Abhishek Raghuram@MusicAcademy on Dec 30th,2014

[rajeshnat]

Abhishek Raghuram@MusicAcademy on Dec 30th,2014
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Vocal : Abhishek Raghuram
Violin : Mysore Shrikant
Mrudangam : Anantha R Krishnan
Kanjira : BS SUndar Kumar

Concert Type : Nirvana - no concert to follow
Day/Duration : Tuesday/ 2 hours and 30 minutes
Concert Type/Crowd : Ticketed concert - ~ 900(90 to 95% hall full) in first floor ,ground floor no idea
Sabha / Hall : Music Academy /TTK Hall

01.vidulaku mrokkEda (R N S) - mAyAmAlavagowlai - T
4 mins alapana with no violin return
neraval in kamalA gowri vAgheshwari for 10 mins
11 mins swaras

02A. shree rAmachandrO (R N S T) - shree ranjani - MD
10 mins alapana and 6 mins violin return
neraval of 5 mins in varadA gajO kowshika yagarakshaka???
and 8 mins swaras
02B. mishra chaapu tani for 19 mins

03. eesha pahimAm -kalyani - T
04. vara nArada - vijayasri - T

It was almost 3 in a row for me at academy in the last week , driven by music and only music. Abhishek paired with his cousin anantha along with shrikanth in violin and another rolling sundarkumar . They all produced a great musical fare for 150 minutes

I personally like musicians showing a distinct guru vandanam to represent the school atleast for significant time in their concert .Abhishek indeed did it to his paramaguru semmangudi for the first two numbers for sure. He started with a lovely muse in mAya malava glow wah , I love his mmg in general . As he was jumpstarting with emote in mmg alapana , i was thinking will he go for merusamana , he kind of surprised with vrudulaku , his voice did not have any over drive sangathi and he came up with lovely neraval and swaras , kutcheri kalaikattufied there with his cousin rolling superbly.

THe next was shree ranjani , it is a tricky raga one can get foxed with AhBhogi , I was very glad from alapana I thought it was 100% shree ranjani , i did not go thru the motion of waiting for some time to negate abhogi . His alapana was typecast wonderfully with his paramaguru semmangudi in full view. Sanjay took the same MD krithi few days back and abhishek took it bit higher than sanjay , his packaging in neraval and swaras was superb, particularly the return volley of laya patterns by sundar and anantha were superb fireworks . Tani was strategically taken as an early break.

My mind raced with all my logic there . I was thinking no prathi raga so he is heading for either kalyani or shanmughapriya as a pallavi , i was mentally thinking possibly shanmughapriya can get too loud considering there was lot of intensity with shree ranjani and I was mentally not prepared to hear another shree ranjani main - kalyani RTP combo like sanjay.

[rajeshnat]

05 RTP in nAttaikurinji in Adi thalam
16 mins alapana and 8 mins taanam , taanam done by violinist only.
15 mins pallavi neraval ragamaliga and swara ragamaliga

He did a pallavi ragamaliga and swara ragamaliga in nattaikurinji + lalita + anandabhairavi + varAli+ behAg + todi?? + maand??
pallavi line was sAMa gAna lOlE saraswathi nOmustutE
50 mins RTP

06. khelathi pannetha bhagavan ???(R)- sindhu bhairavi - sadashiva brahmendra???
2 mins alapana
07. nee nama roopamulaku

Abhishek read my mind. He went with a quick kalyani filler krithi which made a prathi raga tick mark , the rare eesa pahimam was just good and he started with anupallavi . THen a super speed vara narada came up with no swaras but the speed of krithi with that fast roll of anantha was superb.

I wanted a more serene raga was my thinking then prior to pallavi .abhi was right there with my mind with his nattaikurinji pallavi . I have heard him more dwelling with raga alapana for RTP , this was absolutely right for me in alapana , nattaikurinji was again shown with no hidden hues but they were showcased as garden of flowers in ooty botanical garden . His alapana was superb and he outsourced the taanam to violinist .

I think the pallavi ragamaliga was in the above ragas with lot of sa ga pattern (sa ga not sag) and I think i got all the ragas the one maand?? and one todi?? was doubtful. The swaras were not that long for any of the ragas but aesthetics was showcased in limited swara portion, abhishek cuts significantly swaras in RTP and that is possibly his evolving style. Some time in pallavi neraval and swara when he sang nattaikurinji my ears did not hear that concentrated raga bhavam of nattaikurinji - he was bit over drive there but that is abhishek , I give every musician an ounce of double fault errors. The last sindhu bhairavi was very good .

THe violinist shrikanth did not play that well considering that you need melody in violin , there were few rough edges in mmg and also in taanam. THe percussion team was superb, anantha rolling with that speed and I may have been a minority to seek live concert for anantha as much as abhishek , this percussion mrudangam brother is just superb. THe pattern that sundar kumar played were wonderful and they gave a high octane and lovely tani.

If there are few things that i did not like:
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# taanam must be taken by vocalist after such a lovely ragam giving taanam to violin is so disappointing . i want to hear vocalist singing taanam

# Few rough edges in violinist play , i felt shrikant is kind of comparable to say a violinist like s varadarajan in restraining and no interference policy during vocal rendition , but he can have more melody.

I think Abhishek crowd pulling capacity is more than any one for me . I dont know how BJ , Aruna , RG sisters fared in academy. I heard menon, suryaprakash and sanjay. I think ahishek is surely beating sanjay for his sheer count and more importantly where people stay till mangalam . There is just less than 10% attrition in first floor for abhishek in evening II concert in academy, this is surely a great achievement . Drawing crowd in evening II is one thing, but retaining crowd in Evening II is another greater thing.

On a sidenote , i just referred my notes this year for 2014.I have heard this year the first or second highest count of Concerts for abhishek this year , his music is certainly very unique with his intensity .He gives so much sangathis pushing the envelope of CM further more .

Overall an excellent concert for 2 and 1/2 hours.

[VijayR]

# Few rough edges in violinist play

THe violinist shrikanth did not play that well considering that you need melody in violin , there were few rough edges in mmg and also in taanam.

I am sorry, but I completely disagree with this assessment. I was seated on stage and heard/observed Srikant's playing very well. There was absolutely nothing lacking, as far as melody goes, in his play yesterday. He produced quite a bit of magic during his returns.

Song 06 was "khElati piNDANDE".

[sankark]

nereval for sriranjani was on "bharathAkrajO kausika yAga rakshaka tAtakAntaka".

[Madras Talkies]

I totally agree with VijayR. Mysore Srikanth was terrific. His Nattaikurinji tanam was simply mind blowing. Tanam was dam mellifluous... azhutham n Bhavam was felt because of Srikanth's rendition.

Abhishek is a genius.His mayamalavagowlai swarams and sriranjani swarams were good. His capability to produce different patterns of swaram stuns me.. That style also reminds me of Balamuralikrishna Garu. Hats off to Abhishek.

Howeever it sounded mesmerising, It did not musically stimulate my thought process. Excessive brigas while delivering ragam, tanam and Swaram sounds repititive. He was 'brigaging aka singing ' for more than 2 mins @ ma Ma ga MA ma ga sa. Which was unnecessary a recording to me.

Note: undoubtedly, this guy is a genuis. Not at all questioning his vidhwath. I wish he mellows down the brigas.

[sankark]

I think Abhishek's music is an acquired taste.

[HarishankarK]

I think Abhishek's music is an acquired taste.

Yes, am acquiring it gradually. I don't know whether Abhishek is great or not but he is definitely better than Sanjay, for me.
Sanjay's voice is not effective, you know a roubust, ganeer is the tamil word voice - Sanjay does not have such a voice - a voice like Dr R Ganesh or Suryprakash or TVS etc - whereas Abhishek's voice is better than Sanjay. And i find all the new krithis that Sanjay introduces is more boring than interesting.

[hnbhagavan]

Looks to be an unjust comparison of Sanjay with abhishek.Sanjay has matured into a professional.By voice alone one cannot judge musicians.then only Balamurali and Jesudoss will be left in the carnatic scene.surya prakash and TVS voice cannot be compared.Surya prakash cannot produce the high pitch his guru produces.But it does not mean that Surya Prakash is not good.He is good by his own vidwath.

[grsastrigal]

There is no need to compare Sanjay and Abhishek. Both have different voice culture. The only similariy is their energy. I wrote before also, These two carry the concert more than 3 hours with the same energy.

Yesterday, I listened to Sanjay at Partha sarathy sabha. His Shanmugapriya main was too good. But his voice was so tired though he still maintained almost 3 hours. His sAlaka bairavi RTP was not upto my expectation. May be the type of this rAgA does not qualify for elaboration.

I also attended Abhishek Raguram in NGS last week. He mutilated the beautiful "bAla gOpAla" by inserting "unwanted" brigAs.

Both are bad and good in some aspects. Compare Abhishek with Trichur Brothers (both are brilliant). Sanjay has got unique voice and has found a place in CM world which nobody could. AbhishEk is godsend brilliant. Sanjay is man-made brilliant.

[satyabalu]

Neraval in Sriranjani very much moving.Also brought out lyrical beaty of Dikshidhar esp., Caranam words.I observed Sruti box in the platform! Is he a bridge between generations..?He may moderate on too much of sabhash and balle!
Some longtime listeners have felt having used to identify the raga once the outline is heard they are now not able to spot the Raga at the first instance....with his method of raga presentation.

[kunthalavarali]

"Some longtime listeners have felt having used to identify the raga once the outline is heard they are now not able to spot the Raga at the first instance"
Like me getting old!!!

[Sivaramakrishnan]

05 RTP in nAttaikurinji in Adi thalam
16 mins alapana and 8 mins taanam , taanam done by violinist only.
15 mins pallavi neraval ragamaliga and swara ragamaliga

Taanam only in violin perhaps for time saving and not 'TMKing'!!

(I couldn't attend the concert)

[mahavishnu]

Having the violinist do the tanam is something that Abhishek has been doing for quite some time in concerts where there is a significant time constraint. I also heard that Srikant's tanam in Nattaikurinji was quite amazing!

[SrinathK]

I was there at the NGS concert. Perpetual explosion from start to finish. However a few points from what my experience of the day was :

1) Everything brigha kind of blurs the line between neraval and sangathi. I'm saying that due to my experience with disciplined renditions of the compositional part.
2) From the stage, some of the clarity of the brighas especially the super fast endings was lost over the volume of the percussion.
3) AR's brighas are of a lighter variant, not the weighty powerful type of a GNB, but this isn't a fault in any way.
4) The things he can throw up in inspired moments can make audiences gasp (his imagination could rival a TNR and his talent is truly superlative), but doing this all the time is a hit or a miss. I've heard it click to amazing levels on some days, but at other times, you start feeling, "Ok. We all know what you can do. Now isn't there something else that can be done with the music beyond running scale passages at jet speeds?" On days that it misses, it's like violence. Much more can be done with the music.
5) Having started out with mridangam, Abishek's style incorporates virtually everything that is done in a tani avartanam in his singing.
6) With all the hyper aggressive power play going on, something had to give. That something was the lyrics (it might have been my stage position, but still, in neraval at one point I hadn't a clue where it was). Tone, shruti also can suffer in the most violent moments.
7) The other something was the emotional spectrum, which is constrained to just 20KV (!) electricity. All other bhava can go for a six. The music can feel lacking, even superficial on the day that it can't generate a real deep bhava of excitement. And yes, even gamaka clarity is sometimes tossed aside.
8) Audiences will applaud if simply the noise level at the climax is sufficient to get the adrenaline rush -- so the applause is not a reliable barometer of the content. More violent the better the applause.
9) Accompanists are truly amazing for managing to reproduce even some of the inspired moments. Accompanying Abhishek is challenging in every way, physically, technically, rhthymically, mentally.
10) This is the second time in a row I've heard him end the concert with the tani, another new trend. It seems to be a little more effective at stopping people from leaving the hall having the tani at the end.

I guess similar thoughts may be felt about the MA concert too.

[Vyuptakesha]

Sriranjani and Nattakurunji were treatises by themselves. And one should not forget the majestic start with Maayamalavagowla.
Immaculate concert, and the most outstanding pallavi...the ragamaalika has a lot for us to understand.
Great going Abhishek!