Veena-Venu-Violin trio at Gayana Samaja, 15th Jan 2008

[sowmya]

Veena : Vid. Ashwin Anand
Flute : Vid. G Ravikiran
Violin : Vid. H K Venkatram
Mridangam : Vid. Shrimushnam Raja Rao and Vid. H S Sudheendra

Venue : Gayana Samaja, Bangalore. 15-01-2008

[15 minutes late today… HKV announced that they were playing 2 compositions each of the 7 composers featured in the festival. We heard 12…Must have missed two pieces in the beginning, one by Muttiah Bhagavatar and the other by Mysore Vasudevachar]

1. Pranamamyaham – Gowla – Adi – Mysore Vasudevachar [O, S]
2. Angarakam – Suruti – Rupaka – Dikshitar [R]
3. Bhogindrashaayinam – Kuntalavarali – Khandachapu – Swati Tirunal
4. Marivere – Anandabhairavi – Mishrachapu – Shyama Shastri [R]
5. Samayamide – Budhamanohari – Adi – Muttiah Bhagavatar
6. Durmargachara – Ranjani – Rupaka – Thyagaraja [R, S]
7. Parvati ninu ne – Kalagada – Tishra Adi – Shyama Shastri
8. Anandaamruthaakarshini – Amruthavarshini – Adi – Dikshitar
9. Chakkaniraja – Kharaharapriya – Adi – Thyagaraja [R, N, S, T]
10. Venkataachalanilayam – Sindhubhairavi – Adi – Purandaradasa
11. Jagadoddhaarana – Kapi – Adi – Purandaradasa
12. Tillana – Dhanashri – Adi – Swati Tirunal

A brilliant concert! I had heard neither Ashvin nor Ravikiran earlier. Went there just because I like HKV’s playing. Both of them are young, and their playing was superb. And such synchronisation among all three!! They had selected nice compositions, and the concert never sagged. Initially, the sound of the veena was not heard over the other two, louder, instruments. But the mike was rectified later.

An excellent alapana by HKV preceded the navagraha kriti of Tuesday. A spirited Bhogindrashayinam followed. Next, Ashvin played a very nice alapana of Anandabhairavi. Then, It was Ravikiran’s turn with Ranjini. The three shared the Kharaharapriya alapana equally. The initial portion, till the madhyasthayi Panchama, was played on the veena. Flute took over next, and it was concluded with the violin. Swaras were also attractive. What was noticeable was the energy of the performers – All of them were enjoying the music, and performing with apparent ease. The amount of effort and practice behind this high level of comfort with each other must have been considerable… The tukkada section featured two very popular devaranamas and an equally famous tillana.

Mridangam by the guru-shishya duo was very good. I have felt on occasions that both Rajarao and Sudhindra individually can be uncomfortably loud. Hence, I was slightly apprehensive about the double mridangam. But then, both of them played so well! The sound of the instruments-even the low volume veena-was never drowned by the mridangam. I liked the tani too.

[vijay]

Is this G Ravikiran from our forum? Does he play the flute as well?

[mahavishnu]

I had the exact same thought....
However, I think it is a different person. You can find the picture of the flautist here http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2 ... 400600.htm

[prashant]

It's becoming tough to keep track of all the different Ravikirans in the music world!

[rajaglan]

May someone get passport size photo of all artists posted here as a video library. There are lots of new artists and we are not sure whether we are attending the right concert. I once attended a concert in Blore thinking it is Saketharaman. Wondering how he reached his thirties so quickly and later understood that he didnot turn up on that day and there was some other arrangement made.

[rajaglan]

But all are highly popular songs.

I think the concert of TNS on Muthia Bhagavathar today will be the most innovative one. He has an old album on MB krithis. It has Vijayasaraswathi, janaranjani, sahana, niroshta...ragas. A very good album.

[vijay]

Thanks Mahavishnu...it is certainily a different person. Prashant's is right...if you're naming your daughter and intend to initiate her in CM, please do not name her Gayathri!

[ramakriya]

It's becoming tough to keep track of all the different Ravikirans in the music world!

I beleive, G Ravikiran and G Mohan Rangan are flautists (brothers) from Bengalooru - If I am right, I think Mohan Rangan is in SF bay area now.

-Ramakriya

[ravikiran]

Thought I will clear the confusion myself . I was the Ravikiran who played yesterday in Gayana Samaja. I have not been on this forum ( created an account a few minutes ago !). Like ramakriya has mentioned I also play flute duet with my brother Mohan Rangan apart from VVV. My brother lives in SF now.

Thanks,
Ravi

[vijay]

Thanks Ravikiran, the flautist!

[cienu]

Welcome Ravikiran to the forum

Maybe you should call yourself Fluteravikiran . I have seen Forum Members with longer names ! Anyway I leave the choice to you..

[arasi]

Now we know who is who--welcome, Ravikiran of the reeds, to the forum. The vocalist Ravikiran is G for gAyakA! Would be nice if we see your pics to know which Ravikiran is which--The other Ravikiran (Narasimhan) is lodged in our minds as his very own self, as a chitraviNadhara, though he can sing too!

[rajaglan]

Ravikiran,

Welcome to the forum.
There are more people required here from bangalore so that there are more reviews of bangalore concerts.
Wish you all the best in your career.

[ramakriya]

Thought I will clear the confusion myself . I was the Ravikiran who played yesterday in Gayana Samaja. I have not been on this forum ( created an account a few minutes ago !). Like ramakriya has mentioned I also play flute duet with my brother Mohan Rangan apart from VVV. My brother lives in SF now.

Thanks,
Ravi

Good to see your post here Ravikiran. Welcome to the forum.

I have attened couple of performances of your brother here in the bay area.

-Ramakriya

[sowmya]

But all are highly popular songs.


I think the concert of TNS on Muthia Bhagavathar today will be the most innovative one. He has an old album on MB krithis. It has Vijayasaraswathi, janaranjani, sahana, niroshta...ragas. A very good album.

True. But in this case, I'm not cribbing. I cannot enjoy an instrumental concert unless they play familiar songs. A song heard for the first time on an instrument may impress with its melody, but doesn't really stay in my mind until I hear it sung...

I was hoping so too, but was sorely disappointed. not with the selection of songs [which was pretty good], but with his music...

[sowmya]

And I'm glad I thought I was the only one getting confused with all the Ravikirans around...

Anyway, Ravikiran, welcome, and congrats! That was a very good performance. May I know who is your guru? And Ashvin's too?

[ashwin_anand]

Hi, this is Ashwin Anand (veena). Sowmya, to answer your query, all three of us (VVV trio) are students of Sangeetha Kalarathna Prof. H.V. Krishnamurthy (father of Sri H K Venkatram). I have also been learning from Sangeetha Kalanidhi Vidushi R Vedavalli for the past year and a half.

Thanks,
Ashwin

[ravikiran]

Thanks Sowmya. My gurus are Sri S.A Shashidhar and Sangeetha Kalarathna Prof. H.V. Krishnamurthy.

[sowmya]

Thanks for the reply. I guess the fact that you have a common guru explains how you gel so well together on stage...Looking forward to more of your concerts, both individually, and the ensemble..