Abhishek Raghuram Indian Fine Arts 22 December 2011

[mohan]

Abhishek Raghuram (Vocal)
Akkarai S. Subhalakshmi (Violin)
Patri Satishkumar (Mrdangam)

The Indian Fine Arts Society
Balamandir German Hall

Thursday 22nd Dec 7:00 PM

1. thodi, era napai, adi, Patnam Subramania Ayyar
2. chitta ranjani, nada tanumanisam, adi, Thyagaraja
3. mayamalavagowla, merusamana, adi. Thyagaraja (r,n)
4. manirangu, mamava pattabhirama, misra chapu, Mutuswami Dikshitar (r)
5. sourastram, chinta thirchuda, adi (s)
6. sankarabharanam, swara raga sudha, adi Thyagaraja (r,s,t)
7. bhagesri, govind miha gopika, khanda chapu, Purandaradasa (r)
8. enna paliso karunakara, megh (?)
9. mohanakalyani, tillana, adi, Lalgudi Jayaraman
10. ni nama rupamulaku, saurastram, adi, Thyagaraja

Wow. I am exhausted from listening. Will write more later!

[kamalamba]

Agreed, I am exhausted as well. Terrific concert by Abhishek. The team gelled extremely well together. In particular, I would go specifically to listen to Patri Satish Kumar.

Shankarabharanam lasted an eternity (in a positive way) and was exceptional. Varnam brilliant, Chittaranjani had shades of BMK. Manirangu very well presented.

If there was one negative for me, it was the tempo with which he handled Merusamana. Way too fast for my liking. The voice, its reach, brighas were all there in top shape when he sang this kriti, but IMHO it needs to sung much slower (as in versions of MDR, SSI, Neyveli,... )

I think this shankarabharanam will be talked about, just as much as the thodi at MA last year.

exceptional concert, makes me want to attend one more of Abhishek this season.

[mahesh3]

Shankarabharanam - Ovation after Ovation after Ovation filled with elation, a gleeful audience wanting to relentlessly clap but waiting in rapt interest and crazed hunger to listen what's next....Abhi, you go boy!

[mahesh3]

Enna Paliso is in raag Bhoopali.

[ram]

What a wonderful concert. I am totally at a loss of words to describe it. Haven't heard anything like this in ages! What a shankarabharanam! I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight!

What a great teamwork it was! Akkarai Subbulakshmi and Patri Satish Kumar accompanied so well. Patri Satish Kumar's energy levels and standard of playing never dropped even though he played for 5.5 hrs at a stretch (he accompanied Vid A. Kanyakumari in the concert before Abhishek's).

[mahavishnu]

wish I could have been there

[shripathi_g]

Is there a recording available? Please msg me if there's a recording.

[mri_fan]

The Abhishek-Patri combination is always magical. Not to take away from all the other fantastic mridangam players that accompany him, but the way they seem to egg each other on produces amazing music and seems to inspire both of them.

[mahavishnu]

Here's a clip (tOdi varnam) from this concert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvPX3kMzrOs
Watch Patri take off on the refrain of the charanam...

Truly magical combination as mri_fan noted. (Although I am just as fond of Abhishek performing with his cousin Ananthakrishnan or Neyveli Narayanan also).

[thathwamasi]

Wasnt Govindamiha in Bagesri a Narayana Thirthar composition? I have heard a soul stirring bhimplas version of the same by Hyd Brothers.

[mohan]

This was the first Abhishek Raghuram concert I attended. He started off with thodi varnam and followed up with nada tanumanisam. Then came the alapana in mayamalavagowla which didn't reach the depth I expected. Subhalakshmi didn't get a chance for a return as Abhishek commenced the kriti immediately. The pace of meru samana was probably a little fast for the kriti but it suited the action packed neraval that followed. He sang some interesting phrases using something like pdpm, srsn.

Manirangu was sweetly expanded but again the violinist didn't get an opportunity for a return as mamava pattabhirama started immediately. This was a classic rendition of the kriti that Dikshitar is supposed to have sung in front of Thyagaraja.

The first Kalpana swaram came as an appendage to saurastra but it seemed as though Abhishek's energy was being conserved for something else.

Then came the magical alapana in sankarabharanam. It started off in traditional manner but then just took off to another dimension. He produced some amazing long phrases that seemed like they would never end! Subhalakshmi's return was along classical lines and soaked in bhava.

Thyagaraja's masterpiece swara raga sudha was chosen. He completed the kriti then commenced kalpana swaram for the pallavi line. There were several porutam swarams such as g,m,p - r,g,m - swara raga sudha. What followed was a shower of scintillating swarams. He rounded off with a rhythmically complex korvai. All in all the sankabharanam was superb and as per the kriti, Abhishek clearly demonstrated that raga and swara is nectar of the Gods.

Patri Satishkumar, an extremely talented artist who had played for the previous concert as well, kept up the pace throughout the concert and the tani.

If you are after an energy-packed concert, Abhishek is the man for you. He only has a couple more concerts this season.