, you can't use the excuse of being an 'Englishman' any more!!

laks1972 · Post by **laks1972** » 21 Sep 2009, 16:28

This concert has been uploaded by veteran uploader TVG at:

http://sangeethamshare.org/tvg/UPLOADS- ... olin_Duet/

with permissions

srinivasrgvn · Post by **srinivasrgvn** » 21 Sep 2009, 16:55

laks1972 · Post by **laks1972** » 22 Sep 2009, 06:47

I got a personal message from Sam about difficulty in downloading from the above link. I am responding in the forum so that it will help anyone else who has similar difficulty.

The concert is available in mirror site of sangeethamshare at:

http://66.182.253.251/www.sangeethamsha ... olin_Duet/

Sam Swaminathan · Post by **Sam Swaminathan** » 23 Sep 2009, 10:41

TVG Sir....thank you for uploading the concert.

Sam Swaminathan · Post by **Sam Swaminathan** » 23 Sep 2009, 10:42

Duplicate post, deleted

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 23 Sep 2009, 12:41

M E can be Mild and Exceptional too .. i still remember his thani for Palani Subramania Pillai day many years ago for MLV Amma where he played Thani for Adi Thisra Nadai .. where in he made 12 into 16, 18, 20, and 24 and did exceptional combinations alongwith Harishankar.

Unforgettable ....

J.Balaji

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 01 Oct 2009, 05:37

Just listened to this concert-- it was really great! The highlights for me were the tODi ragam and neraval, the vardhani krithi, and the kAmbOji ragam. To me, the kAmbOji ragam was the best part of the whole concert, with some great, fluid brigha sangathis painting a very energetic picture of the raga. Both percussionists were excellent... Thank you again, Sri TVG, for this upload!