Shertalai Ranganatha Sarma - SIFA - SF Bay Area May 29, 2015

[mahavishnu]

Shertalai KN Ranganatha Sarma -vocal
Tiruvizha Viju Anand - violin
R Sankaranarayanan - mridangam

Approx 2:35 minutes

1. ErA nApai - tODi - patnam (S)
2. Vallabha nAyakasya - bEgaDa - MD
3. E rAmuni nammitinO - vakulAbharaNam - T (AS)
4. yEdukku ithanai mOdi - surutti - Marimutha Pillai
5. bhOgindra sAyinam - kuntalavarALi - ST
6. Emi nEramu - sankarAbharaNam - T (ANST) Neraval @ sAmaja rAja varaduDani…
7. RTP - madhuvanti/vAsanti - khanda triputa khanda nadai
(krishnatanti nAmavadanti madhuvanti | jeevakAnti vAsanti)
rAgamAlika swarams in kAnaDa, dEsh, hamsAnandi, followed by short mohara/kOrvai
8. marubAri tALalEnurA - khamas - dharmapuri subbarAya Iyer
9. karuNai deivamE karpagamE - sindhu bhairavi - Madurai T Srinivasan
10. slOkam - siva shAkthya yukto yadi bhavati shaktah prabhavitum (from Soundarya Lahari) - madhyamAvati
11. nI nAma rUpamulaku - sowrAshtram - T

I was floored by the impeccably soulful music of Sri Ranganatha Sarma. This was my first time listening to him since his afternoon concert at the academy a few years ago (one that he showed up late for and then ended up winning the prize). The unhurried and calm professionalism that he carried with him then is very much with him today.

Sri Ranganatha Sarma gave an absolutely superb concert today, one that I will remember for years to come. His unique voice combines the best elements of the kEraLA sAreeram with the training and rigor of the Semmangudi school. The net effect is a very unique style that reminded me of Voleti (especially when he sang the more Hindustani rAgas) and Neyyantinkara Vasudevan when he was singing a more classical rAgam like sankarabharanam. Overall, this produces such a commanding on stage presence.

Sri Sarma's music is scholarly and comprehensive and his delivery exact and disciplined with pAtantara shuddham. The first two pieces of the concert were just warming him up as he really got into his element in delivering the vakulAbharaNam. He showed the rAga swaroopam completely with no intrusions into the chArukEsi or madhyamAvati territories while staying comfortably away from vasantabhairavi also.

I really enjoyed mArimutha pillai's composition in surutti and Sri Sarma was able to wring the essence of this rAgam. His Sankarabharanam alapanai was shorter than it could have been, but he explored several dimensions of the rAga without resorting to vocal gymnastics. Perhaps going to show that demonstrating technical prowess does not require acrobatics. It just requires clarity of thought and the kind of musicianship that believes that less is more.

The RTP was very unique. He presented both Madhuvanti and vAsanti in equal measure and treated them both to the tAnam variations. His innate sense of layam and strong control over kAlapramANam were evident in the execution of the pallavi. The short tail-end pieces were beautiful. One of the best versions of marubari that I have heard and karuNai deivamE was filled with pathos as intended by the composer.

Tiruvizha Viju Anand was restrained and perhaps underplayed through the concert. There were moments when he produced tantalizingly short yet delightful phrases; made me wish he played more. His returns on Vakulabharanam and the pallavi were very competent.

R Sankaranarayanan is a very talented young mridanga vidwan. He utilizes every opportunity/gap to add color to the music without being rapaciously aggressive. He has a very strong control of the thoppi and his speed when filling half-avartanam gaps was dazzling. Perhaps his style would have been overwhelming for an artiste with a weaker vocal presence, but with Ranganatha Sarma it only served to enhance the strong acoustic footprint of his powerful voice. RS played an excellent tani. It was short and crisp with an excellent mEl kAla tisram. The mohara/kOrvai he played at the end of the pallavi was very apt and suited the rhythmic structure of the pallavi. I would say the hallmark of RS's playing is his use of the outer perimeter of the valanthalai (well left in his case).

The concert was short (by Bay Area standards), but I could barely feel the 2 1/2 hours pass by. Unfortunately, there were not too many people in attendance, perhaps due to the fact that it was a Friday evening.

Overall, I had a thoroughly satisfying concert experience. If you have an opportunity to hear Sri Ranganatha Sarma, do not miss it. Pristine music of his kind is rarer than it has to be.

[rajeshnat]

Mahavishnu
He is one voice where I feel the bass and pitch is so strong that I feel that he does not need the microphone. Just in case you donot know R Sankaranarayanan is the disciple of Srimushnam Raja Rao. I would one day love to hear madhuvanti and vasanti combo pallavi.
Tx for your review.

[PUNARVASU]

Yes, he is a great vidwan. Have not heard him in person. Only on TV. He delivers such pristine music !

[thanjavooran]

Shri Mahavishnu
Thanx for the excellent review. Soundarya Lahari slokam must be quite enjoyable at the end.

" The concert was short (by Bay Area standards), but I could barely feel the 2 1/2 hours pass by. Unfortunately, there were not too many people in attendance, perhaps due to the fact that it was a Friday evening."

Can you please further elaborate. In earlier days Hall full is seen irrespective of Whether working or week ends.
with wishes,
Thanjavooran
31 05 2015

[mahavishnu]

Sri Thanjavooran: Unfortunately, since it was a Friday evening, the turnout was not very high.
Many people had to battle traffic to get to the concert after work. Perhaps just > 100 people or so were present.

Rajesh: Yes, I am aware of Sri Sankaranarayanan's musical heritage. In fact, his playing reminded me very much of the exuberance of an early career Raja Rao when he used to accompany MLV and the like in the 70s.

RSN is also steeped in the Bhajana Sampradayam tradition through his family and I believe he is also related to Papanasam Sivan.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

mahavishnu, your observation is quite right. I once asked SRS whether he's an admirer of Voleti. He said he respects good styles and would feel extremely happy if any rasika related his rendering to any established school. But he had no intention to demonstrate any baani on the stage. Things happen naturally. This reply coming from an old time friend of mine who has a deep insight of music was sincere and acceptable.

Vakulabharanam is a favourite of RS.

Btw what is the first word of the pallavi?

[mahavishnu]

Sivaramakrishnan sir: The first word of the pallavi sounded to me like "krishnatanti"; Unfortunately, I did not write it down, so I am not entirely sure.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

When it comes to RTPs, I can't help remembering TRS. His pallavi -s, (be it in any languagr) interesting and imaginative!