Amritha Murali @ MMA on 25 Dec 2017

[shriram.krishnan72]

Amritha Murali - Vocal
H.N. Bhaskar - Violin
R. Shankaranarayanan - Mridangam
S. Krishna - Ghatam

01 Jaya Jaya - Natai - Khanda Chapu
02 Shankari Shankuru - Saveri - Adi
03 Narasimha - Mohanam - Mishra Chapu
04 Shri Ramapadama - Amrithavahini - Adi
05 Chintaye Janaki - Yamuna Kalyani - Adi
06 Samayamide - Budhamanohari - Adi
07 Sukhi Evvaro - Kanada - Adi
08 Ragam Thanam Pallavi - Kambhojhi
Khanda Triputa with Mishra Nadai and Khanda Nadai (as announced)
Varade Sharade Vande Vidi Mukhambhojha Madupe
Ragamalika Kalpanaswarams in Devagandhari, Hameer Kalyani and Desh
09 Shlokam - Rathankara finishing with Vande Bharatha Matharam in Kapi, Behag, Valaji, Desh (again)
10 Bharatha Desham - Desh - Adi (left when she began this song)

Observations:

Major exodus after RaGa concert but I am happy that it happened before rather than during Amritha concert. However there was a constant trickle of people leaving throughout the concert. What started out as a healthy crowd was a mere 50 people by the end at 9:15 PM in the ground floor. Disappointing habit and etiquette

Highlights:

Mohanam, Yamunakalyani, Kambhojhi

Positives:

It was a sensitive and soulful concert as I have come to expect from this mature and soulful singer. The concert was also a success because of the immense variety in Thalam and Ragam.

Her voice was in fine shape for being the season and sounded bright and clear.

Her Mohanam was the pick of the day with many moments. Her voice was also best in this piece. I just listened to this song presented for the first time yesterday by Rithvik Raja and was wondering why this is not popular in the concert circuit. Trust Amritha to pick these rare numbers and sing them regularly. Kudos to her!

Bhaskar who was on back to back duty was a picture of poise throughout and showed his class. Amazing playing and felicity. A true master of the art. And to have sustained the same involvement it for over 5 hours is stunning. He stepped in for a cancellation and great respect to him for doing that in spite of a busy season.

Amrithavahini was new to me and sounded lovely. A familiar sound but yet different. Played with my senses of Saramathi. The Kalpanaswarams were lilting. Yamunakalyani song was also new to me and was presented in a sedate manner with great Bhava.

Kambhojhi Pallavi was well presented and executed with amazing precision after a good Thanam from Amritha and especially Bhaskar.

Her Ragamalika Kalpanaswarams were apt to the Pallavi words. The reverse of all the Ragams leading back to Kambhojhi was scholarly and seamless.

Shankaranarayanan and Krishna were good partners and played their part well and contributed to the concert. The Thani was bright and fiery.

Negatives:

Too many songs in the concert for my liking. Songs 4-7 seemed redundant when the Thani was only for the RTP. Kanada Ragam was 5 minutes and Kambhojhi Ragam was 6 minutes and was the longest. I felt more focus on Manodharma and Ragam singing would have made the concert richer.

Shankaranarayanan was lovely in parts but I felt he could have taken it a bit easy for the songs which did not demand exuberance like Yamunakalyani.

Thoughts:

Amritha is one of the few younger musicians who gets a good crowd in the evening slot at the MMA and does justice every year.

How does a Sabha tackle the issue of having 2 big main performances which are both ticketed one after the other and maintain the crowd? Seems like a tough ask if its a good double billing like today. Impossible for anyone to take in 5 hours of music without a break. Here I like the approach of SPSS and MFAC where the first ticketed is by an upcoming and the second is by the main artist. That works better I feel.

For a concert that was 2 1/2 hours that started at 6:45 PM I feel it is unfair that the percussion team got their turn at 9:00 PM for a Thani and not before. Most of the people had left by then. Something to think about.

A wonderful day filled with great music and the icing was the finish by Amritha. More power to her!

- SK72

[rshankar]

The pallavi is probably a creation of her guru, Sri RKSK, with the rAgamudra embedded.

[sankark]

On these designer pallavis, would they be sung in a different ragam? The surati one in kEdaragowLai or this kAmbOdhi in atAnA? So are we evolving into pallavi fixed to the rAgam?

Salutations to the granter of desires shAradA, nectar of the lotus, that is brahmAs face - is that right?

[rajeshnat]

Bhaskar who was on back to back duty was a picture of poise throughout and showed his class. Amazing playing and felicity. A true master of the art. And to have sustained the same involvement it for over 5 hours is stunning. He stepped in for a cancellation and great respect to him for doing that in spite of a busy season.

Bhaskar has replaced charulatha ramanujan. He is a top class artist amritha is certainly lucky to have a great accompaniment . Kudos to Bhaskar in playing 2 back to back concerts.

[rajeshnat]

How does a Sabha tackle the issue of having 2 big main performances which are both ticketed one after the other and maintain the crowd? Seems like a tough ask if its a good double billing like today. Impossible for anyone to take in 5 hours of music without a break. Here I like the approach of SPSS and MFAC where the first ticketed is by an upcoming and the second is by the main artist. That works better I feel.

A significant count take 5 hours ofcourse the break is needed if the canteen delivers tiffin and coffee that would be graeat. Sabha is tackling it is only rasikas who need to stay for the double concert.

SPSS and MFAC have also ticketed but give exact 2 hours as such in that sabha evening I is 2 hours and evening II is 2 and half hours. Most of the time the crowd in evening I is heavy in MA. MFAC used to have a start at 6 pm few years back and now they have reverted to like academy. Apart from BGS petachi which starts at 6 pm Mudhra has got just one at 06 15 pm . I think in larger interest of opportunities academy double makes the most sense. Only rasikas have to change and take more load of music.

[rshankar]

Salutations to the granter of desires shAradA, nectar of the lotus, that is brahmAs face - is that right?

madhupE = honey bee

[Madras-Talkies]

Amrita’s Concert was extremely soulful and beautiful concert after RaGa concert.

HN Bhaskar renditions was too good in Amrita’s Concert in comparison to his previous concert (RAGA concert at music academy- previous slot the same day!)

Amrita Murali deserves more attention and recognition. Hope she wins best senior vocalist award this year.

[shriram.krishnan72]

@krish2006 - Thanks for pointing out the error. Made the correction in the original post.

@rajeshnat - I was talking about tackling the problem for the Rasikas only

@Madras-Talkies - Completely agree. She deserves it and hope she gets the best senior vocalist just for her Vidwath in this concert.

[sankark]

Salutations to the granter of desires shAradA, nectar of the lotus, that is brahmAs face - is that right?

madhupE = honey bee

Ah. so it is "Salutations O granter of desires! O shAradA (??)! to thou that are the honey bee flitting around brahmA's lotus face"

[rshankar]

Yes

[satyabalu]

A lot of " Take always "in yesterday's concert.Post Tani Bharathiar Ragamalika ,Muthiah Bhagavathar kriti in Buda Manohari " Samayamidey Nannu Brochudaku" and the last one in Sindhu Bhairavi" Apaara Karuna Sindo "
" Composition of Sri.R K Sriram Kumar was emotive."Narasimha aghascha in Mohanam of Dikshidhar I liked best for Kalapramanam.Nice delineation of Raga &exchange of Swaras in Amirtavahini.Chintaye in Yamuna Kalyani of Krishna swamy Iyya was a rare one.
Amrita is raising her own bar.Our best wishes.

[satyabalu]

Time allowance for Mangalam could have made it complete!A couple of minutes more to compensate for a delayed start could have been deserving and justified.Curtain closing down before standing ovation could hardly begin also not in good taste !

[hnbhagavan]

It was really bad planning to put Amrita Murali's concert after the RaGa sisters Concerts.The crowd blindly applauds the sisters singing.In fact on the day the Mridangam was barely heard though violin was in acceptable limits.It is a fact that the accompaniments play a big role in the overall concert.
obviously after the high voltage concert people started trooping out and in the LCD screen Mini hall which was full for RaGa sisters had just 4-5 people in the hall.
it is another matter that Amrita gave a concert of the highest caliber as always.

[sankark]

It was really bad planning to put Amrita Murali's concert after the RaGa sisters Concerts...
it is another matter that Amrita gave a concert of the highest caliber as always.

Counter intuitively this could be better - get some of the RaGa crowd to taste something different? Those that will come for AM will come anyway.

[rajeshnat]

It was really bad planning to put Amrita Murali's concert after the RaGa sisters Concerts.

HNB,
When males draw more crowd they are pushed to evening II , But if females draw more crowds they are still retained in evening I slot . Donot call it as bad planning. I think amritha in dec 25 evening slot is personally a great achievement . Few years back i went to hear Sreevalsan Menon which was after aruna sayeeram in academy, it was inevitable for few it just happens.

[pperumal]

As rasikas, I think we owe it to this glorious art form to turn up in even larger numbers to music such as Amritha Murali's.
This is what our music is at its core - classical and serious.
May her tribe increase.

- PP.