Nominate your choice for the #1 Instrumental piece in Carnatic music!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 15 Mar 2016, 17:56

Dear rasikas,
Today, we can find MOST of our favourite tracks and recordings somewhere or other- You Tube, music streaming servers, archives, and sometimes private recordings.

What is your nomination for the #1 instrumental piece in CM? And why do you think it is #1? Can you please give a link?

Start nominating and link-sharing. Always mention the artiste/s names, and your source. If you have more details, like when was it recorded, occasion, etc., so much the better.

In the process, we will all be sharing some great instrumental pieces.
Others can vote with their responses to what we have shared.
In the process, we will all have a lot of music, and a lot of fun.

I want this to be only for instrumental pieces, please. If a link has been shared before, in Rasikas.org. you can just post the link to that specific post/thread.
If a piece is very long, like say 20-40 minutes, the chances are others may not listen to the entire piece. So in such cases, please also provide the bookmark/cue mark.

Do you like this idea?

I shall share my link day after tomorrow. After some of you post your nominations/links!

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 15 Mar 2016, 23:25

#1 tampura
#2 harmonium
#3 mridamgam
# 4 morsing

S.NAGESWARAN · Post by **S.NAGESWARAN** » 16 Mar 2016, 00:48

MY CHOICE IS;
1.VIOLIN.
2.MRUDANGAM.
3.FLUTE.
4.VEENA.
5.NADASWARAM.

I WILL BE UPLOADING THE BEST MUSIC I HAVE HEARD FROM MY COLLECTIONS IN DUE COURSE.

S.NAGESWARAN.
16.3.16.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 16 Mar 2016, 05:22

Rama Katha Sudha Rasa ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVqyNEwlZkk )
Bhavanuta by MSG (http://mio.to/eDKK )
Raga Lalita by S. Balachandar Veena ( link shared by varsha a while back, an all time classic )

All tied for first place in my books.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 16 Mar 2016, 07:24

Thanks for a great start, folks! Yes, we need links to the music so others can listen to your selections and partake of your bliss.
Have a great day. Indeed the 16th of March 2016 will occur only once in our lives and deserves the celebration just like Pongal, Ugadi and Janmashtami.

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 16 Mar 2016, 08:17

Raga Lalita by S. Balachandar Veena ( link shared by varsha a while back, an all time classic )

https://archive.org/details/hiranmayim

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 16 Mar 2016, 08:22

my pick
Gods descending on earth , to show us a glimpse of what it is like , in Heaven
https://archive.org/details/KaraikurchiConcert05

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 16 Mar 2016, 09:13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3vIbsbsBO8 listen to this thoppi by raja rao for o s Arun bhajan

shankarank · Post by **shankarank** » 16 Mar 2016, 09:31

varsha - that one is top!. I can only put an addendum - a tavilish Mridangam!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_kkcYHu5wc

it is raining CSM down on earth!

P.S: Earphones / headphones required or in the auto chamber!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 16 Mar 2016, 09:57

Once we reach 25 links, I shall compile a "link listing" for easy choosing and navigating.

sukumar · Post by **sukumar** » 16 Mar 2016, 11:25

The 44th melakartha Bhavapriya elaboration by S. Balachander.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRxwqaLqsBo

This is my choice. But i think T R Mahalingam will be unhappy with me, coz i am not mentioning his Khamach raga exploration as first choice!

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 16 Mar 2016, 11:40

Tampura mrudangam and violin are pre requisites for any concert except Nadaswaram.
Flute/Veena is not needed as an accompaniment unless the concert is chaired mainly by that artist

Rsachi
I am confused what is it that you want , is it our liking of instruments based on our subjective liking or is it based on what is necessary for a concert? Can u define what you want?

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 16 Mar 2016, 12:03

Dear Rajesh,
Apologies for my ambiguity.
I want musical tracks or pieces, performed on instruments, in the Carnatic idiom. Not fusion or jugalbandi or Indojazz etc.
Each track has to be listenable by others, which means I have to share a public link to my own upload (fileshare, google drive, dropbox etc. are examples) or a public file share or streaming link (gaana, raaga, mio, saavn, Sangeethamshare, Youtube, soundcloud, vimeo, livestream, etc. are examples).

Now if I like Jalatarang, and I want to share a track from my favourite instrumentalist, I may share e.g. this link:
https://youtu.be/oJl9A_I-l-4

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 16 Mar 2016, 12:21

This is more of a tribute to Nageswaran who resurrected this mind boggling hour with Dwaram.
Nageswaran has affirmed his position in the pages of Indian Music with this effort.

He has mastered it in later days and may be considering it now as well for upload here . But I have put the original track here , from his spool. This one , for over three decades , has been the source of my deepest responses to happenings around me.
A place to hide from the miseries , A balcony to view the landscape , the awakening to the sound of chirping birds, the melancholy of the approaching night.......

Words fail me

https://archive.org/details/RTPVardhini1

KSJaishankar · Post by **KSJaishankar** » 16 Mar 2016, 16:15

Great initiative! Besides all the full insurumental renditions that will no doubt come up, I want to list two tiny flourishes on the violin (by Sri VVS accompanying Sri DKJ, and a solo by Sri MSG). Unfortunately, I do not have these renditions and could not find them in the Sangeethapriya archives either

1) Sri VVS accompanying Sri DKJ for Gunijanadi Nuta (Grurjari): One downward flourish - just 3-4 flat notes - in the gap Sri DKJ leaves after the very first sangati of the pallavi - heaven!

2) Sri MSG's rendering of Intha Chalamu (Begada varnam): an absolutely flat Dha at the start of the muktayi swaram - its stunning in its effect! (This, IIRC, is a commercial recording, so no wonder it is not on Sangeethapriya)

KSJaishankar · Post by **KSJaishankar** » 16 Mar 2016, 16:39

And I can add two Mridangam flourishes, incidentally both while accompanying Sri MDR

1) Sri Palghat Mani Iyer for the neraval at karAmbuja pASa bIjA pUraM in vAtApi gaNa patiM bhajE(a)haM: he practically makes the mridangam sing the sahitya
2) Sri Palghat Raghu for the pause between the Pallavi & Anupallavi in bhajarE rE citta bAlAmbikAM

Both of them elicit very spontaneous appreciation from Sri MDR!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 16 Mar 2016, 17:25

Sri KSJ,
As Wodehouse would have said, Attaboy! You have caught the spirit of this idea like those geniuses in those moments caught the beauty of music!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 16 Mar 2016, 18:52

Dear rasikas,
what a wonderful treat of music is coming from every link....
I am listening to Vardhini of Dwaram...he is truly a mentor of Mali, and more....
what pure music.
and then the other links...too fabulous to talk about even.

BTW that Lalgudi duo track has Sri Mani Iyer on the mridangam. It is one of the early LPs I had bought, in an era when French Franc and Deutsche Mark were extant, Madras was Madras, and Bangalore had five and six digit phone numbers.

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 16 Mar 2016, 20:22

what a wonderful treat of music is coming from every link.

any chance of increasing the quota? I need ten members to transfer their rights to me.
With ksj extending it to accompaniment , more tracks are crying out

I am listening to Vardhini of Dwaram..

have you crossed the kAnaDa bit ?

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 16 Mar 2016, 21:01

Sir, what quota? No limits to sharing!!!!
Didn't hear the whole track yet...cricket.

S.NAGESWARAN · Post by **S.NAGESWARAN** » 17 Mar 2016, 02:25

Dear Rasikas,

Drop Box links of some of the sample of best music of my collections are given below.

Sri MS Gopalakrishnan's best tracks.

1.https://www.dropbox.com/s/isrilcldnabw4 ... G.mp3?dl=0
2.https://www.dropbox.com/s/2ve483nz5upvk ... G.mp3?dl=0
3.https://www.dropbox.com/s/rvxka7ffbbu80 ... G.mp3?dl=0
4.https://www.dropbox.com/s/e4ivx8vrk1k22 ... G.mp3?dl=0
5.https://www.dropbox.com/s/og2m49vg20pig ... i.mp3?dl=0

Sri Emani Sankara Sastry and Sri MS Gopalakrishnan's best tracks.

6.https://www.dropbox.com/s/niorxl861zb3f ... I.mp3?dl=0
7.https://www.dropbox.com/s/tgqdndiutt7e2 ... F.mp3?dl=0

Sri N Ramani and Sri MS Gopalakrishnan best track.

8.https://www.dropbox.com/s/gkp3viq9x36hb ... G.mp3?dl=0

Sri Umayalpuram Sivaraman and Anirudh Aathreya's Tani Avarthanam.

9.https://www.dropbox.com/s/49gzdmr2mp6ba ... S.mp3?dl=0

I must thank Sri R Sachi for having given this opportunity to share with you all.

S.NAGESWARAN.
17.03.2016.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 17 Mar 2016, 04:15

Thank you sir for sharing from your treasurehouse!

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 17 Mar 2016, 09:05

https://archive.org/details/PAlincuKAmA ... lWithVRHPR

mind boggling...I miss him.I miss all the three

How I wish I could , just once more , be able to jump off a running 12G , dash breathlessly to KGS , sip a coffee at the corner hut canteen , join my last bencher friends , partake in the kumbakonam betel festivities, and finish my dinner at the same canteen.
Just once more !!!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 17 Mar 2016, 11:28

FIRST LIST OF THE BEST 20 INSTRUMENTAL PIECES!
Listed as posted, with name of uploader, artiste,piece details.

1. http://j.mp/VKM-LGJ-Ramakathasudha-Madhyamavati
2. http://j.mp/VKM-MSG-Bhavanuta-Mohana
3. http://j.mp/Var-SBalachander-Hiranmayim-Lailtha
4. http://j.mp/Var-Karukurichi-Nagaswaram-Concert
5. http://j.mp/VKR-SrimushnamRR-OSArun-Bhajan
6. http://j.mp/ShanK-CSMurugabhoopathy-mri ... orsingTani
7. http://j.mp/Sukumar-SBalachander-Bhavapriya
8. http://j.mp/VarSN-Dwaram-VardhiniRTP
9. http://j.mp/SN-MSG-Srilakshmivaraham-Abhogi
10. http://j.mp/SN-MSG-Nalinakanthi
11. http://j.mp/SN-MSG-BhoopBhajan
12. http://j.mp/SN-MSG-Anuragamuleni-Sarasvathi
13. http://j.mp/SN-MSG-Nadopasana-Begada-Tani
14.http://j.mp/SN-EmaniMSG-Vatapi-Hamsadhvani
15.http://j.mp/SN-EmaniMSG-Jnanamosaga-Purvikalyani
16. http://j.mp/SN-MSGNRamani-Fluteviolin-Ragamalika
17. http://j.mp/SN-UKSivaraman-Athreya-Tani
18.http://j.mp/Var-LalgudiGJ-VelloreR-HPR- ... dhyamavati
19. http://j.mp/RSac-Emani-UKSivaraman-Todi-Tani
20. http://j.mp/Rsac-LalgudiGJ-PalghatManiIyer-Varnam

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 17 Mar 2016, 11:37

I give you a brilliant Nagaswaram piece by Tiruvizha Jaishankar:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/k56xzcqdfxlut ... a.mp3?dl=0

And a fabulous Tavil tani by Vilayapatti:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/au34eybe66srm ... 1.mp3?dl=0

MaheshS · Post by **MaheshS** » 17 Mar 2016, 16:03

Varsha ji, I remember you playing a Mohanam clip, swarams for Mohana Rama IIRC, TNK and MC concert and they weave some magic, any chance of that?

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 17 Mar 2016, 17:17

I remember you playing a Mohanam clip, swarams for Mohana Rama IIRC, TNK and MC concert and they weave some magic

https://archive.org/details/NanuPAlimpaMOhanamTyAgarAja

The Arrow and the Song
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?

Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 17 Mar 2016, 20:52

My son used to recite this in 4th or 5th standard!

shankarank · Post by **shankarank** » 17 Mar 2016, 21:39

Rsachi wrote: Now if I like Jalatarang, and I want to share a track from my favourite instrumentalist, I may share e.g. this link:
https://youtu.be/oJl9A_I-l-4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXkU-TtBhcU with more gamakams - actually from violin. It sounds like jalatarangam is also an improvised/improved percussion? Or even better Chordified percussion !

We should send some musicians up here too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en0p1Y35p3w - the violinist will produce more gamakams involuntarily

uday_shankar · Post by **uday_shankar** » 18 Mar 2016, 00:32

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfJDzHqjhGA Here's an epic L Shankar piece that has inspired many Carnatic musicians for generations.

Highlights:
1) Mind-boggling virtuosity
2) Probably the most original conception of ragamalika swarams. Polyphonic effects while rapidly switching ragas.
3) Icing: A flamboyant tani avartanam by UKS and Zakir Hussain at the end.

Caveat: Not much vishranti...can't listen often

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 18 Mar 2016, 06:52

Thank you guys, keep'em coming!
Oooo I so love this treat.

BTW, completely off topic, but I am feeling high, so what the hell, here's Zootopia - GO WATCH IT TODAY.

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 18 Mar 2016, 09:22

https://archive.org/details/Dialogue_201603

RSachi
this is for you

hnbhagavan · Post by **hnbhagavan** » 18 Mar 2016, 12:18

Post #23 By Varsha

Thank you for the great Violin concert of Lalgudi Sir with Vellore Ramabadran and Ramachar.What a great record?Madyamavathi is simply Lalgudi Sir's monopoly.There is no one to get the same melody.I remember i had tapes of this .But i abandoned the tapes.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 18 Mar 2016, 12:19

Uday,
Yes, that track has so many special violin effects. Here's the review in iTunes:
Who's to Know - Indian Classical Music
Shankar, Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, V. Lakshminarayana & Zakir Hussain
View More by This Artist
Open iTunes to preview, buy and download music.
Name Artist Time Price
Ananda Nadamadum Tillai Sankara: Ragam - Savithri / Tala - Adi (8 Beats)
Shankar, Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, V. Lakshminarayana & Zakir Hussain
23:45
Album Only
View In iTunes
2 Songs
Album Review
Having already established himself as member of John Mclaughlin's jazz and Indian music ensemble Shakti, violinist L. Shankar set himself up as a virtuoso leader in contexts ranging from Indian classical music to modern hybrids featuring synthesizers and drum machines. Through it all, he brought the unique sound of his ten-string double violin (from an original design) to dates featuring the likes of Zakir Hussain, Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel, and Steve Vai. For this 1980 session, the violinist focuses on the traditional ragas of his native India, with two extended pieces. Joined by Hussain on tabla, Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman on mridangam, and conductor V. Lakshminarayana, Shankar produces a wealth of solo climaxes while weaving myriad thematic improvisations. On the first raga (both pieces here are reconfigurations of traditional ragas), he moves from a meditative solo stretch to some frenetic interplay with Hussein, eventually ending the piece with an incredible, lightening-fast display of technique. The group opt for a more even-keeled pace on the second raga. Shankar is impressive again, while Hussein makes the best of some lengthy solo spots. An essential disc for L. Shankar fans.

Biography
Born: 26 April 1950 in Madras, India
Genre: World
Years Active: '70s, '80s, '90s, '00s, '10s

BTW, just my personal opinion-the mridangam and tabla are somewhat downplayed in mixing. And by the way, who is playing the second violin bits? The father? It looks like the double violin for Shankar, but I hear simultaneous play of different notes on two octaves.

semmu86 · Post by **semmu86** » 18 Mar 2016, 12:39

The Lalgudi-Ramani NYC concert with Trichy Sankaran-Ramnad Raghavan should figure right up there. All the artists at the absolute peak of their prowess.

Esp the kharaharapriya (chakkani rAja) being the crown jewel in the entire list. The understanding between the artists is just so exemplary in the kind of sangathis they dish out in unison in that magnificent krithi. And for the kalpanaswara patters, is Lalgudi following Ramani or the other way is what we get to feel...

And for TS' accompaniment, esp in chakkani rAja, it takes multiple listening sessions to appreciate the beauty, the way Mrudangam would have completely blended into Violin & venu as one. Just the way he plays for each and every sangathi of the pallavi, its not playing the krithi on the Mrudangam, but playing for it, rather. Very thin line, but big difference, something to be experienced for sheer ecstasy.

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 18 Mar 2016, 12:42

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl3sF6MBgYw
Caveat: vishranti of a high order...can't stop listening to , often

The Lalgudi-Ramani NYC concert with Trichy Sankaran-Ramnad Raghavan should figure right up there. All the artists at the absolute peak of their prowess.

Agreed.Every second of it

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 18 Mar 2016, 13:03

Varsha
Kindly resurrect the upload:
http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic ... ni#p227565

Purist · Post by **Purist** » 18 Mar 2016, 13:17

Naasikabhooshani ragam at its best . (Listen the landing between 3.01-3.31.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVQZ_Gp3HGE

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 18 Mar 2016, 18:46

Sachi - thank you for this thread - it has re-kindled my interest in the few tracks of Sri K. S. Narayanaswamy available, and I have rediscovered the tracks of the young, exuberant, and wonderfully talented Ramana Balachandran... It's great to get through the day with the strains of the vINA in the background.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 18 Mar 2016, 18:51

Ravi, that's wonderful. Kindly share links to your favourites.

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 18 Mar 2016, 20:11

Ah, it's good to be back after a long while...

My choice for the violin would be the LGJ Madhyamavati - Rama Katha Sudha -- that to me is still the greatest recording of Lalgudi ever.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 18 Mar 2016, 21:05

My all-time favorite track of Sri KSN's is Sri mAtrubhUtam in kannaDA - absolutely divine - you can actually hear the words...unfortunately, I can't find a link to share. My next favorite is this track in hamIr kalyANi (I always think of Varsha when I listen to this rAga, for obvious reasons!)...
In the interests of full disclosure, I have to confess that I am very biased - Sri KSN happens to be my wife's 'cinna tAtA' (her paternal grandfather's younger brother).

And, I have been listening to this concert of Ramana Balachandran's - a delightful background, as I said earlier.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 18 Mar 2016, 21:11

Reaching out to all Sri KSN fans, disciples, family, friends, princes and plebians, spoolers, tapers, cassetters and discers, even hard-diskers and thumb-drivers,
for the Sri Matrubhutam of Sri KSN....
kindly share the recording. If you have a recording and don't know how to share it, I will help you.

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 18 Mar 2016, 21:42

Kindly resurrect the upload:

will do

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 19 Mar 2016, 17:02

http://www.mediafire.com/download/t59p9 ... R-NY71.mp3

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 21 Mar 2016, 15:37

https://archive.org/details/08MeraDilNe ... giUsikiHai
KPA
A day after watching Anarkali-perhaps!!!

MaheshS · Post by **MaheshS** » 21 Mar 2016, 15:47

varsha wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl3sF6MBgYw
Caveat: vishranti of a high order...can't stop listening to , often

Mesmerising stuff! Do you have the pallavi part as well?

Do you have any more L Shankar please? From youtube - there is RTP - Hemavathi, an hour long Abheri, Pancha Nadai Pallavi - Shankarabaranam. Couple of fusion albums are also available.

Thalaivarda · Post by **Thalaivarda** » 21 Mar 2016, 17:26

There is one rtp in kapi. He sings for the most part. Its hippie.

MaheshS · Post by **MaheshS** » 21 Mar 2016, 17:32

Thalaivarda wrote:There is one rtp in kapi. He sings for the most part. Its hippie.

Link please, thanks!

Edit: Ignore please, I found it, L.SHANKAR - SOUL SEARCHER

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 24 Mar 2016, 08:08

KSN
https://archive.org/details/ShyAmasunda ... iTyAgarAja