Ranjani-Gayatri at Rama Lalita Kala Mandira, Bengaluru

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bengalururasika
Posts: 4
Joined: 16 Feb 2012, 09:58

Ranjani-Gayatri at Rama Lalita Kala Mandira, Bengaluru

Post by bengalururasika »

Smt. Ranjani and Smt. Gayatri - Vocal
Smt. Charumati Raghuraman - Violin
Sri Manoj Siva - Mridangam
Sri GS Ramanujan - Ghatam

1) Varnam - Ento Premato (Surutti - Adi - Tiruvattiyoor Tyagayya)
2) Girija Ramana (Gambhiranattai - Adi - Mysore Vasudevacharya) - (S)
3) Ardhanareeshwaram (Kumudakriya - Rupakam - Muthuswamy Dikshitar)
4) Kamalaptakula (Brindavana Saranga - Adi - Tyagaraja) - (RNS)
5) Echara (Mukhari - Mishra Chapu - Purandaradasa)
6) Manasu Vishaya (Nattaikurinji - Adi - Tyagaraja) (RNST)
7) Neekelana (Devamanohari - Adi - Pooci Srinivasa Iyengar)
8) Chatur-raga RTP (RTP in four ragams - Kalyani, Valaji, Dhanyasi, Revati - Khanda Jati Matya Talam)
Pallavi: nityakaLyANi sharvANI kAtyAyinI, pAlayamAm chaturvEda swarUpiNI
9) Naneke (Behag - Khanda Chapu - Purandaradasa)
10) Abhang (Mishra Malkauns - Ektaal - Sant Tukaram)

This has been one of the most fabulous concerts I have ever attended!
Each and every single piece was rendered with utmost perfection. Manasuvishaya, a song we don't hear too much nowadays, was the main piece of the concert. Special mention to the beautiful greha-bedham done during the alapana and swarams from nAttaikurinji to nIlAmbari. I have heard many artists attempt greha-bedham recently and have found that either the melody aspect is missing or the authentic facets of the ragam being explored are missing; sometimes even both. I feel Ranjani and Gayatri are one of the very few scholarly musicians who are able to bring out both when indulging in this.
While I talk about the highlights of the concert, I must mention the brilliance of the RTP they decided to sing.
RG provided Bengaluru with a treat with this ragam-tanam-pallavi in four ragams: kaLyANI, valajI, dhanyAsI, and rEvatI. I doubt any musician can sing a four-raga pallavi as effortlessly as they did. Each ragam was rendered flawlessly; the tAnam was exceptionally beautiful with both of them switching through ragams within seconds. In addition to the complexity of the pallavi being in four ragams, Ranjani and Gayatri chose to craft the pallavi in a complicated tALam as well. The transition from one ragam to another during the neraval was astounding. Korraippu was done with absolute command and expertise.

All in all, an absolutely remarkable concert by Smt. Ranjani and Smt. Gayatri. I must add here that their accompanists, Smt. Charumati Raghuram on the violin, Sri Manoj Siva on the mridangam and Sri GS Ramanujan on the ghatam were instrumental in making this concert a grand success. I particularly enjoyed Charumati’s melodious raga renditions and Manoj’s clear nadam.

What was my pick of the concert? Right from song # 1 all the way to # 10!

BengaluruRasika.

rajeshnat
Posts: 9907
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Ranjani-Gayatri at Rama Lalita Kala Mandira, Bengaluru

Post by rajeshnat »

Wow
Would like to hear that chatur -raga RTP. Apart from Ariyakudi-KVN popularized pallavi , this must be the fourth , second by maharajapuram ramachandran (saveri balanai.. mohana.. todi..???) third one that was sung by manda sudharani(forgot those lines , the review is here...).
Keep it going today's musicians :clap:

rajeshnat
Posts: 9907
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Ranjani-Gayatri at Rama Lalita Kala Mandira, Bengaluru

Post by rajeshnat »

bengalururasika wrote: 8) Chatur-raga RTP (RTP in four ragams - Kalyani, Valaji, Dhanyasi, Revati - Khanda Jati Matya Talam)
Pallavi: nityakaLyANi sharvANI kAtyAyinI, pAlayamAm chaturvEda swarUpiNI
....
The transition from one ragam to another during the neraval was astounding.



BengaluruRasika,
Just curious on the neraval line of the pallavi - , Was the neraval sung in entirety where each rAgA was rotated one after another, or were phrases of pallavi had all 4 ragas where in one go all the 4 ragas sung like say in nityakalyAni (in kalyANi), sharvANi kAtyAyini (in valachi), palayamAm(in dhanyAsi)and say chaturveda swarUPini (in revati)

Sindhuja
Posts: 162
Joined: 31 Mar 2010, 11:11

Re: Ranjani-Gayatri at Rama Lalita Kala Mandira, Bengaluru

Post by Sindhuja »

Sounds fabulous. Could you explain what was "mishra" about "mishra malkauns"? What anya swaras did it have?

srikant1987
Posts: 2246
Joined: 10 Jun 2007, 12:23

Re: Ranjani-Gayatri at Rama Lalita Kala Mandira, Bengaluru

Post by srikant1987 »

Attended the AIR programme on the other side of the road. Would have liked to hear manasu viShayanaTa main. I love the krti (for the music). Rare to hear a nATTaikurinji krti mained -- pallavis in it are somewhat commoner.

srikant1987
Posts: 2246
Joined: 10 Jun 2007, 12:23

Re: Ranjani-Gayatri at Rama Lalita Kala Mandira, Bengaluru

Post by srikant1987 »

either the melody aspect is missing or the authentic facets of the ragam being explored are missing;
Erm, what does that mean? If you stick to the authentic facets of the rAgam, you will be making good melody.

bengalururasika
Posts: 4
Joined: 16 Feb 2012, 09:58

Re: Ranjani-Gayatri at Rama Lalita Kala Mandira, Bengaluru

Post by bengalururasika »

srikant1987 wrote: Erm, what does that mean? If you stick to the authentic facets of the rAgam, you will be making good melody.
What i meant to say was that many artists do greha-bedham in a swaram-oriented fashion which sounds highly technical. Ranjani and Gayatri are able to do it in a phrase-oriented fashion, which therefore brings out the best in both ragams and sounds much more melodious.

srikant1987
Posts: 2246
Joined: 10 Jun 2007, 12:23

Re: Ranjani-Gayatri at Rama Lalita Kala Mandira, Bengaluru

Post by srikant1987 »

bengalururasika,

That happens to be a characteristic of nATTaikurinji and nIlAmbari: mgs of nATTaikurinji blends with snp of nIlAmbari, and ndm with mgs and so on.

While many people see kaNNAmUcci yEnaDa of the movie kaNDukoNDEn kaNDukoNDEn as nATTaikurinji-like, but to me it seems more kEdAram/nIlAmbari-like.

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