Mysore Brothers, Vani Kala Kendra,Bangalore, Apr 21, 2013

[prahalad_rag]

Mysore M. Nagaraj and Mysore Dr.M. Manjunath - Violin Duo
Arjun Kumar - Mridanga
Giridhar Udupa - Ghata
Pramath Kiran - Morsing/Octopad

Rama bhakti samrajya - Shuddha Bangala
Raghunayaka - Hamsadhwani (OS)
Nada tanumanisham - Chittaranjani
Devadideva - Sunada vinodini (ANS)
Bhogeendra shayinam - Kuntalavarali (O)
Ninnuvina - Navarasa kannada (O)
Marugelara - Jayanthashri (O)
Etavunnara - Kalyani (AST)
Pibare ramarasam - Ahir bhairav (O)
Ram ratan dhan payo - ?
??Pahi pahi gajanana?? - Sindhu bhairavi - (A,S)
Pavamana - Sowrashtra

Standard fare by the brothers. Before the concert, I told my sister that I will be disappointed if they pick Kalyani for main. And guess what?? *sigh*. The alapana was quite good though. Some interesting passages held my attention for longer than most other Kalyani alapanas. Nice transaction of swaras between violin and percussion was the highlight. Although the excitement got the better of Arjun and he beat the hell out of the poor instrument. Not sure if it was the amplification though, but on some occasions I could hardly hear the violin.
Good concert overall. Evening well spent.

[Rsachi]

Prahlad,
I have noticed in a few recent concerts that ArjunnKumar tends to be quite loud, and it gets louder as the concert progresses.

[arasi]

How I love the sound of their violins! Yet...
By looking at the list...
Considering that we are in the year 2013...
The concert would have appealed to me a great deal only from the detailed kalyANi onwards--their bhAvA-filled playing coming to the fore with the main and pAyOji maine rAm ratan dhan pAyO(?)and the Sindhubhairavi PD's (?) song...

Unless the very talented but of late loud--as Sachi points out--speedy Gonzales Arjun Kumar set the pace, leading it all to a fusion frenzy...

[arasi]

A fellow forumite has sent a mail asking why only from kalyANi. May be I didn't make myself clear. Some years ago, I would have loved everything that Nagaraj and Manjunath played from the very first number in their concerts.

In this concert too, I like their choice of songs and rAgAs very much. What I meant to say was that they are all susceptible to the 'speed factor. Arjun Kumar's vEga dAham (thirst for speed) would have accelerated it all, is my guess. That's why I landed on kalyANi. Prejudiced I am, perhaps. I'm sure many folks like fast playing in concerts. It's therefore just a matter of taste. That's all.

It has nothing to do with the gift that both brothers possess to a large measure, which I'm an admirer of.

Arjun Kumar again, is very talented. If only he had an idea about speed bumps and noise

I have to add that I try not to miss the concerts of the brothers when they accompany in a vocal concert

[AchyuthaRao]

TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PUBLICLY MADE THEIR COMMENTS ON RENOWNED ARTISTS LIKE NAGARAJ/MANJUNATH AND ARJUNKUMAR SIR:

It is actually so easy to comment about such great artists..but not so easy to even inculcate 10% of their vidwat...
such a nasty thing to comment about such stalwarts of the state, extraordinary acheivers in only a few words of useless thinking..

[sreebeecane]

Alright Mr. Rao.

Anyone reviewing the concert intends no ill to any artiste. I am sure most people on this forum have the highest form of respect for most of the artistes. One reviews the concerts to identify the nicer points and the not-so-nicer aspects as good rasikas and nothing else. There is nothing wrong about a comment that indicated that Arjun Kumar is loud.

So, please spare the bold letters and go take a nice walk around Sankey Tank.

[arasi]

Welcome to the forum, Achyutha Rao.

Since you are new here, you haven't had the time to browse through hundreds of other reviews. Once you do that (even glance through a dozen), you will see what sreebeecane is saying here.

It's natural for rasikAs to feel happy when they see a favorable review of their favorites, and feel not so good when there are a few criticisms about them. Understood.

One thing you can be sure about is that we all love good music here, however different our tastes may be . When slurring of an artiste happens here, many rasikAs are on their toes, hurry and try to put an end to it without getting emotional about it.

That didn't happen at all with this review because I don't think it is possible to question the talent and mastery that we find in Nagaraj and Manjunath. No one bashed their playing. Just because someone says that your'e driving your car too fast doesn't mean that the implication is that you don't know how to drive!

The brothers have been my favorites for countless years. I think highly of them. It's like mother's cooking. One thinks she's the best cook in the world, and one day, the sAru is too salty, and we do point it out to her, don't we? That doesn't take away the merits of her cooking, or our highly held opinion about her excellence in any way, does it?

[prahalad_rag]

Thank you sreebeecane and arasi madam for the replies. As rightly pointed by you both, I did not mean to belittle the virtuosity of Mysore brothers. They are one of my favorite performers and I have utmost respect for them.

[arasi]

Prahlad,

It was nice of you to bring us the song list and comment on the concert.
Our responses were not for your post...