Ganesh Kumaresh (Violin) MMU (Jaya TV) 31 Dec10

[Priya Ravi]

A mind boggling presentation on the theme – Thyaga Ragas (Ragas handled by Sri Thyagarajar) – by the violin brothers Ganesh and Kumaresh bore testimony to their absolute mastery over the instrument and deep understanding of the nuances of Carnatic music. The list of pieces presented by them is..
1. Ragasudharasa (Aandholika)
2. Anuragamule (Saraswathi)
3. Dinamanivamsa (Harikambodi)
4. Musical medley of Ragas –in Ragamalika pattern - consisting of Pallavis, Anupallavis and Charanams from a number of kruthis all set to Desadi tala (Sri Thyagarajar has used Desadi tala in a number of krutis) - which included – Adugathara (Manoranjitham), Devadideva (Sinduramakriya), Manasuloni (Hindolam), Marukelara (Jayanthasri), Chalamelara (Margahindolam), Sarasasaaamadana (Kapinarayani), Nenarunchira (Simhavahini), Maakelara (Ravichandrika), Brovabarama (Bahudari), Pandurutikolu (Hamsanadam), Manavyala (Nalinakanthi), Kantajutumi(Lathangi), Bagayane (Chandrajothi), Nannukanna thalli (Sindukannada). (A few more I could not identify)
5. Ninnuvina (Navarasakannada) – identified as ‘instrument oriented’ piece by the artists.
6. Ravinchura evarura (Subhoshini)

Good support was provided by Patri Sathishkumar (Mrudangam) and Trichy Krishna (Ghatam).

The presentation was gripping and musically enriching. Idea behind Item 4 was very innovative and the music highly creative. The widely held view that the brothers are the topmost violinists in Carnatic music has been proven once again. It is strange that the brothers have not figured in the list of performers in the Music Academy in recent years, while artists of lesser calibre have been performing regularly in this august institution. Hope the Music Academy would set the record straight soon.

[rshankar]

The last one should be 'ramincuvAr(u)evarurA' in supOshiNi

[Enna_Solven]

It is not pandu (fruit) but bantu (guard)

From Sri Govindan's site:

baNTu rIti koluvu-iyyavayya rAma

O Lord (ayya) rAma! Give (iyyi) me the privilege of being in Your service (koluvu) (koluviyyavayya) as (rIti) a (royal) guard (baNTu).


I heard Ganesh-Kumaresh concert here in USA. They bring in a lot of western style long notes, may be that is why MA is not inviting them. On the other hand I have not heard them in India. May be they don't play like that there.

[sr_iyer]

I watched the "medley" of Sri Ganesh-Kumaresh on YouTube courtesy Sri Venkatakailasam. (This list is also posted on another topic where it has been discussed under general discussions)

I have indicated the segments of kritis presented if it helps

"Part 1" - Pallavi of first kriti in triplet, anupallavi of second kriti in triplet, caraNam of third kriti in triplet.


# aTu kArAdani - manOranjani (pallavi)
# dEvAdidEva - sindhurAmakriyA (anupallavi beginning dEvEs'a pitA)
# marugElarA - jayantas'rI (caraNam beginning anninIvanucu)

# cinnanADe nA - kalAnidhi (pallavi)
# sarasasAmadAna - kApinArAyaNi (anupallavi beginning paramas'Ambhava)
# vararAgalaya - cencukAmbhOji (caraNam beginning dEhOdbhavambagu)

# nenaruncara - simhavAhini (pallavi)
# mAkElarA - ravicandrikA (anupallavi beginning sAkEta)
# brOvabhArama - bahudAri (caraNam beginning kalas'AmbudhilO)

# baNTurIti - hamsanAdam (pallavi)
# sadAmatin(i)daladu - gambhIravANi (anupallavi beginning sadAs'iva)
# manavi(n)Alakincara - naLinakAnti (caraNam beginning karmakANDamatAkRshTulai)

"Part 2" - Just pallavi lines - 1 tALa Avartana

# centanesada - kuntalavarALi
# kaLalanercina - dIpakam
# vacamagOcarame manasA - kaikavas'i
# s'rIpatE - nAgasvarAvaLi
# tanamidane - bhushavali
# calamelara - mArgahindOLa
# mariyAdagAdayyA - bhairavam
# sanAtana - phalamanjari

"Part 3" - Just Half-tALa-avartana of pallavi lines sequentially

# manavi(n)Ala - naLinakAnti
# sadAmadin - gambhIravANi
# baNTurIti - hamsanAdam
# entaveDukon(du) - sarasvati manOharI
# bAgayanayya - candrajyOti
# nannukannatalli - sindhukannaDA/kEsari
# brOvabharamA - bahudAri
# mAkelara - ravincandrikA
# nenaruncara - simhavAhini
# vararAgalaya - cencukAmbhOji
# sarasasAmadAna - kApinArAyaNi
# cinnanaDe nA - kalAnidhi
# marugElara - jayantas'rI
# dEvAdidEva - sindhurAmakriyA

Concludes with aTu kArAdani - manOranjani

[mahavishnu]

thanks, sr_iyer. This is very useful.

[kssr]

I should say that till the Raagamalika started it was good CM and then it was just a bhel puri. Some people, I hope, do enjoy it. I did not as I always try to be with the majority

[Sundara Rajan]

Since this was an instrumental presentation, if only Ganesh had not announced/explained the fact that this item was a medly of pallavies etc. from several songs, but simply had stated that this was a rAgamAlika in dEsAdi tALam, people would have perhaps enjoyed it better. I listened to the piece with such perspective and liked it and the overall concert was good.

[narayan]

I should say that till the Raagamalika started it was good CM and then it was just a bhel puri. Some people, I hope, do enjoy it.

Enjoyed the ragamalika. But I do like bhelpuri, so maybe that explains it. Liked the precision, melody and variety of the Tyaga-ragas.

While on the topic, some of those ragas have become worthy of elaboration and by now there are several compositions by others (e.g. Bahudari and Nalinakanti). I seem to recall that there is a simhavahini composition by Patnam. Anyone heard that? Similarly a GNB composition in Senjukambodi? Out of curiosity, is there anything in Ravichandrika apart from Makelara and Niravadisukhada? Ravichandrika is the closest to Ragesri in Hindustani, and is a fairly solid raga there.

[sr_iyer]

Have heard Sri LGJ, as well as his children more recently, play evarunnAru in simhavAhini (Patnam) on multiple occasions

[mahavishnu]

The Tyaga-raga medley was *interesting*. However, with all the sahityam switching the only invariant feature that glued it together was the metric structure of desadi talam; and the predictable cadence of certain Tyagaraja kritis. As Kssr put it, Bhel puri is a good description. I say this even though I love chaat. It is very nice, but is no substitute for bisi-bhela...

I am just amazed by the energy and stage presence of Ganesh-Kumaresh every time I see them.

[ganeshkant]

I like their bowing and bhAni.A very good and neat presentation.How beautifully Ganesh demonstrated when some one asked him to present Mukhari in a different color.
The power went off for the last 10 mins.Good that I can catch the medley in Utube.

[narayan]

sr_iyer, thanks for the info. Found the LGJ simhavahini on sangeethapriya. Random browse there shows that there is a Muttaiah Bhagavatar song also, rendered by someone, so this raga also has multiple composers with songs that are 'alive'.

mahavishnu, as an instrumental tribute, it was indeed nice, and not all the songs were that well known (at least to me). Heard of them, yes. Even in known ones, the execution was smooth and had some freshness as well.

[sr_iyer]

Yes, narayan - the rAga simhavAhini is 'alive' in terms of compositions, with a current composer/performer like Ravikiran having composed a varnam as well.

On the rAgamAlika offering, I feel we have to put things in perspective. I personally do prefer long rAga expositions to rAgamAlikas (even the 'traditional' rAgamAlikA compositions or the rAgamAlikA segments in RTP!).

However, given the theme of the programme chosen, the relatively short span of time available, the fact that s'rI tyAgarAjasvAmi is believed to have composed in many rare rAgas (the articles of Sri KV Ramachandran et al, and some opinions of sangraha cUDAmaNi not withstanding ) and the apparent urge by the brothers to offer something new, I feel the idea of dovetailing many krtis of the composer, many incorporating the rare rAgas, with the 1.5 eDuppu quite interesting and praiseworthy. On the positive side, the brothers also succeeded in bringing the rAga bhAva for each capsule very well. For instance, both cinnanADena (kalAnidhi) and calamElera (mArgahindOLa) have the same starting notes
; ; ; s, r, g,,, m, |s,,,,, and the same variety of notes taken. I found it a nice idea for them to distinguish these (as per what I perceive) even with only these notes considered. The approach from ma to sa at m, s,,,, is via a gAndhAra-anusvara in mArgahindOLa i. e. m, (mg) s,,,, . The same notes have a smooth jAru connection from ma to sa in kalAnidhi. The avarOhaNa krama of each rAga provides the guidance for this nice idea.

PS: I remember hearing an 'AVM' cassette of Chembai in the eighties where three 1.5 eDuppu krtis were presented (each sung fully) without gap - same tempo - I do not know if he sung it that way or it was a recording/splicing act. So hearing such krtis dove-tailed back to back was not exactly new or unheard or objectionable for me.

[vasanthakokilam]

I remember hearing an 'AVM' cassette of Chembai in the eighties where three 1.5 eDuppu krtis were presented (each sung fully) without gap

These three Chembai songs came to my mind as well when I heard about what the violin duo did.

[nri]

Similarly a GNB composition in Senjukambodi? Out of curiosity, is there anything in Ravichandrika apart from Makelara and Niravadisukhada?

H N Muttiah Bhagavathar has compositions in both Senjukambodhi (bhujanga bhUSaNa) and Ravichandrika (sarvagjnA sAmbasahasAkSa). Found the lyrics in karnatik. Though I haven't heard anyone sing or perform any of these two, and neither GNB's Senjukambodhi(nannu brOva nI).

[venkatakailasam]

Do not the ragamalika is fit for a presentation as a SADHAS in MA ?

venkatakailasam