Violin-Veena-Venu Concert , BGS, 5 feb 2011

[badari]

Violin: Vid. HK Venkatram
Veena: Vid. Ashwin Anand
Venu: Vid G Ravikiran

Mridangam: Vid. Mannargudi Easwaran
Khanjira: Vid. BS Purushottam

Date: 5 Feb 2011
Venue: Bangalore gayana samaj.

1 sarasijanAbha mAm pAhi sakala bhuvana vandya varNa nATa Adi Parameshvara Bhagavatar (??)
2-praNamAmyaham shrI gourI sutham-gouLa-Adhi-mysUru vAsudhEvAchAr
3-sAdhinchene O manasA-Arabhi-Adhi-thyAgarAja
4-mAmava mInAkhi rAjamAthangi-varALi-mishra Eka-mutthuswAmy dhIkshithar
5 shrI varalakshmi shrI Adhi mutthuswAmy dhIkshithar
6-bhOginDra-shAyinam-kuntalavarALi-SwathiThiruNAL
7-bAlagOpAla pAlayAshumAm-bhairavi-Adhi-MutthuswAmy dhikshithar
8 rAga tAna pallavi bahudAri ( could not hear the pallavi line clearly due to issues with the audio system)
9 jagadodhAranA-kApi-Adi-purandharadhAsar
10 tillana- janjhooti ? veene seshanna
11 nInAma rUpamulaku-mangaLa-sourAshtra-Adhi-thyAgarAja

My Obsevations:
1 first concert for me where i heard all 5 ghanaragas together
2 each one maintained their individuality while in group they were a force to recon with
3 sri varalakshmi and Balagopala came in as expected.

What needs imporovement:
1 BGS mic engineer tampering with audio system all through the concert. This should be strictly avoided.

[pattamaa]

Arabhi alapana by Ravikiran, varali alapana by Ashwin and Bhairavi by HKV. Two neravals - in varali and in bhairavi main. Both were played in two speeds, quite in detail. I didn't like 2nd speed neraval in instrument, it sounded more like swara kalpana);- All three played well together in sync, which is very great. Alapanas had lot of sowkhyam, and Sri Eshwaran's playing is a treat for ears.

[gardabha_gana]

It was a nice concert - and remarkable synchronization. The pallavi swarams were in Begada(AA), Ranjani(GR), Desh(?)(HKV), Suruti(AA), Kanada(GR), and the last one hamsanandi (HKV). A nice classical fare. Eashwaran sir's playing was very very apt and enjoyable. I second Badri that the BGS audio engineer needs some training - they nearly played havoc with sanjay, VVV and malladi concerts. wonder why can't they get it right