Music Academy-Sadas 1st January 2011

[vasanthakokilam]

Actually I was there for both lec-dems and I was going to write about it but you beat me to it.

I witnessed both of those incidents.

The thing between TMK and VS was quite frivolous. It was about karaharapriya. VS mentioned that it is 'possible' that the scale of karaharapriya existed before thyagaraja but it was thyagaraja who gave life to it. TMK took major exception to the first part and insisted that VS should only state the second part and not speculate unnecessarily. VS did not take to that too well. He was going to talk about one more topic. Since that topic also centered on possibilities and speculations, he said he is not going to talk about that, given TMK's exception to even a much smaller matter.

I was almost going to shout out from the audience to encourage VS to speak what he wanted to say but Dr. Pappu wrapped up the proceedings.

The issue between Mala and Shashank was on flute techniques. Again, not much of subsance. Ms. Mala made a wonderful presentation, outlining the various techniques and methods of the past masters. Shashank, seemingly an innovator of flute techniques himself, took exception to some of that, probably to some attribution of a technique to a school that Mala made. I guess Shashank as a debater on these topics is well known and Mala jokingly told the MCs to watch out as Shashank neared the Mic.

[vasanthakokilam]

I was at both Lec-Dem and can confirm those episodes. I just wrote a detailed post but it vanished for no reason.. I will reconstruct my thoughts and retype it later.

-- mahavishnu recovered the post for me... see below.. I am pasting it back here--

Actually I was there for both lec-dems and I was going to write about it but you beat me to it.

I witnessed both of those incidents.

The thing between TMK and VS was quite frivolous. It was about karaharapriya. VS mentioned that it is 'possible' that the scale of karaharapriya existed before thyagaraja but it was thyagaraja who gave life to it. TMK took major exception to the first part and insisted that VS should only state the second part and not speculate unnecessarily. VS did not take to that too well. He was going to talk about one more topic. Since that topic also centered on possibilities and speculations, he said he is not going to talk about that, given TMK's exception to even a much smaller matter.

I was almost going to shout out from the audience to encourage VS to speak what he wanted to say but Dr. Pappu wrapped up the proceedings.

The issue between Mala and Shashank was on flute techniques. Again, not much of subsance. Ms. Mala made a wonderful presentation, outlining the various techniques and methods of the past masters. Shashank, seemingly an innovator of flute techniques himself, took exception to some of that, probably to some attribution of a technique to a school that Mala made. I guess Shashank as a debater on these topics is well known and Mala jokingly told the MCs to watch out as Shashank neared the Mic.

[sureshvv]

Also there was some tiff between

"tiff" as an acronym for "technical differences"?

[Nick H]

t-iff. I like that

[mahavishnu]

VK: sorry you lost all that typing. It can be very frustrating. I once lost an entire working paper, before word processors had the autosave feature.

I hope you will get the energy to repost about those episodes. I am very curious. I did not make it to many technical discussions this year.

[mahavishnu]

Actually I was there for both lec-dems and I was going to write about it but you beat me to it.

I witnessed both of those incidents.

The thing between TMK and VS was quite frivolous. It was about karaharapriya. VS mentioned that it is 'possible' that the scale of karaharapriya existed before thyagaraja but it was thyagaraja who gave life to it. TMK took major exception to the first part and insisted that VS should only state the second part and not speculate unnecessarily. VS did not take to that too well. He was going to talk about one more topic. Since that topic also centered on possibilities and speculations, he said he is not going to talk about that, given TMK's exception to even a much smaller matter.

I was almost going to shout out from the audience to encourage VS to speak what he wanted to say but Dr. Pappu wrapped up the proceedings.

The issue between Mala and Shashank was on flute techniques. Again, not much of subsance. Ms. Mala made a wonderful presentation, outlining the various techniques and methods of the past masters. Shashank, seemingly an innovator of flute techniques himself, took exception to some of that, probably to some attribution of a technique to a school that Mala made. I guess Shashank as a debater on these topics is well known and Mala jokingly told the MCs to watch out as Shashank neared the Mic.

VK, is this what you wrote? For some strange reason, the post turns up when you hit the reply function. But it does not show up in the thread.

[vasanthakokilam]

Mahavishnu: YES!! THANK YOU!! That is so strange.. There have been a few such strange disappearances which srkris is looking into.. You saved me some typing!

I have now copied and pasted it back to my other posting. Thanks.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Another observation during the Academy sadas on 1 jan.

Many young award winners (ok, politely) left the dais even before receiving the awards in person because they had concert engagements. Some even clapped when their 'predicament' was announced (though in admiration of their hectic schedule)!! Even the proxies were repeatedly photographed by the army of lensmen.

Why cant our musicians (at least participants of academy concerts during the series) keep Jan 1 evening free for the sake of the grand finale of the Academy season? If they argue that they can't be sure of the Dhideer awards I have only to pity with them!

[Nick H]

Life, and music, must go on, even on Jan 1st.

Is everyone who played at the Academy to spend that evening sitting in the Academy audience?

That would be a shame for those of us who are attending concerts elsewhere. Let real music take priority over awards

[Sivaramakrishnan]

I meant those artists who were invited to sit in the dais as they had been selected for some award. No prize winner was among the audience.

(Well, going by the number, it was sort of an audience on the dais too during the Sadas).

It's shame a proxy receives the prize even as the winner had just left the dais.

If the winner was so particulaar of the concert engagement, he/she need not have attended the Sadas.

[arasi]

Any pictures to show the 'crowd' on the stage?

[Nick H]

Sivaramakrishnan, it does seem a bit of a strange do.

I suppose it is inevitable that awards related to this season's performances must be announced at the last minute.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

That means nothing short of Sangita Kalanidhi / Acharya / TTK awards which are announced in advance would hold back the 'otherwise early leavers'?

Alternately, Academy can think of giving away the prizes of current year's series at a later date or even during the next year's season!!

[mahavishnu]

The full list of award winners is now posted on the academy website.
http://www.musicacademymadras.in/awardees_2010.php