Shashank at Indian Fine Arts, San Diego

[Sindhuja]

Violin: Akkarai Subbulakshmi
Mridangam: Parupali Phalgun

1. Viriboni (varnam): Bhairavi, Ata thalam; Pacchimiriyam Adiyappa
2. Evvarura: Mohanam, Mishra Chapu; Thyagarja
3. Mokshamu: Saramathi, Adi; Thyagraja
4. RTP: Purvikalyani with swarams in Purvikalyani, Simhendramadhyamam, Brindavansaranga, Shuddhadhanyasi, Chakravaham/ Ahir Bhairav, Sriranjani, Abhogi (?!); Adi (double),
5. Krishna nee: Yaman Kalyani, Mishra chapu; Vyasaraya Tirtha
6. Raghuvamsasudha: Kadanakuthuhalam; Adi; Patnam Subramanya Iyer

The concert had a great start with Viriboni. Shashank sketched a short yet gentle, caressing Bhairavi and it sounded so complete. He then started Viriboni and everything seemed great. The pace was right- a slow start and then the brisk change of nadai and a trikalam (in the last line of) in the muktayi swaram in the second speed were stimulating and the multiple speeds (more than 2) in the charanam and chittaswarams were exciting to say the least. Next was a lovely alapanai in Mohanam. Very slow, unpretentious, fulfilling. The intermediate fast phrases proved to be an apt relief. The alapanai also saw Shashank gliding between mandara sthayi and tara sthayi with utmost ease. Evarura started beautifully. It was rendered at an extremely unhurried pace and I surprised myself by thoroughly enjoying it, since I'm usually not a fan of very slow renditions (only to realize in a bit that I had probably been a little hasty in reveling in my newfound liking for this extra-slowness, for the next piece- again slow- made me a bit restless). Kalpana swarams started out slow and were drawn-out very unlike the usual pattern of rendering swarams (where the first few are short and then the length and complexity build up). Many long rounds of swarams in the first speed were followed by the second speed. (BMK entered in between and Shashank paused since some people in the front row were falling at his feet. Shashank then bowed to him and then continued. Pt. Ravi Shankar was there too). Shashank changed his flute in the middle and started playing with one that produced a "thicker" and "more windy" sound- more like a bansuri. It sounded very serene and I briefly almost felt that I was in a Hindustani concert. In the second speed, there was again a shifting of nadai: both tishram and khandam were demonstrated other than the default chaturshram. The last swaram was a grand finale comprising all three nadais, if I'm not wrong.

Shashank then announced that he would play a "brief" Mokshamu in Saramathi and I was wondering if I misheard him, for it was not brief by any measure. Once again, very slow phrases, carefully delineating each swaram; with a few fast phrases in between. Saramathi is very close to my heart, and I'm not sure why, but I couldn't really enjoy this one as much as I'd have liked to. Both Shashank and Subbulakshmi did seem to bring out all possibile variations in the raga, but for some reason I felt it was incomplete- and my only explanation is that it was a bit too slow and drawn-out. Or probably it was just my mood. Of course, although the slow phase was long, it was followed up with many lightning-speed sangathis which were quite amazing. Shashank started the krithi from the anupallavi and it was again of course on the slower side (I have heard renditions faster than this) but seemed alright. He played kalpana swarams at the pallavi and they were very nicely done. But the shift in nadais once again in the second speed seemed to tire me a bit- it had become routine by now.

And then, the disappointment started. Shashank announced that he had a flight to catch and would play a brief RTP in Purvikalyani with a very simple pallavi in Adi (16 beats or rettai kalai, and switch to 8 beats for the second speed). And it had been less than an hour and a half! Purvikalyani was terse. Nothing fancy. The alapnai, including the violinist's lasted about 15 minutes. The thanam was very fast with very few slow passages. Shashank announced that with the flute it's very easy to shift between the mandara and tara sthayi (and added, "of course, with a little practice") and demonstrated it. The speed of alternating between the two octaves was indeed mind boggling. After he finished a certain thanam phrase, Subbulakshmi was about to start thinking it was her turn, but he signaled her that he would proceed due to lack of time. I wished that didn't happen. After the thanam was a short pallavi (unfortunately I didn't note it down but it about murugan). As far as I noted there was no trikalam. The pallavi was only played a couple of times and then the swarams started: Purvikalyani, Simhendramadhyamam, Brindavansaranga and then back to purvikalyani for a few avarthanams. In the second speed, he did some gimmicks in purvikalyani that actually startled me. They seemed like some funny noises to me and I thought I also heard M1 somewhere. He was essentially blowing very rapidly in a staccato fashion and I didn't seem to be able to grasp it. There was then a second round of ragamalika swaras in the second speed: shuddhadhanyasi, chakravaham/ ahir bhairav, sriranjani and then abhogi: I'm not sure I got the last two right, for I don't see the point in playing these two ragas back to back. There was probably one other raga after that, that I didn't get: it sounded like shuddhadhanyasi again, but I'm not sure- Shashank was again doing the staccato thing so the swaras were very unclear (at least to my ears) and I was completely lost (in fact even for some of the earlier ragas, I went more by Subbulakshmi's playing to identify them). Finally he came back to purvikalyani with yet another nadai change pattern and concluded. And then was what was according to me the highlight: he announced that he requests the mridangist to be very brief so he can play a bhajan after?!@! What we then heard was probably thani that could break the record for the shortest thani ever. It probably lasted 2 - 2.5 minutes. Left me quite, quite unhappy to say the least. The next piece was Krishna nee. Very slow, very mellow, very beautiful. And then was Raghuvamsa, in a pace slower than usual. But the charanam alone was sped up to almost 3 times the original speed. The audience, needless to say was all thrilled about the choice of song. He then announced that he usually doesn't play a mangalam because he thinks every composition is so beautiful. He then looked at the first row and apologized to the "senior vidwans"- in case they thought otherwise.

Akkarai Subbulakshmi was just amazing. I have no words for her virtuosity. What was most striking for me was how her playing fit with Shashank's like hand in glove. I've never heard a violinist blend and align so perfectly with the main artist, yet showing her originality and creativity. She matched up to him in every respect and her rapid sangathis in Saramathi were truly riveting. Parupali Phalgun was very good as well and very ably supported Shashank through all the nadai changes and everything he played in general, but I'm afraid I can't say much since a) I don't know much about layam and b) there was almost no thani. One thing I did wish was better was the nadham or sound of the mridangam. It somehow didn't seem very full and rich.

It was interesting to note that this was a very unconventional concert in terms of choice of songs and composers: two elaborate pieces by Thyagaraja back to back; no fast paced krithis in the beginning or in the middle; and concluding with Raghuvamsasudha! I think quite a few artistes today are trying to break out of the "Ariyakudi kacheri padhdhati" (TMK in Music Academy this season for instance, started off the concert with enta vedukondu in saraswatimanohari in a super-duper-slow pace and elaborated it with swarams for 20 minutes)

Overall, I'm a little confused about how I liked this concert. It started off very well but somewhere in the middle of Mokshamu, he lost me. When I was getting out of the hall, I heard two people say to each other in Kannada "Krishna ne bandhange iththu" (meaning "it seemed like Krishna Himself had come down") Well, solely from a talent point of view that may be true, but I'm not sure how true it is from the point of view of captivating the audience throughout. His lack of time disappointed me even more and I left without a sense of fulfillment.

[Sindhuja]

I should have added that we probably could have got 20 more minutes of his playing if the concert had started on time.

[rshankar]

Sindhuja - thank you for that review!

Overall, I'm a little confused about how I liked this concert.

A very succinct way of capturing how many such concerts are for me!

[bilahari]

Sindhuja, thank you for coming good! An enjoyable review, and I completely understand how cheated you must've felt with the rushed proceedings. Whenever someone announces a "brief RTP", it really should be interpreted as "if you seriously love CM, you should seriously consider leaving right now". And the staccato phrases in kalpanaswaras - along with kaNakku - often just seem to be the easy way out when one is lacking in ideas to bring out the rAga bhAvam! But viribhOni must've been wonderful to hear...my favourite varNam of all time.

Do keep the reviews coming and hope the other concerts at the festival are more fulfilling! Wish I were back in SD (OK...looking at the lineup for this festival, not so much, but generally speaking...).

[Sindhuja]

@rshankar: Thank you!
@bilahari: Thank you. Although in general you may be right that short RTPs don't cut it, I remember listening to a great half hour - 40 min RTP by Lalgudi Viji and Krishnan at Ananya in B'lore in Malayamarutham. Short and sweet it was, however cliched that sounds. But with Shashank I felt no component of the RTP sounded really complete, and of course, there was almost no thani!
I haven't been going, and don't plan to go to every one of them due to other commitments, will try and post updates here on the ones I attend.