U. Srinivas-U.Rajesh @ Austin Waldorf School, April 17, 2010

[Enna_Solven]

U. Srinivas, U. Rajesh - Mandolin,
Madirimangalam Swaminathan - Mridangam
S.V. Ramani - Ghatam

1. Viribhoni varnam - Bhairavi
2. Muladharamurte - Hamsadhwani (RNS)
3. Jagadanandakaraka - Nattai
4. Terateeyagarada - Gowlipantu (R)
5. Sabhapathikku - Abhogi (RNS)
6. Ninnuvina - Navarasa kannada
7. RTP - Keeravani, Kalyani, Kharaharapriya - Adi (~ 1 hour)
8. Aduvome Pallu paduvome - Maand
9. Sai Bhajan - Darbari Kanada
10. Chandrasekhara Eesa - Sindhu Bhairavi
11. Thillana - Revathi - LGJ

The concert was about two and a half hours long. There was no main. They finished playing the first five songs in about hour and ten minutes. The Abhogi krithi was a bit longer than others.

Though they played with verve, I got uneasy when they announced the break after Abhogi as there was no long alapana till then. However, the RTP made the concert worthwhile. Both elaborated the alapana and the thanam. The pallavi (words were not given out) had equal time measure for Keeravani and Kalyani, a slight pause and then Kharaharapriya to finish the cycle. I don't know what you call this, but the effect was very pleasing. The switch from Keeravani to Kalyani was striking during the swarams.

There were no gimmicks, the whole concert was purely classical.

The thani was short and crisp. Both artists were in great unison with the brothers.

Very nice auditorium, decent crowd, fireworks both inside and outside the auditorium! There was a thunderstorm during the RTP when the brothers were switching between the ragams at lightning speed!

Hosted by Indian Classical Music Circle of Austin. (supported by City of Austin, Texas Commission of Arts and National Endowment for Arts, as with other concerts.); otherwise we can't have concerts in Austin just from tickets.

[vasanthakokilam]

Nice review, ES. Interesting RTP structure indeed. And your poetic description is quite apt. "uLLil mihattha oLiyODu oru minnal (swarangaL), veLiyil mihattha oliyOdu oru iDi. thodarbunDo!!'

[Enna_Solven]

Even though I have lived here for a few years, Austin weather continues to amaze me. It will rain so hard for 15-20 minutes and the clouds will continue their march to drench the next county. The lightning and thunder show is for real. It is always a 'craaack' , never a distant boom.

A couple of years of ago, my empty recycle bin (90 gallons one) went missing during the storm. I found it 6 houses down the road. The rain water gushing along the road edge had pushed the cart all the way to where it empties out into the storm drain!

[hamsadhwani]

Overall a beautiful and very crisp concert.

However, I was a little disappointed, in that there was no vistaram (except Abhogi, though not as much as I would have liked) for any of the kritis.

Also, the RTP, though very beautifully played, was not a big hit with me. I would have preferred a full-fledged Keeravani or a Kalyani with the signature Srinivas style - ragamalika for the swaram in the end. It seemed like just when I was getting into the nuances of Keeravani, I was rudely pulled to attune to Kalyani and then the sudden jump to Karaharapriya.

Aaduvome pallu paaduvome was classic as usual, the 1 minute Maand elaboration in the beginning was beautiful enough for me to shed buckets of tears

But I guess there's only so much you can pack in 2.5 hrs, that too with a 10 minute interval at the very wrong place, though I don't understand the need for an interval in a 3 hr concert!