Smt. Sudha Raghunathan, Hickman Hall, NJ Apr-18-2010

[rshankar]

Vocalist: Smt. Sudha Raghunathan
Violinist: Sri Vittal Ramamurthy
mRdangam: Tiruvarur Sri Vaidyanathan
mOhrsing: Sri Surendar
tAnpura: Kum. Aditi Ramesh (talented local teen)
Organizers: CMANA

This is more of a concert report, and a chronicling of my experience (rasAnubhava) than a review. Anticipating a huge turnout, I had bought tickets online for this Sunday concert, made complicated arrangements to drop off and pick-up my daughter, and got to the auditorium half an hour before the scheduled 3:00 PM start of the concert. By the time I waded through the crowds and picked up my ticket, I realized that I had left my writing implements in the car, and trudged back to get them. When I got back to the hall, I discovered that everyone had been asked to leave the hall and wait outside while sound checks were made. People were packed like sardines in the corridor leading to the hall, and we stood there until 3:35 or 3:40 - it got so hot and stifling out there, we had to open one of the exit doors to allow some fresh air to ventilate the area. Mercifully the concert started within 10 minutes of seating us.

List:
1. viribONi - bairavi - aTa (Pachimiriyam Adipaiyah) [Outline]
2. praNamAmyaham - gauLai - Adi (Mysore Vasudevachar) - [svarams]
3. mOkshamu galadA - sAramati - Adi (Tyagaraja)
4. mangaLavaradAyaki - kadanakutUhalam - Adi (GNB)
5. janani - rItigauLai - miSra cApu (Subbaraya Sastri) [R, N, S]
6. (nI) aruL Seyya vENDum ayyA - rasikapriya - ? (Koteeshwara Iyer)
7. jesinadella - tODi - Adi (tyagaraja) [R, N, S, T]
8. nArAyaNa ninna nAmada - SuddhadhanyAsi - rUpaka (Purandaradasaru)
9. vararAga laya - cencukAmbhOji - ? (Tyagaraja)
10. RTP....

The sound system was OK (nothing extraordinary to justify the looong wait time). Smt. Sudha announced that the concert was a tribute to the 80th birth anniversary of her guru Smt. MLV, and the 100th birth anniversary of her grand-guru Sri GNB, as well as her long association with CMANA.

I was hoping that she would start with 'ninnukori' in mOhanam (I loved GNB's version of this), but she opened with viribOni which was a brisk, no-nonsense affair. The svarams for praNamAmhayam were interesting for some lovely juxtaposition of mEl (upper) and kIzh (lower) sthAyi svarams. She started mOkshamu galada from the anupallavi - I found the song to be tantalizingly familiar, but yet very unfamiliar until she started with the pallavi when I had a 'duh' moment. managaLavardAyaki was rendered in the briga-laden style the rAgam allowed and the composer had stamped with his individuality. Then came the first real AlApana of the evening - a very reposeful rItigauLai followed by the SS masterpiece. The nereval was reposeful (can't for the life of me decipher what I have written about it), and the svaras were good. This was followed by a quick composition of KI in rasikapriya before Smt. Sudha launched on a very elaborate tODi. It turned out to be the main - with an elaborate nereval at the anupallavi, followed by svaras galore, followed by a nice tani. A couple of fillers (for the first time I noticed the ciTTasvaras in the cencukAmbhOji piece - who composed them?), and the concert had already gone on for 3+ hours, and several things conspired to make me leave at that point - I had been there for more than 4 hours and had an hour's drive back home, with a very busy week ahead...As I was leaving, I stopped by the restroom and looked at some CDs and heard Smt. Sudha outline several rAgas - I think I heard hamsadhvani, sahAnA, ?, ?, karaharapriya - in quick succession, and I wondered what she was presenting. I heard that it was a grand, several rAga RTP - after the initial outline assay, she apparently took them up for detailed exploration (the person who informed me did not know the rAgas taken up)..I hope other rasikas who attended this concert complete the list at the very minimum and post a (detailed) review if at all possible. No clue what the tukkaDas were. Looks like this would have been a 4+-hour concert*.

Sri Vittal followed the main artist faithfully and his solo versions were beautiful and full of 'aucityam'. The mRdangam was very appropriate. It did not drown out the voice in anyway, and added to the presentation - the tani was forcefully executed with delightful patterns, and it was nice to see the disciple (Sri Surendar) rise to his guru's (Sri Vaidyanathan) level. What was also very evident is that this group of musicians not only had excellently tuned instruments, but were very much in tune with each other, and it made for a very 'saukhyamAna' experience. I noticed Kum. Aditi watching the accompanists with eyes like saucers through the evening - her appreciation and awe were visible for all to see.

The one thing I'd like to say about Smt. Sudha is that she is very professional. Nothing ruffles her, - she is focused on ensuring that she does justice by her rasikas, and to that end, I am impressed with the fact that she delivers with such regularity. All in all, it was a typical 'Smt. Sudha' concert - no dizzying heights, but at the same time, there was no dip in the quality either. This consistency, I believe, coupled with her uncompromising professionalism is what makes her one of the most sought after performers of today.

(*I purchased a set of CDs on my way out - A concert of Smt. Sudha's for CMANA in 2003 that apparently went on for ~6 hours!)

This delayed posting was because I lost the paper I had made notes on, and found it only a few days ago when I was ransacking my car for yet another piece of paper I had mislaid...

[sreecons]

Thanks for a rasAnubhavam mikuntha write up. I enjoy reading about Smt Sudha's concerts. I hope some one else who attended could describe the RTP in detail. You have left us wondering about it. . .

[mohan]

Thanks for the writeup Ravi. Again organisers have let rasikas down by conducting a sound check after the scheduled start time! If the concert is too commence at 3pm, and a large crowd is expected, the doors need to open 30 mins earlier at 2.30pm and the sound check should have commenced at 1.45pm! CMANA is a very experienced organisation and should have known this. Perhaps there were mitigating circumstances (delayed flight etc)?

[Enna_Solven]

(*I purchased a set of CDs on my way out - A concert of Smt. Sudha's for CMANA in 2003 that apparently went on for ~6 hours!)

Ravi,

What is the title of this CD?

thanks.

[arasi]

Ravi,
Always a joy to hear from you about a performance. Yes, Sudha Raghunathan is professionalism personified.
Would like to hear about the RTP . First an intro and then the elaboration?

[rshankar]

What is the title of this CD?

E_S - all it says on the cover is Live Concert Recording of Smt. Sudha Raghunathan-Vocal; Sri RKSK-Violin; Sri Neyveli Skandasubramanian-mRudangam; Sri R. Raman-Morsing held at Lucy Stone Auditorium Rutgers University NJ on June 7, 2003.

[gs1968]

Thanks for the review. I missed this concert as I had attended Sri.P.Unnikrishnan's concert at SRUTI the day before. It would have been too taxing on my 8 and 3 year old kids! Also I would have tried to attend this if it had been at the ISKCON temple at Edison. I like the ambience of that hall the best. I am surprised at the audio issues because CMANA is usually very good. She did not sing an RTP at the Cleveland concert which I attended this year due to time constraints so I am glad she sang one at this concert. Like the Tamil film distributors would say-there is always a 'minimum guarantee' at her concerts although most of them surpass all expectations.

[jaysriks]

RTP - in 5 Ragams ..

Pallavi Line - Ragunayaka Ragunandana Raguvara Ramabhirama Nee Samanamevaru

The piece-de-resistance of the evening was a uniquely researched and delivered trend-setter Ragam Thanam Pallavi consisting five ragas – Hamsadhwani, Panthuvarali, Kharaharapriya, Darbar and Sahana. The short Alapana was done in these 5 ragas as they transitioned smoothly in a serial fashion, followed by more detailed exponentiation at varying speeds. The teamwork of the vocalist and the violinist was truly amazing as they switched back and forth giving the RTP a unique flavor to many of the critical connoisseurs present in the audience. Not sure about the tala , but the long rhythm cycle encompassed various descriptions of Lord Rama as provided by Saint Thyagaraja. Some of the words were Raghunayaka (sung in Hamsadhwani), Raghunananda (sung in Sahana), Raghuvara (Panthuvarali), Ramabhirama (Darbar) Ni Samaanarevara (Kharaharapriya). The exemplary skills with which Smt. Sudha moved between these words and with which Shri Vittal Ramamurthy complemented such a movement without tripping over were absolutely admirable.

[rshankar]

Jaysriks - THANK YOU so much for posting the information about the RTP. I feel really bad for having missed this. In the short part of the rAgam essay I heard as I was exiting, I did clearly catch strains of hamsadhvani, sahAna, and the final kharaharapriya, but did not realize that it was a prelude to a lovely centerpiece.
Can you complete the list by adding the tukkaDas?

[shishya]

She sang this pallavi at Cleveland Aradhana last year.

[rajeshnat]

RTP - in 5 Ragams ..

Pallavi Line - Ragunayaka Ragunandana Raguvara Ramabhirama Nee Samanamevaru

The piece-de-resistance of the evening was a uniquely researched and delivered trend-setter Ragam Thanam Pallavi consisting five ragas – Hamsadhwani, Panthuvarali, Kharaharapriya, Darbar and Sahana. The short Alapana was done in these 5 ragas as they transitioned smoothly in a serial fashion, followed by more detailed exponentiation at varying speeds.
...
Some of the words were Raghunayaka (sung in Hamsadhwani), Raghunananda (sung in Sahana), Raghuvara (Panthuvarali), Ramabhirama (Darbar) Ni Samaanarevara (Kharaharapriya). The exemplary skills with which Smt. Sudha moved between these words and with which Shri Vittal Ramamurthy complemented such a movement without tripping over were absolutely admirable.

jaysriks
Few clarifications needed from you:
1.For RAga she sang all 5 ragas which you have mentioned, for tAnam what did she do did she sing all the 5 rAgas?
2.When rendering pallavi did she sing each of the words in the respecitve ragas like how KVN/ARI sing shankarAbharanai azhaittu vAdi kalyAni darbArukku in one go
or
Did she only sing in one rAga and then went with swararAgamaliga in all the 5 ragas with just using the respective keyword for ending that swaram with that rAga's line

[shishya]

In Cleveland last year, she sang as each of the words in the respecitve ragas. I am guesing she would have done the same now. Last year she sang tAnam in all the rAgAs as well IIRC.

[harimau]

RTP - in 5 Ragams ..

Pallavi Line - Ragunayaka Ragunandana Raguvara Ramabhirama Nee Samanamevaru

The piece-de-resistance of the evening was a uniquely researched and delivered trend-setter Ragam Thanam Pallavi consisting five ragas – Hamsadhwani, Panthuvarali, Kharaharapriya, Darbar and Sahana. The short Alapana was done in these 5 ragas as they transitioned smoothly in a serial fashion, followed by more detailed exponentiation at varying speeds. The teamwork of the vocalist and the violinist was truly amazing as they switched back and forth giving the RTP a unique flavor to many of the critical connoisseurs present in the audience. Not sure about the tala , but the long rhythm cycle encompassed various descriptions of Lord Rama as provided by Saint Thyagaraja. Some of the words were Raghunayaka (sung in Hamsadhwani), Raghunananda (sung in Sahana), Raghuvara (Panthuvarali), Ramabhirama (Darbar) Ni Samaanarevara (Kharaharapriya). The exemplary skills with which Smt. Sudha moved between these words and with which Shri Vittal Ramamurthy complemented such a movement without tripping over were absolutely admirable.

Come on, Sudha, we know you can do better than this!

Here is the pallavi line for your next concert:

Madhuryabhashini Nadha Sudha Raga Sudha Swara Raga Sudha Nee Samanameveru Sudha

The contest is on for all Sudha fans to name the ragas to be employed!

[arasi]

Harimau,
While your RTP line sounds interesting, I do not see anything wrong in Sudha's singing the praises of Raghunathan which also happens to be her husband's name.

[semmu86]