N Ravikiran @ Hamsadhwani 03 April 2011

[Sivaramakrishnan]

N Ravikiran : Chitraveena
(Traditional instrument)

M A Sundareswaran : Violin
Srimushnam Raja Rao: Mridanga
Guruprasad :Ghatam

Venue:
Hamsadhwani, Chennai
(Youth hostel, Indira Nagar, Adyar)
03 April 2011
6.30 - 9.00 p.m.


1. Todi : varnam - Vanajakshi:Ata tala
2. Naatta: Ekadantam : Uthukadu-Khanda triputa
3. Goulipantu : Tarunam Idhamma- Syamasastri (raga-Kriti-Swara)
4. Athaana: Anupamagunaambudhi-Tyagaraja-Khandachaapu
5.Harikambodhi: Entaraneetana-tyagaraja-Aadi MAIN)
6.Shanmukhapriya: saravanabhava: Aadi-P.sivan
7.Purvikalyani; Kaaranam kaettuvaadi: aadi-suddhanandabharati
8.Surati-Javali :Mariyaada teliyakaney:rupaka-Patnam S iyer
9.Yam.kalani: Kannanai paadu manamey : Surajananda (tuned by DKJ)
10.Madhyamavati: vinayakuni-Tyagaraja-Aadi
11.Mangalam followed by Sri raga for winding up.


The focus of the concert was on Harikambodhi with detailed Aalapana, elaborate niraval and laya-fortified swaraprastaara for the outstanding kriti of Tyagaraja Entarani tanakentha, not heard in concert circuits for quite long now. Ravikiran’s raga vistara was ably supported by M A Sundareswaran on the violin. Srimushnam Raja Rao (Mridanga) rendered enjoyable rhythmic patterns; the swaraprastaara segment with predominant khanta kuraippu was interesting. Rao with Guruprasad (Ghata) gave a Tani for the Aadi tala (eduppu mukkal edam).

The Harikambodhi also served as an eye opener as to how to guard against the possible slippage to khamas and similar tunes.

Goulipantu raga perhaps belongs to a special category of scales and Ravikiran demonstrated it perfect. The Anupallavi sahitya was presented in three avartas to indcate the sahitya Karunanidhiyaakiya, Karunanidhiyaakiya kamakshi, Karunanidhiyaakiya kamakshi Rakshikka in a subtle manner. The alternating swara phrases MPDM & NSRN during kalpana swaras for the Pallavi sahitya was educative.

Among the post main pieces, Surati javali stood out. As Vinayakuni (Madhyamavati) also featured in the concluding segment, Ravikiran thoughtfully wound up the kutcheri with a miniscule of Sri raga after Pavamana.

The concert was well attended by a highly disciplined audience.

Sabha secretary R.Sundar's short speech after the 'main' was interesting; he described Ravikiran's concert as sort of a celebration of India's victory at the ICC world cup the previous evening, given the fact that Ravi himself is a cricket enthusiast. R Ramachandran (founder secretary, Hamsadhwani)was also known for his passion for arts and cricket, Sundar remembered.

[Nick H]

The tani played by Raja Rao and Guruprasad was sparkling. I think that Guruprasad is worthy of more mention and more praise. Ghatam artists could be divided into two: the flamboyant and theatrical, and the modest back-seaters. Guruprasad belongs to the latter, but when he plays, I really sit up and take notice. His playing is extremely melodic, and he has great sensitivity to both the main artist and the mridangist. In a space of a few minutes, he may simply place an accent here or there, and, otherwise remain silent, but those accents will be superbly placed, and will enhance the whole effect of the program. He does what an accompanist is supposed to do: make everything else sound better!

I can't assess his technical ability; I am not qualified to do so. I couldn't follow Raja Rao's calculations, but I don't think that he held back any complexity. Gurprasad gave each answer with a smile of appreciation.

Raja Rao easily passed my test: whether one understands the calculations or not, is it still musical and good to listen to? Yes! His playing was extraordinary good to listen too

As to everything else, I can't add to Sivaramakrishnan's review. Ravikiran always, in my experience, delivers a first-class concert.

[mahavishnu]

Sivaramakrishnan & Nick: Thanks for your lovely report.
I can only imagine what a good harikambhoji main would have been like, and I am jealous. I have not heard someone elaborate "entarAni" since KVN and DKP passed on.

Given that you enjoyed the harikamboji so much, is there a reason for the sad face next to the main item in the song list?

Was the sruti set at the usual G#? This brings out the best in the original "organic" chitraveena, but not the appropriate sruti to get the best nadham out of the mridangam. When Ravikiran switches to the more low-profile (amplified) version of the instrument he switches to a C, and the mridangam nadham especially if the thoppi is tuned properly is out of the world when synced with the chitraveena. I can only imagine that the combination of Raja Rao and Guruprasad was excellent.

[CRama]

That must have been an exciting concert. Thanks for the review Sivaramakrishnan. Gowlipanthu and Harikambodi- Both alapanas not oft heard in concerts. Harikambodi as the main piece and when it came from Ravikiran, you cannot expect anything other than excellence. I think he has played on the original Gottuvadyam which always provides weighty music and enhances listening pleasure.

[srikant1987]

I have not heard someone elaborate "entarAni" since KVN and DKP passed on.

TNK plays it (RNS) now and then. I distinctly remember him playing it at the Adyar Anantapadmanabhaswamy temple last year. I've heard it another time, though I don't recall it. :$ Or maybe I'm just confusing the dinamaNi vaMsha he played at Sastri hall in Dec 2009 ...

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Mahavishnu ji, I swear don't know how the 'sad face' appeared near the 'main' in the song list posted by me! Is there any provision to sue the moderator??!!

Ji, I'd prefer to disagree with you on the naadam of G# mridanga. TKM, UKS , PRR , TVG and many others too have excelled accompanying artists in the 'H kattai' mridanga-s. Flute Mali invariably played at 5 kattai with stalwarts like PMI on the Mridanga. However it may be true that 'H' mridangas may not 'talk' as nicely as the low pitched ones!

Nick ji, as regards Ghata accompaniment, I would always watch if the artist has liberated himself from the mridanga 'kai' or 'bondage' while playing in concerts. (It is not their fault, for Ghatam artists begin percussion lessons with mridangam and then only take to Ghtam.)

[mahavishnu]

Sivaramakrishnan sir: Point taken about great mridangam artistes who make the instrument sound wonderful at high srutis.

The examples of high-pitched mridangams you mention are usually for accompanying lady vocalists or someone like Flute Mali; in TVG's case for accompanying a very young Sankaran Namboodiri. Few plucked string instrumentalists, with the exception of the chitraveena, use G# (maybe film/light music people like Rajhesh Vaidya do). It is not common for classical veena artistes to tune their instruments that high also. Presumably the tension is very high and strains the fingers?

Since Ravikiran uses two different srutis depending on the instrument he plays, I was just expressing a personal preference for the lower sruti since it matches the "talk" of the mridangam (borrow your phrase) well.

On another note, I really like the ambience at Hamsadwani. It is the swarm of mosquitoes there that detracts from the musical experience.

[Sreeni Rajarao]

Sivaramakrishnan sir: Point taken about great mridangam artistes who make the instrument sound wonderful at high srutis.

On another note, I really like the ambience at Hamsadwani. It is the swarm of mosquitoes there that detracts from the musical experience.

On my first glance, I read this as "swaram of mosquitoes ......................" !!!

[mahavishnu]

Sreeni, LOL. You can definitely hear a drone when they buzz very close to your ears
If it harmonized with the tampura shruti, it would be a perfect day!

[CRama]

Thodi Ata tala varnam is Kanakangi- Not Vanajakshi.Your memory is letting you down . And wrong smilies. Take more care Sivaramakrishnan

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Thanks CRama, I stand corrected on the Todi varnam.

Mahavishnu, The traditional Chitraveena -formerly called the Gottuvadyam (resembling the Veena but without the frets) is an embodiment of the swaraprapancha with its multiple main strings as well as the numerous strings (covering all the notes in the octave) arranged on the platform of the instrument for sympathetic vibrations. Only a bright- 'high' sruti will bring out the grandeur of the notes. As you have rightly noted a high pitched Veena is of course injurious to the fingers and moreover gamakamsbecome difficult due to the tension of the strings. In Chitraveena the use of the horn (a cylindrical piece of resistance free teflon - that's what ravikiran uses now) helps the artis to exploit the full scope of the naada that the strings could produce. At a lower Sruti (as you get in the slide guitar like modern chitraveena) the brightness of notes is minimal and the progress of the notes within an octave is not that smooth as in the traditional vadayam.
(I think I have explained a bit too much!)
And another practical, highly justifiable reason Ravikiran told me that a low pitch makes the instrument go well with other instruments especially in Jugalbandi-s. For pure carnatic music nothing like the old vadyam, and he uses the instrument in Chennai and nearby places considering easiness in transportation.

[mahavishnu]

Sivaramakrishnan sir: thank you for your detailed and very clear explanation.