Ramakrishnan Murthy - MITHAS (Boston) - 22.11.15

[bilahari]

Ramakrishnan Murthy
R.K. Shriramkumar
K. Arun Prakash

MITHAS
3h 15m

(I lost my notes, so please excuse any errors)

slOkam in SankarAbharaNam
nIlayatAkSi - paras - tiSra tripuTa - MD
mApAla velasi - asAvEri - Adi - T (S)
nidhi chAla sukhama - kalyANi - miSra cApu - T (R, N @ sumati tyAgarAja, S)
nIrajAkSi kAmAkSi - hindOLam - rUpakam - MD
swAmi mukya prANa nI - yadukulakAmbOji - Adi - PD (tuned by RKSK)
kArubAru sEyuvAru - mukhAri - Adi - T (R, N @ sAdu tyAgaraja, S, T)
hiraNmayIm - lalita - rUpakam - MD
RTP - khamAs - khaNDa tripuTa
'pradAnamAnadu manidanEyam - vAzhvinil anaivarukkum' (composed by KAP) (eDuppu samam +1)
Ragamaliga swaras in 1st speed in tODi, bEhAg, ranjani, hindOLam, suruTTi, then reversed in mElkAlam
vruttam followed by manadirkukandadu in sindhu bhairavi
An AzhvAr verse in ragamaliga tuned by RKSK (had kApi; don't remember the others)
mangaLam

It was a sparkling concert and a much needed escape from the hustle and bustle of residency interviews. Turnout wasn't great (maybe 150 people), which I'd rather attribute to the wet and balmy weather than to any lack of interest in the pristine classicism on display last afternoon. But we do live in an increasingly entropic world, so I'm not sure I should give anybody the benefit of doubt either.

An audible tambura - check. RM began with a sublime rendition of the MD kriti in paras, giving it full justice in a slower speed and not leaving it wanting any adornments in the form of neraval or swarams. I am not very familiar with the asAvEri kriti that followed but it was fine; I did enjoy the elaborate swaraprastAram that followed, with the RGRS phrases appropriately emphasized. I think it was very much that lazy sort of an afternoon for a kalyANi, and am glad RM chose to sing it elaborately. While it is easy to impress with rare, more structured ragas, I think what really separates the proverbial men from the boys is a musician's ability to sing one of the heavy ragas completely and satisfyingly, which RM did. Given his scratchy throat in the upper octave, he made an effort to limit himself largely to the madhya and mandra stAyis yesterday, and I thought his kalyANi ragam was really quite good. The neraval was particularly well done in two speeds and with beautiful kArvais and flourishes and a tAnam style second speed.

NIrajAkSi was sung slowly and beautifully, but what really captured my attention was the sprightly yadukulakAmbOji that followed and was completely new to me. I think RKSK has done a brilliant job tuning this PD composition, adapting a rAgam better known for languorous expositions like divAkara tanujam to a brisk pace without losing any of its charm (it was even faster than the typical hecharikkaga). The mukhAri main was the highlight of the evening. I thought RM's alapanai was so complete and beautiful, especially in the lower octave with RKSK bowing on the mandra stAyi. The panchamam centered phrases there were worth their weight in gold. The kriti was rendered in a slower speed and the neraval was outstanding and only in the slower speed, filled with beautiful kArvais and bringing out all the beauty of mukhAri with appropriate, elongated gamakas. Here again I was reminded of (I think) Dr. Vedavalli's comment about how one should be able to sing a good neraval in the madhya stAyi without having to resort to upper octave melodrama, and perhaps driven by vocal constraints, RM delivered that so convincingly in the mukhAri neraval last evening. The swarams were pure sarvalaghu and in the first speed as well, giving a thoroughly sedate and contemplative mood to the entire piece.

The RTP was one of those afterthoughts that are quite in vogue these days. The sketch, with a liberal use of N3, was better suited for mAtADa or some tail end piece. I thought the tAnam was very well done, however, and presented the ragam without resorting to alapanai-like phrases. The pallavi was beautiful and an elaborate neraval followed that was also very well executed. The ragamaliga swarams were notable for the beautiful swaraksharams in ma-ni-dha that were emphasized in the various ragams; other than the bEhAg, none of them were particularly memorable. I really enjoyed the tukkadas as well; manadhirkugandadu was sung with great feeling.

RM is such a well rounded musician. Although his voice was too strained in the upper octave (I hope he takes good care of it - parts of his voice culture remind me of either TMK or NSG from the 90s), his shruti shuddam was absolutely impeccable in the middle and lower octaves, and his voice has such deep resonance in mandra stAyi, which is such a gift. His singing is also so classical and not given to the melodrama that defines so many others; the kalyANI, for instance, was not adorned with HM-esque flat madhyamams and nishAdams. He also has an excellent sense of proportion and a great command over the gamakas that define every raga. Definitely much more mature than his age would suggest! I would also like to highlight his control over kAlapramANam and tALam even in the lower speed, which after MDR, I have not seen in many people. 'Formative' feedback would include better care for voice and not giving short shrift to RTPs.

RKSK. You know i am one of his biggest fans and I never tire of praising him! Every time I come away from one of his concerts, I am reminded of his interview where he talks of pakka vAdhya dharma. We've seen great pakka vAdhya dharma from the likes of LGJ, but RKSK to me takes it a whole new level with his immaculate understanding of how every singer sings every kriti - not once did he play an incorrect sangati when accompanying RM during kritis last evening, and that's no meagre feat! And of course he also reproduces neravals and swarams beautifully. And getting the basics correct - bowing with azhuttam, fingering confidently, holding the bow at the frog - goes such a long way in ensuring the musical output is beautiful. I thought RKSK's use of mandra stAyi last evening was really extraordinary. And his kalyANi, mukhAri, and khamAs ragams were all stupendous and drew gasps and applause aplenty from an appreciative audience. And his tunesmithing abilities! I think it's time for me to upgrade myself from RKSK fan to RKSK devotee.

KAP. What a surprise! He actually played the mrudangam last evening! And for the whole three hours! I thought KAP was fantastic. His accompaniment during kritis especially showed how well he knows the sAhityam. His right-sided play was especially extraordinary, especially when he'd use it to transition to the anupallavi of kritis. And his sarvalaghu during neravals and swarams was pristine. The kOrvai during his thani was very beautiful and mellow, and thoroughly fitting with the mood of the mukhAri. I hope KAP continues to play with such vigour!

All in all, an evening with thoroughly classical and contemplative music that was very much the balm I needed after a weekend of hectic interviews bordering on inquisition. Here's to a bright future for all those gifted musicians on stage last evening.

[Karaharapriya]

You beat me with the review by just a half hour! Thanks for the writeup.
The RTP ragamaklika swarams were in khamAs, tOdi, bEhAg, hindOlam, ranjani, and surutti.

Also, loved how the pallavi, which was composed by Sri. Arunprakash, had swaraksharam at “manida neyyam” (M N D NP D N S).

Overall, a great end to Ramakrishnan Murthy’s 2015 US tour and MITHAS’s 2015 Fall concert season.

[tanapp]

Wonderful line-up and a superb review! I was witness to this team's concert in San Jose and had the opportunity to record my conversation with RKM and KAP.

One thing that stands out in the review above about KAP is this:

KAP. What a surprise! He actually played the mrudangam last evening! And for the whole three hours! I thought KAP was fantastic. His accompaniment during kritis especially showed how well he knows the sAhityam.

So well observed. And KAP in his hearty conversation in the YouTube video below, explains his approach to mridangam playing, following sahitaya more than the laya (which is of course baked into the kriti).

https://youtu.be/fCXZq4blDS0

[tanapp]

KAP conversation is mostly in Tamizh though.

[arasi]

Bilahari,
So good to hear from you after a long time! Your review shines--what else?

An endowed young man's concert reviewed by another young man, bright as they come! I do not know how much time you get at all to practice. Hope that violin of yours does get picked up occasionally. Going into residency already? How time flies!

[rajeshnat]

Bilahari
Glad to see a great review from you that too after a long time . Looks Boston chill did not ruin the concert.

[Sindhuja]

A fitting review of what seems to have been another great concert. Thanks bilahari, nice to read a review from you after long. Look forward to more.

[rshankar]

Bilahari
A beautiful review of what seems to have been a lovely concert! Thank you.
Good luck with your interviews. I hope you get to chose a program in a city where there's plenty of music, for us to enjoy more of your reviews!

[bilahari]

Tanapp, thanks for posting those conversations with RM and KAP. Very interesting! Indeed, KAP practises what he preaches.

Arasi, not much time to practise violin these days, but listening I do in plenty! Time certainly does fly, but there have been some treacherously slow phases in medical school too (OB/GYN rotation...cough cough). I hope you're keeping well.

Sindhuja, are you in the Bay Area these days? I dearly miss the good old days in San Diego.

Ravi, I'm certainly hoping to at least move out of the tundral boonies for residency! Free time will be scarce in CT surgery, but I imagine I'll have...some?

[harimau]

Ravi, I'm certainly hoping to at least move out of the tundral boonies for residency! Free time will be scarce in CT surgery, but I imagine I'll have...some?

With the big bucks you will soon be making, I am sure you would want to start again your Thatha Memorial Concerts with his favourite violinist, only this time in the grand old USA!

PS. News travels around the world, you know!

[narayan]

Isn't nIlayatAksi by Syama Sastri?

[harimau]

Isn't nIlayatAksi by Syama Sastri?

Yes.

Goddess Neelayatakshi (and maybe Dharmasamvardhini) has the distinction of having krithis composed by all three of the Trinity of Carnatic Music.

[sureshvv]

Isn't nIlayatAksi by Syama Sastri?

Yes. The one in Phras. Good catch

[bilahari]

Whoops! Thanks for the correction, narayan. Can't edit it anymore, unfortunately.

[arasi]

Bilahari,
We all make mistakes. I have one to my credit today!
To forgive is divine (in another context, of course!).