MSG Trio - MFAC - 22nd Dec 2010

[bilahari]

M.S. Gopalakrishnan - Violin
M. Narmada - Violin
M.S.G. Suresh - Violin
Neyveli Narayanan - Mrudangam
N. Guruprasad - Ghatam

Duration: 2h 45min

Approximate Songlist:

01. viribhOni (varNam) - bhairavi - khaNDa aTa
02. endarO mahAnabhAvulu - srI - Adi
03. ninnE bhajanA (S @ pallavi) - nATTai - Adi
04. niravati sukhadA (S @ pallavi) - ravicandrika - Adi

05. Ananda naTana prakAsam – kEdAram – miSra cApu
06. mAmava sadA varadE (R, S @ pallavi) – nATTaikurinji – rUpakam
07. anupamA gunAmbudi – aTANA – jhampa
08. dunmArgacararE (R, S @ pallavi) – ranjani – rUpakam

09. nAdupai balikEru (R, N @ AjAnu bAhu yuga srI jAnakI patE, S) – madhyamAvati – miSra cApu
10. rAgam tAnam pallavi – kIravANi – khaNDa tripuTa (eDuppu: samam +1)
Pallavi: kamalAsanE sundarE bhuvanESwari kancadalAyadAKSi mAm (pAhi?)
Ragamaliga swaras in kAnaDa, mOhanam, rItigowLa, brundAvana sAranga (?), karnATaka dEvagAndAri, pUrvikalyANi (?)

11. mAnasa sancararE – sAma – Adi
12. ? – sindhu bhairavi (Sketch)
13. niramati (tiruppugazh) – hamsAnandi
14. nI nAma rUpamulaku (mangaLam) – sowrASTRam – Adi

I just had time to rush home from the airport, drop off my belongings, and leave for my first concert this season. The moment MSG played the opening notes of bhairavi, my fatigue melted as I looked forward to the majestic aTa tALa varNam. The trio played the entire composition in two speeds and gave it due respect. I was convinced my season experience couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. MSG then started the pancharathna krithi and that, too, was handled nicely. It is the sort of musically rich composition one can never tire of hearing – each time the phrase S,,,,,SNNSNNSNP,,,,, is taken, I get goosebumps.

NinnE bhajana was delivered beautifully. I have only heard this composition from MDR and MSG – it should be sung more frequently! It has a very unique melodic construction and the trio played kalpanaswaras with nice poruttam to the pallavi. MSG’s juxtaposition of the phrases SP,MP, and PS,NP, was noteworthy, and Narmada’s concluding S and P oriented kOrvai was also engaging and wrapped up a rare presentation. The sprightly niravati was taken up next, though I was hoping for an elaborate alapanai. However, I love this composition to pieces (especially MMI’s immortal renditions with neraval at mAmava marakatha). The charanam’s sedate start, when handled gently, always moves me (as does kalilO rAjasa in nenarunchi) – the contrast is so pleasant and stands testament to T’s genius. The simpler pleasures of the Parur technique, such as the way they handle the SN,D phrases in this raga, made the kalpanaswaras worthwhile.

Ananda naTana was presented on the occasion of tiruvAdirai. Something was just off throughout this piece. It seemed to me that Suresh was playing this piece at a slightly faster kAlapramANam than MSG and Narmada, and the synchronisation was poor. Suresh then presented the first alapanai of the evening in nATTaikurinji (two pieces after ravicandrika!). To his credit, his nATTaikurinji was slightly less abysmal than his bilahari in San Diego last year. Nonetheless, it was abysmal. For one, he played the alapanai in a hurry, and it consequently possessed all the life of a cadaver. MSG’s genius lies in his soft and nuanced development of ragas – you rarely see him in a hurry even as an accompanist! Two, Suresh’s shruti was consistently off and he could rarely get the tAra shadjam correct. He is not concert ready. In the nATTaikurinji piece, as well, Suresh was playing faster than the other two violinists and MSG even stopped a couple of times to demonstrate the tala to him. It’s strange because Suresh was fair in his kalpanaswara returns and didn’t have trouble returning to the eDuppu correctly – why then the problems in kAlapramANam in krithi renditions? The swaras were average, but included a lovely, elongated MG,,,,S from Narmada.

After a quick aTANA, Narmada played an elaborate ranjani. She did a good job and her alapanai had a nice initial usage of phrases like SRRRG, - RRRGM, GGGMD,. She also played lovely, elongated jArus to the shadjam in the DS,ND refrain she used about the tara shadjam. She even managed to take ranjani all the way up to the atitAra shadjam and beyond. It was done immaculately. She also essayed some mandra stAyi brigha sangathis, which were done well. A solid ranjani, but I was still smarting from the nATTaikurinji. DunmArgacararE was presented beautifully (one of my favourite krithis from MSG), but the swaras were brief. MSG then played a short alapanai in madhyamAvati. He played a passage about the mandra panchamam that was very evocative and filled with sowkhyam. MSG clearly cannot play independently for an extended period of time, but what little he does play reflects the depth of his ability. His madhyamAvathi was one of the highlights of the evening, and it was barely 2-3 minutes! The lovely nADupai was presented with a detailed neraval (finally!); madhyamAvathi is just made for neravals and the trio took advantage of its numerous patterns. Surprisingly, there was no long passage of mEl kAla neraval, but it was a controlled affair. The swaras were predictable.

Narmada then announced an RTP in kIravANi and people started walking out of the auditorium immediately! I was bemused. What an insult to the musicians and to kIravANi. There was actually an audience of more than 100 this evening, which was surprising given the other violin concerts I’ve attended. At least 60-70 stayed until the end, too. I was overjoyed at the choice of kIravANi for RTP. MSG and Narmada shared the alapanai with Narmada playing the bulk of it. She did a decent job. They used an attractive MPDMP, motif about the panchamam and there were nice NS,N-DN,D-PD,P phrases. Narmada took a soft approach to the tAra stAyi (as in she bowed gentler), which was a nice modulation. She gave an evocative jAru to the madhyamam in M,G,RS in the tAra stAyi and the trio then played shadjam-oriented fast phrases. MSG again played a bit in the mandra stAyi, and again, it was very beautiful. Some of the phrases he played were reminiscent of a KVN-MSG recording of puNNiam oru kODi that I treasure. The tAnam was thoroughly classical and filled with all the fast brighas that almost define a kIravANi tAnam – the quivery S R G – pause – GRSNDPMGRS; R G M – pause – MGRSNDPMGR; D,NDPD, - P,DPMP played quickly, etc. Everyone thought the tAnam was over and then MSG suddenly commenced his trademark cross string bowing tAnam. Alas, his bowing was a bit scratchy, so he wasn’t entirely successful here, but Narmada played some nice fast sequences to close the tAnam. The pallavi was nice and had a decent neraval. All the kalpanaswaras were short and I was not particularly taken by any of them. Throughout the evening, all the violinists played short rounds of kalpanaswaras within a mathematical framework, and there was almost no free-flowing sarvalaghu, which was disappointing. The conclusion of each round of swaras with a brief kOrvai also made the proceedings seem somewhat contrived.

MAnasa sancararE was so beautifully played, and Narmada played a nice brief sketch of sindhu bhairavi before they all rendered a composition I don’t know.

Neyveli Narayanan and Guruprasad both played well this evening. Both of them showed admirable anticipation in accompanying for kalpanaswaras that had a fair bit of layam, and they played sensitively and beautifully for krithis as well. It was a thoroughly professional affair. The thani was brief. I especially enjoyed Guruprasad’s playing this evening – his reproduction of some of the flourishes during kalpanaswaras was eerily accurate.

It was a good concert that could have been much better without Suresh. Nonetheless, a beautiful start to my season experience; a concert with many of my favourite ragas and krithis.

[bilahari]

P.S. Saw a man who looked like Sri Nageswaran. Approached him. He was not. I will never talk to strangers again.

[hamirkalyani123]

Thanks for the post bilahari.
It is really amazing as Dr. Narmada just about finished her previous concert at around 6:00 p.m (IST) accompanying Nisha Rajagopaln in Narada Gana Sabha Mini Hall. Hats off to be involved in back to back concerts on the same day.

On the aspect of Suresh being not concert ready, I had the great opportunity to meet MSG and speak with him. MSG himself kind of admitted when I happened to see him at Cleveland and he felt that this is the way to introduce/make him concert ready. It is a kind of catch22 situation. How do you make your concert ready, unless you perform in concerts. I don't disagree with MSG sir. I am sure he will pretty soon learn and correct himself and keep up the "Parur" stlye of playing.

[semmu86]

Boy, that was quick !! You landed just in the evening, went all the way to mylapore, attended an almost 3 hour concert, and then managed to write such a detailed review

P.S. Saw a man who looked like Sri Nageswaran. Approached him. He was not. I will never talk to strangers again.

[bilahari]

Hamirkalyani123, yeah, I do see MSG's point. But I feel that he needs a LOT more practice in raga alapanai and maintaining an even kalapramanam before he can share a stage with MSG and Narmada. Suresh seems to be lacking in confidence as well. Narmada plays so beautifully these days - I want to catch her solo in the near future, if possible.

[srikant1987]

I will never talk to strangers again.

We are not strangers!

[arasi]

Bilahari,
Welcome to SangIta Chennai. Please keep your reviews coming! Ramesh enjoys reading them too.

r-t,
What's a season without reviews? I don't think Ramesh means it when he says reviews and reminiscences can't be written at the same time


I walked in late to the concert. I enjoyed what I heard. That Ranjani and the rest soothed me no end. After Bilahari's
expert and intent review, what more can I add? MSG's magic still sparkles in his playing (yes, that brief madhyamAvati was melting). Narmada's playing those elongated notes eloquently is such a pleasant experience. Wish I had listened to one of her solos too.She reminds me of MSG in his younger years and she has her own stamp too, I notice.

Bilahari,
See you soon! Suresh too, perhaps?