MALLADI BROTHERS AT VANI MAHAL ON 17/02

[CRama]

On the inaugural day of the Thyagaraja Aradhana, on 17 Feb, MALLADI BROTHERS presented the concert. They were accompanied by Shri.S.Varadarajan on the violin, Shri Patri Satheesh Kumar on the Mridangam and Shri.Palaghat Ramani on the Ghatam. The list of songs.

Vidulaku-Mayamalavagowla
Igakaavalasinademi manasa-Balahamsa
Naaradamuni-Panthuvarali
Naadaadina-Janaranjini
Anyaayamu seyakura-Kapi
Lokaavanachathura-Begada
AnthayuneeveHaripundareeka-Anandabhairavi-
Annamacharya
Pahi Raamachandra raaghava-Yadukulakambodi
Mangalam-Suruti

On the day of the concert, their Paramaguru Dr.Pinakapani was awarded the title Thyaga Brahma Nada Vibhushan which carried a citation and a cash award of Rs.1.5 lakh and a CD of their Guru Nedunuri was also released. Because of these functions, the concert was delayed and it started at 7.20 PM only. Vidulaku was prefixed by a shlokam in the same ragam. Balahamsa alapana by Ravikumar was very good lasting for 7 minutes. I am hearing the alapana of this ragam as well as this kriti for the first time. The kalpanaswaras rendered at the pallavi were very well coined and was pregnant with the raga bhavam. Panthuvarali alapana was done by Ravikumar in a sedate manner for about 10 minutes sans the aggressive approach adopted by most of the musicians with a view to create a viruviruppu. That is why mostly this ragam is taken as the first alapana in a concert. Ravikumar's alapana was in the pattern of Voleti but without the Hindusthani flourishes normally found in Voleti's Panthuvarali alapana. Neverthless, I immensely enjoy Voleti's alapana style also. But the kriti chosen viz, Naradamuni did not match the alapana style eventhough the kriti also was presented in a sedate manner. A bigger kriti like Sambho Mahadeva or Saramegani or Vadera deivamu
would have suited the expansive alapana. Neraval was done at Naarayana naamamulanu paraayana nonarinchuchu Naradamuni vedalina. Elaborate swaras in two kalams were presented.

This was followed by two fillers- Naadaadina and Anyaayamu seyakura. While hearing Naadaadina, any body will be reminded of the chaste rendition of the song by Musiri and his wonderful neraval at Thalaku vachina badha thalapakku sethu. After the song Shreeram Prasad also spoke about the rendition by Ariyakudi and Musiri which their Guru has always mentioned with awe. He told the meaning of the song also. Begada alapana was done by SRP and in the higher octaves, RK continued. The alapana was wholesome taking about 10 minutes. The song was Lokavanachathura and elaborate swaras rendered at the Pallavi. After the thani, they rendered one Annamacharya song in Anandabhairavi and again a masterpiece of Musiri, Pahi Ramachandraraghava was rendered excellently in the madhyama sruti as rendered by Musiri. The Mangalam was Maakula in Suruti.

The accompanists played their role very well. Varadarajan's violin was very melodic and his imagination also a match for the vocalists. His solo alapanas and replies were of high standard. Patri Satishkumar embellished the songs with his playing and played with good anticipation. His playing lifted the concert to a high level. The thani was for 6 minutes only- but short and sweet with good support from the Ghatam vidwan. The concert ended by about 9.20 PM. A very good concert.

[bilahari]

It's great to see the brothers elaborating balahamsa. I have always loved their ika gAvalasina [YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DghH7RLl2cY ].

I love Musiri's music but have never heard his janaranjani. There are so few recordings of his available.

Thank you for the report, CRama.

[CRama]

IIRC, Nadadina by Musiri is commercially available. It is an AIR concert with Lalgudi and Trichy Sankaran

[varsha]

I love Musiri's music but have never heard his janaranjani. There are so few recordings of his available.

our generation is a blessed one , indeed.
http://www.mediafire.com/?i9w6rgic023ye5y

[MV]

Thanks Varsha. That was brilliant.

[grsastrigal]

Good to see cRama's review, as I was about to give mine.

We have discussed at length in this forum about starting the concert late. This programme was completely unorganised way of starting the concert at 7.20 PM. Everyone talked at will from Shri PSN, Shri SVK, Dr.Pinakapani's son, Suri Babu and not but not the least Sruti foundation- lady who was releasing the CD through Shri. PSN. (Interetingly, that lady started like this "I am not here to talk" and clontinued for 15 min. 2 Hour concert is unfair for rasikAs.

Shri SVK praised about Dr.PinakapAni's "byAgada"- lOkAvana chaturA- rendition long back. So MB took this kriti as main. BegadA and return by VaradharAjan for begadA was very good.

[rajeshnat]

MallAdi Brothers@VanimahAl on Feb 17th,2012
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I was also there for the concert . The slokham that the brothers sang before the T krithi was vyAsO naigamacharchayA and it was excellent.

Overall the concert was kind of mixed bag for me. The expectations to see patri in action along with SV Ramani (not palghat ramani) with varadu was perhaps a near dream accompanist team.

The brothers have a chaste style of rendering in krithis and with most of them in T it was a very nice concert centered on sAhithya anubhavam . While MM gowlai and balahamsa was really well done , the janaranjani was just passable , when patri was on a roll a few swara prasthana would have been more suited to my expectation. The kApi also was just a krithi though they sang very well a touch of swaras or neraval would have delighted me more

The bEgaDa alApana and the krithi just did not get me that intense satisfying experience , the second half of swaras especially by Sriram was very good. They could have gone bit more to really showcase patri -ramani . I think the last annamAcharya had some lines likes "anta .... chentalAgu ...shree rAmA"

Accompanist team:
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They were exceptional , varadu had so much sowkhyam and his alapana returns were wonderful. Patri and SV Ramani teamed up beautifully for songs . It was just that I felt overall mallAdi's could have sung more to exhibit the accompanist more in action , especially patri.Patri's tani was short but the way he played for every song was a showcase of how much PAtri can lift any concert to excellence , he is another worldly mrudangam artist.

Few things I did not like
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The start was late by 45 mins , it helped me as I was 20 mins late , but as GRS said the speech draggged and ate the concert. GRS the lady who spoke was from swati soft solutions not shruthi .There was just one neraval in the submain. The mallAdi brothers could have gone for half an hour more .It was a big hall with the best team, but they choosed to end it bit sooner . I left half way during anandabhairavi.

Usually both brothers generally sing near equal , but Ravi was not that opening out , he was singing bit constrained and less open throated. Sriram was excellent with his voice resembling his guru. The accompanist could have been more showcased, but that was not the case.

Overall a good to very good concert for nearly 2 hours.

[CRama]

Rajesh, you are too greedy. All the songs you can not have neraval and swaram whoever may be the accompanists. Anyayamu seyakura- is sung by their Guru also sans any swram. Even Vidulaku, they did not sing swarams -which should have given a good opening. Then SRP - whether he had any voice problem, (nothing evident) he did not sing the slokam in the upper ocataves and also he left the higher opctaves in Begada also to RK. But RK was really good. and the Begada gave a fulfilling experience (to me). The lack of neraval should have bothered you. May be because of lack of time.

[ganeshkant]

By and large the concert was quite enjoyable.The enjoyment doubled with the company of Crama who seems to be a treasure house of information.I think the presentation of PantuvarAli and bEgada were v.g.The janaranjani and kApi kritis that I am hearing for the first time were excellent.

[sridhar_ranga]

Rajesh, you are too greedy. All the songs you can not have neraval and swaram whoever may be the accompanists. Anyayamu seyakura- is sung by their Guru also sans any swram...

anyAyamu sEyakurA, RajeshA rAjEshA, mAkanyAyamu sEyakurA
anni kritulaku swaramulu kAvAlani aDigi anyAyamu sEyakurA !!! ]

[ganeshkant]

anni kritulaku swaramulu kAvAlani aDigi anyAyamu sEyakurA !!!

anni kritulaku svaramulu kAvalantE mana 'NSG' gAru unnarE