Ranjani and Gayatri Concert in NJ - June 16, 2006

[Ramaprasad]

June 16, 2006
Luci Stone Auditorium, Rutgers University, NJ
(Under the sponsorship of NAADA and IACRF)

Ranjani & Gayatri (Vocal)
H. N. Bhaskar (Violin)
K. Arun Prakash (Mridangam)

1. Sarasuda â€" Saveri â€" Adi. Kotthavasal Venkatrama Iyer
2. Bhuvini Dasudane â€" Sriranjani â€" Adi. Thyagaraja
3. Toli Janmamu â€" Bilahari - Khanda Chapu. Thyagaraja
4. Thyagaraja Yoga Vaibhavam - Anandhabhairavi â€" Adi. Dikshitar
5. Rama Rama Gunasima â€" Simhendramadhyam â€" Adi. Swati Thirunal
6. Thani
7. Sharavana Bhava Guhane â€" Kannada â€" Adi. Papanasam Sivan
8. RTP (in Nattakuranji), followed by a ragamalika (Nayaki, Varali,
Behag)
9. Viruttam in ragmalika (Bhairavi, Mohanam and Desh)
10. Rama Namame Tudi Diname â€" Desh â€" Adi. Thanjavur Shankara Iyer
11. Ninyako Ninna Hangyako (in Ragamalika). Purandara Dasa
12. Sri Ramachandra Kripanidhi (Slokam) followed by
Janakinath â€" Yamunkalyan (Tulasidas)
13. Tuje Nama â€" Mand. Tukaram
14. Ittara nee (Thiruppugazh) â€" Asaveri
15. Mangalam (Pavamana)

There was a very good turn out of people on a Friday night for their fourth concert in the tri-state area (NY/NJ/PA) in two months, indicating that Ranjani and Gayatri have a musical appeal that does not suffer concert fatigue. They set the mood for this concert by their opening Saveri varnam â€" grand and serene. If one is gifted, then talent is the ability to channelize it, so there is a balance and not an excess. Whether it was the inclusion of brigas or the soulful rendition of kritis, this was a concert to be enjoyed and remembered for the balanced performance on the part of the sisters and the accompanying artists.

After a brisk rendition of the two Thyagaraja krits, they settled to a relaxed exposition of the Dikshitar kriti in Anandbhairavi. Their diction, pace and singing was immensely enjoyable, reflecting their musical maturity. Another Dikshitar kriti, with such fidelity to the composer, would have been most welcome by the audience. RTP in Nattakuranji was the center piece, very enjoyably elaborated, with a ragamalika at the end. The post-RTP section was noticeable for the number of ‘chits’ that kept arriving from the audience. The Purandara kriti, rendered as a ragamalika, was more enjoyable than the usual practice of singing it in one raga. The T. Shankara Iyer piece in Desh was another musical gem during the second half. An abhang or two is almost a fixture now in their concerts that the rasikas eagerly look forward to and they were not disappointed.

As mentioned earlier, if serenity was the mood of the concert, it was ably sustained by the two accompanists. H. N. Bhaskar on the violin was a musical match to the mood set by the sisters and it was a delight to listen his solo renderings. Even someone with no laya gnana will pause and take note of Arun Prakash’s magic with the mridangam. His relaxed demeanor fronts a talente artist’s musings on laya. A great evening.

[Vocalist]

Ok, a few questions/comments.

How long did the concert last?

What was the pallavi line?

What were the first few words of the virutham?

H.N.Bhaskar is an awesome violinist.

I was hoping there'd be a 'fresh' rAgA or piece this time around.

[mahesh3]

Thanks, Ramaprasad for writing the review.

Some added thoughts,

1. Sarasuda â€" Saveri â€" Adi. - 10 mins
2. Bhuvini Dasudane â€" Sriranjani â€" Adi. (Swarams) - 15 mins
3. Toli Janmamu â€" Bilahari - Khanda Chapu. (Ranjani Alapanai, Alapanai, Swarams) - 20 mins
4. Thyagaraja Yoga Vaibhavam - Anandhabhairavi â€" Adi. (Raga Sketch) - 20 mins
5. Rama Rama Gunasima â€" Simhendramadhyam â€" Adi. (Gayatri Alapanai, Neraval @ "muni mAnasa dhAma mrgamada sulalAma", Swarams) - 40 mins
6. Thani -15 mins
7. Sharavana Bhava Guhane â€" Kannada â€" Adi. -3 mins
8. RTP (in Nattakuranji, both Ranjani & Gayathri alapanai),
"ChiRantha engalathu Nattaikurinji enbAr". - 1 Hr 10 Mins

Ragamalika Swarams (Nattai, Nayaki, Varali,Behag)
9. Viruttam (Nadiya Porul Kai Koodum) in ragmalika (Bhairavi, Mohanam and Desh)............


Concert was for abt 3 Hrs, 20 mins. A typically sleek, planned performance by the sisters.

Bhuvini Dasudane was good, with some fast paced swarams. Simhendramadhyamam Krithi was easily the highlight of the evening, with an awesome Neraval @ "muni mAnasa dhAma mrgamada sulalAma". Gayatri's sancharas in the alapanai were overwhelming and stunning at some points, particularly coming up with some rare delineations of higher durations. And I dint realize the sisters could be quite so good at the Neraval, since they seldom seem to neraval as often as say a Sanjay or a Krishna in their concert. I enjoyed it.

RTP in Nattai kurinji was good, thanam was long and satisfactory. Ragamalika swarams in Nattai, Nayaki, Varal and Behag.

HN Bhaskar provided very good accompaniment. He stumbled a couple of times in the Khanda Chapu (Bilahari krithi) but more than made up for it in his simhendramadhyama and RTP essays.

Arun Prakash was decent here. He was more involved than normal (unlike in most of the concerts that I have seen him play). As an accompanyist, he does have portions where he plays very softly, and that sounds good. In the thani, he took up some complex korvais, and it wasn't great sounding, the spacing within those korvais weren't properly handled. Nevertheless, a satisfactory concert all in all.

[rshankar]

Mahesh,
Just curious if they split 'nAttaikurinjI' in the pallavi (of the RTP) as 'nAttai - kurinjI'...
Ravi

[mahesh3]

RShankar,

They did not! They sang the pallavi and swarams in Nattaikurinji, and when they started ragamalika swarams in Nattai, I figured they would proceed with Kurinji next, but they moved to Nayaki, Varali and Behag.

[Vocalist]

Thanks mahesh3. I like that format for a songlist - it gives it a bit more meaning

Personally, I'm beginning to think they lack variety. Sure, I like 'common' pieces - but not in almost every single concert (or so it seems). I think someone suggested at the BBoard they probably lack confidence when it comes to singing stuff out of the norm - I really hope not!

So far, I've heard or seen songlists of theirs with main items being in rAgAs like simhendramadhyamam, mOhanam, nAttaikurinji, hindOlam etc. I guess I call these the 'safe rAgAs' as it's hard to stuff up. Don't get me wrong - I like these rAgAs a lot. But when we see TVS doing RTPs in Surya & Andholika, TNS doing RTPs in Brindavanasaranga & Dhwijavanthi, Nithyashree doing them in Saraswathi, Jaganmohini & Nalinakanthi, Sowmya doing them in Kalyanavasantham, and so on, I can't help but wonder why RG want to stick to the safe ones. Why not go out of one's comfort zone?

[srkris]

It is very difficult to do justice to some of those ragas, when they are taken up for RTP or main kriti. It would be a run of the mill exercise more often than not

Some musicians dont mind being run of the mill, so they sing RTPs in "all ragas" to show that they did something others didnt/couldnt do.

[mahesh3]

Vocalist,

I agree and disagree to a certain extent with your views. RG are quite elegant and experimental with their RTP's...even within the parameters of the so called safe or routine ragas, some of their pallavi lines they use are quite novel, and definitely not run of the mill. Yet, as SRKris says, in terms of experimenting with ragas, perhaps they try to do justice in their own way to what they put out in their concert. Hence, they plan their concert since it is more difficult to excel as a duo if they are absolutely spontaneous. I cannot think of any duo that experimented in their concerts as much as individuals...(eg Sanjay, MLV or a TNS) did in their early concerts. The more popular duos in carnatic music history...Alathur brothers, Radha-Jayalakshmi, Rudrapatnam brothers, Hyderabad brothers --these duo's do not particularly stand out when it comes to experimentation early in their careers. And the duos that experiment are simply not good .

Of the duo's that I prefer (& have followed) in recent times-- Malladi brothers, Ranjani-Gayathri are very good within their parameters. Yet, they are still young, and I am willing to bet that as they gain more experience singing with each other, they will improve their repertoire and experimental numbers. We can only gain ...be patient, and perhaps we shouldn't be so tough on something as small as a concert list, as long as the reneditions arent painful to the soul.