Smt.Nityashree Mahadevan @Fort High School, B'lore,on 4/4/11

[squims]

Vocal: Smt. Nityashree Mahadevan
Violin: Sri. M A Krishnaswamy
Mridangam: Sri. D K Sivakumar
Ghatam: Sri Srisailam Rao

1. Intha modi(Varnam) - Saaranga - Adi - Thiruvottiyur Thyagaiyer
2. Evarani - Devaamruthavarshini - Adi - Tyagaraja
3. Paahimaam Sri [S] - Naatta - Rupakam - Syama Sastry
4. Paalisamma muddhu shaaradhe [R S]- Sriranjani - Adi(Tisram) - Purandaradasa
5. Viruttam - Mohanam, followed by, Soundarya vellam - Mohanam - Adi - Papanasam Sivan
6. Mangala Gourim - Karnaataka Suddha Saaveri - Adi - Sri Yagnesa Maharishi
7. Veera Hanumathi - Kaanada - Rupakam - Muthuswamy Dikshitar
8. Nidhi chaala sukhama [R N S T] - Kalyani - Mishra Chapu - Tyagaraja
Neraval and swarams @ mamata bandhana yuta narastuti sukhamA
9. Anaathudanugaanu - Jingala - Adi - Tyagaraja
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.
.
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I do not remember many details about each piece because it happened two days ago, so I shall just report my general opinion about this concert.

Not one of Nityashree's better days (this has nothing to do with Kalyani being the main piece ). She opened the Ramanavami concerts at Fort High School, and frankly I was a bit disappointed. Right from the beginning something felt off. I was hoping she would warm up, but it didn't really happen. I am not able to pin point something in particular as the problem. It's a very abstract thing. The music can be technically sound, yet hollow to you at times. That's how I felt during this concert.
The only thing I remember being impressed by were the swarams in Sriranjani. She kept switching between chatushram and tishram during the swarakalpana which yielded some good results.
I have nothing to say about the Kalyani.
I left after the piece in Jingala(have never heard that one before). I think there was a Sindhu Bhairavi piece which started as I was leaving.

On the accompanists:
M A Krishnaswamy was actually very good on the violin.
And call me what you will, but I felt D K Sivakumar sir's mridangam playing was just not pleasing. His performance felt uneven and I was frankly bored by the overlong tani that didn't really warrant its length.
The upapakkavadyam can only do so much. I guess Srisailam was adequate.

Overall, it was a strictly OK concert. I know this sounds really harsh, but when music doesn't touch you, it just doesn't. End of story.

[revanthv552]

The Karnataka Sudhdha saveri piece is by Sri Yagnesa Maharishi
Last November, she sang in Hyderabad, and I did notice the lack of something as you said. Dunno what it was! But I felt the same!
I still remember a few of her concerts, here in Hyderabad which were just so amazing! I'd be happy if someone completed to song list after the Jingala piece . Was there an RTP?

[squims]

Thanks for the info revanth.
Yes, I have attended some stellar concerts of hers as well. I reviewed her concert at Unnati center at Bangalore last year during Gokulashtami celebrations, which featured a lovely Madhyamaavathi and an even better Shanmukhapriya RTP, with a dwi-nadai pallavi. That one is still fresh in my mind.
And there's no chance there was an RTP. I would have stayed if there was. It was very late by this point. The tukkudas had started. I'm sure there were only one or two compositions sung after this.

[gee]

lol squims, i don't know why, but i'm really not a huge fan of kalyani either. it kills my mood

[mahanara]

Exactly how I felt listening to her concert - something was terribly missing. I think she was lacking control which she usually has. One of the concerts of Nithyashree I attended about 7 years back live ( yes, that was a long time ago) was mind blowing. The sangathis, brigas, shruthi alignment, bhaavam everything was in place. I attended one in Gayana Samaj last year and there was a clear degradation in the performance. This concert was even worse. I even noticed a few slippages and both Sriranjani and Kalyani were very ordinary. She is capable of doing better.

[squims]

lol squims, i don't know why, but i'm really not a huge fan of kalyani either. it kills my mood

It's a mood killer alright! It just turns me off completely from a concert! It's weird because I absolutely adore Shankarabharanam. But Kalyani is a strict no no!

[gardabha_gana]

I differ I think Kalyani is an awesome ragam. You should listen to Vid. Vedavalli sing Kalyani at the academy last season Or you can get kalyanis' of MLV, GNB etc and am sure you will rethink.

Few observations from Vid. Nityashree's concert
* There was only one Nerval
* There were only 2 alapanas
* Too many short pieces - that said - the short ones were uncommon ones which was welcome
* Vid. Nityashree sounded very genuine when she repeatedly wished the program (being an opener) success and thanked the audience etc
* Smt. Sudha Murthy's opening speech needs to be recorded and played to all the folks who want to give big sermons in concerts. "Adade maduvanu uttamanu, adi maduvanu madhyamanu, adi madadhiruvanu adhamanu" that summed up. I bow to her!
* The sound was too LOUD. Given vid.'s high pitch, they should have adjusted the sound system

I will fill up the remaining pieces (notes are at home)

BTW - squims, what is kalyani's relationship with s'bharanam. Though they differ in the M scalewise - they are very different in every sense. Enlighten me!

[squims]

They are very different. I actually said it to show that the even though they have only the Ma different in their scales, they are such different raagams.
The 'weird' referred to how raagas can differ so much in feel even though in theory they only have one note different.

[revanthv552]

Few observations from Vid. Nityashree's concert
* There was only one Nerval
* There were only 2 alapanas
* Too many short pieces - that said - the short ones were uncommon ones which was welcome

gardabha_gana, from my observation, nithyasree's concerts are always like this. There are two alapanas,one neraval and at times Ragam thanam Pallavi. There are many short pieces. I also observed that, she sings an elaborate slokam/viruththam for one of the songs between the submain and main.

[revanthv552]

Thanks for the info revanth.
Yes, I have attended some stellar concerts of hers as well. I reviewed her concert at Unnati center at Bangalore last year during Gokulashtami celebrations, which featured a lovely Madhyamaavathi and an even better Shanmukhapriya RTP, with a dwi-nadai pallavi. That one is still fresh in my mind.
And there's no chance there was an RTP. I would have stayed if there was. It was very late by this point. The tukkudas had started. I'm sure there were only one or two compositions sung after this.

Oh, looking at the Jingala piece, I thought there could have been an RTP, thought Jingala was a filler. Anyway, It would be nice if RTPs are sung more often by her. She does amazing justice to raagams. I got to listen to a few of her RTPs. I really enjoyed them.
And yeah, even I agree with you about the Madhyamavathi. She does amazing justice to that raagam.

[annamalai]

did listen to the concert briefly - RTP or sans RTP, or Madhyamathi, I think there was no hope in my view. I can not imagine DKP or DKJ would sing a watered-down SreeRanjani without any punch like this - SareEvare Sree Janaki or Sree Dum Durge ... Just listened to DKJ's video of Sree Raghuvara - what a punch in singing. Being from a such a great lineage there are high expectations of Nithya , and as of now, it is not even close ...

Perhaps, like Zaheer Khan who was pummeled by Ponting in 2003 WC and currently is the star bowler in 2011 WC, perhaps, I presume no one can be ruled out !!

[ragh_avan]

kalyani takes a different breed of singers to elaborate; in the current breed of singers I feel other than Sudha Raghunathan everyone else sucks in kalyani. Maybe because they get stuck with the same gamakams. Kalyani allows any swara to be paired with any other swara; hence the permutations are huge. Exploring this raga becomes a thrill; love this raga from the GNB school (GNB, MLV and Sudha) and BMK.

[pvs]

Totally agree about the GNB school's stamp on Kalyani. Trichur Ramachandran's kalyani paired with his majestic voice is very enjoyable.

[matterwaves]

I always thought i was the only one who didn't like a ghana raga like kalyani but i find a few here . I have heard all the different schools of kalyani, but the only kalyanis that i recall are Raghavachari's(hyderabad bros) soothing rendition preceding Pankaja Locahana and Madurai Somu's Shive Pahimam. I somehow find yaman enchanting. cant understand why!

[squims]

I somehow find yaman enchanting. cant understand why!

Welcome to the club!