Abhishek Raghuram,RamaSevaMandali@FHS,26th April 2014

[arvenky]

Vid Abhishek Raghuram - Vocal
Vid B U Ganesh Prasad - Violin
Vid Anantha Krishna - Mridangam
Vid Guruprasanna - Khanjira

List of krithis (partial)
01.taruNi ninnu ? (Varnam) Kambodhi- didnt get this composition right
02.mundu vEnuka -Darbar-Thyagaraja
04.rA rA phaNi shayana -Harikambodhi -Thyagaraja (Short alapana,N,S)
05.endarO mahAnubhAvulu -Sri-Thyagaraja (A)
06.sattalEni dInamulu -Naganandini-Thyagaraja (Short alapana)
07.RTP - Todi ; Raga alapana (Vocal), Tanam (Violin) Ragamalika ; Natakurinji,Kalyani,Ananda bhairavi

Until Thodi RTP i felt that this is not Abhi's concert generally I come across. I felt that he is being caged or tied upon. There were only short alapanas and he was not happy with the acoustic. Was that only me feeling like that? The way he unleashed the Thodi alapana breaking the shackles as and there was no reprieve from there. Blissful 50+ minutes. Ganesh Prasad's Tanam was very special and complementing throughout the RTP Pallavi and Swaras.

Regret couldnt stay beyond RTP ( I missed the Thani too) it was already 9.15

Mandali has to do something serious about the acoustic part to get competent guys to handle. This is the second incident with feedback monitors issue after Malladi Brothers concert.

[mahavishnu]

Thank you, Arvenky. What a pity that they haven't been able to get the acoustics right in this series...

01.taruNi ninnu ? (Varnam) Kambodhi- didnt get this composition right

Yes, it is is taruNi ninnubAsi thAla lEdura. It is a composition of Fiddle Ponnuswamy and a very standard part of the varNam repertoire for most students. It is a beautiful varNam.

[rajeshnat]

07.RTP - Todi ; Raga alapana (Vocal), Tanam (Violin) Ragamalika ; Natakurinji,Kalyani,Ananda bhairavi

Until Thodi RTP i felt that this is not Abhi's concert generally I come across. I felt that he is being caged or tied upon. There were only short alapanas and he was not happy with the acoustic. Was that only me feeling like that? The way he unleashed the Thodi alapana breaking the shackles as and there was no reprieve from there. Blissful 50+ minutes. Ganesh Prasad's Tanam was very special and complementing throughout the RTP Pallavi and Swaras.

Regret couldnt stay beyond RTP ( I missed the Thani too) it was already 9.15

Mandali has to do something serious about the acoustic part to get competent guys to handle. This is the second incident with feedback monitors issue after Malladi Brothers concert.

arvenky
I am assuming you are not that old , common you can stay till 10 pm . Was 50 minutes for the vocal alapana and taanam or is it for the whole pallavi . Abhi and anantha are deadly combination, but acoustics do play a big part .

[Rsachi]

This is the Varnam by KSN:
http://youtu.be/6LtaOi5xwFc

[hnbhagavan]

My impression was different.The varnam was very nice - perhaps the wordings could not be comprehended easily.A very elaborate Sri raga alapana followed by Endaro Mahanubavulu was rendered.There were occassional flashes of MDR during alapana.
I consider the concert to be a good one right from the beginning .Acoustic problems are a regular feature.Prior to the arrival of artists on stage some preliminary checks should be carried out.

[badari]

i have learnt this varNa in my music class... and i was lipsyncing with him.. His diction was perfect.

The whole of this season is marred by poor (Skilled) acoustic technicians. Each of the concerts are not starting before 6.45 while the scheduled start is 6.30. In years before (2006 - 2013) where i have been regular visitior to this place, hardly few concerts started later than 6.35, and most of the concerts were on time !!

New technology sound engineering system must have eased the work, but the sound engineers do not seem to be doing homework while setting the stage ( 2 mics for mridanga was set up on right side,, while yesterday's artist was on the left side !!)

The years of experience has not reflected in improved effectiveness !!

[badari]

List of RTP and beyond...


07 RTP - tODi

rAga Alapane tODi - vocal , tAna - violin ( 30 mins)

pallavi tODi - dAsharathi payOnidhi inakula tilaka (25mins ?)

Adi 2 kaLai. . EDupu after 1 akshara

pallavi .nereval in tODi, nATakuranji, kalyANi, Anandabhairavi

Blended all three in quick mixture..

rAgamAlika tODi .. nATakuranji ...kalyANi. .. Anandabhairavi

Same mixture delivered once again. ... followed by a spirited tani ( 20+ mins)

08 kOluvai yunnADE kOdanDapANi dEvagAndhAri Adi tyAgarAja

09 rAma jOgi mandhu kAmAch Adhi bhardrAchala rAmadhAs

10 tava dasOham tava dasOham punnAgavarALi

11 ViTalA SalahO SwAmi dEsh p.dAsa

12 patiki hAratIrE sItApatiki hAratIrE suraTiAdi tyAgarAja

13 nI nAma rUpamulaku mangaLa sourAshtra Adhi thyAgarAja

[keerthi]

The version of this pallavi that I've heard from KVN et al, is 'dAsarathE karuNA-payOnidhE ina-kula-tilaka' with a 'pAhi' occasionally thrown in.

The pallavi must have drawn from Bhadradri rAmadAsu's dAsharathi shatakam, wherein each verse ends with the refrain 'dAsharathI karuNA-payOnidhE'

[eppramod]

Yes Keerthi I suppose Abhishek sang the pallavi which you have mentioned, I definitely heard "karuna-payonidhe".

[arasi]

Keerthi,
In all the kaNakku with the RTP, vazhakku (parlance--here, the words) are not given as much importance I suppose, by the singer or the listener

KaNakku vazhakku is an expression.

Of course, the pallavi line is a tough one. Even with the bhAvam-oriented singers it can get submerged in kaNakku because the very format demands calculations to be brought in. To sing a pallavi line with kuzhaivu is therefore not an easy task, I suppose.

[mahesh3]

His pronunciation was immaculate. The concert
was superb - Endharo was soft and enchanting, the
Thodi was his best-in-class. Thani by Anantha and Guru
was stirring. The connect with the audience was spot-on.

[Rsachi]

I heard reports that this concert was excellent.
Keerthi's quoting the line payOnidhE preceded by karuNA obviously makes sense as God is the ocean of compassion(=karuNA), not just a milk ocean! (=payOnidhi)

Shakespeare says "milk of human kindness"

[badari]

Thani by Anantha and Guru was stirring. The connect with the audience was spot-on.

A piece of this tani is uploaded by Abhishek on Soundcloud..

https://soundcloud.com/abhifan101/anantha

[rajeshnat]

The sound cloud of Anantha krishnan is just exceptional solkattu and there is so much of dexterity. Keep it up anantha. Last year vanimahal when anantha paired with Sundarkumar it was simply spectacular .Anantha wow, you are a treasure.

[Rsachi]

Recently I had a chance to sit a few feet away from Anantha in a house concert when he accompanied Abhishek. As I told him at the end, his mridangam play in songs and in tani, his anticipation, left and right sound quality, his modulation, his speed, his little pauses and frills during niraval, swaras etc. were a master class and as much an experience to cherish as a full concert by itself. He is simply priceless. God bless him!

[nadalahari]

Yes. I was present in the concert and it was superb ! Thodi was just out of the world !! Great concert