The usual claims and counterclaims after each season....so what were your memorable and ordinary moments? My list of the best this year:
Sanjay is easily my vote for the best overall performer. I am hard pressed to choose the best of the 3 concerts I heard from him. Sanjay's Pallavi was also the best I was witness to...
OST's essay of Kambhoji at the Academy was probably the most thrilling alaapana I've heard in a while
Pantula Rama, Gayatri Girish and Sangeetha Sivakumar were 3 additions to my list of top women singers. Gayatri Venkat already made it sometime back but those who matter seem to disagree.
Other moments to cherish
Veterans Nedunuri and RK Srikantan performing well beyond the constraints of age in their Academy performances. Also Rama Ravi's wonderful Rakshabettarai in her Academy concert
Neyveli's contrasting delineations of Sankarabharanam - a soulful one at the Academy and a more vibrant one at BVB
The usually unshakeable TNS ever-so-briefly breaking down at the thought of his Guru during his Kalanidhi acceptance Speech.
The documentary, Arar Asaippadar by Prasanna Ramaswamy
The Academy's apparent turn for the better under Murali
Padmanabha's cracker of a debut at the Academy - brilliant Morekozhambu! Too bad about the service though...
A successful transition for many of us from sangeetham.com to rasikas.org - my thanks to all who made this possible!
Looking forward to more observations, comments, reminiscences...
Moments of the Season
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arasi
- Posts: 16873
- Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30
We went to more than three concerts of Sanjay. Yes, they were all quality stuff. Same problem here--difficult to say which one was the best. Even on the day when the violin accompaniment was almost hopeless--he overcame the problem with his vidwat and chutzpah and with other accompanists.
Nedunuri was awe inspiring. RKS is unbelievable--which proves to us that music of high caliber lives for ever.
Neyveli was a treat in his meditative mode (we went to his IFA concert). Pakkala Ramadas, a skilled violin player was simply uncooperative that day (pakkalO kUrchunnadi pakka vAdaymA?) and let down Neyveli by just not responding to his gestures to play. Sorry, that day, Pakkala was an un-accompanist. Others would have been perturbed, but Neyveli remained tranquil, it seemed, bless him. Against the odds, he gave us some blissful moments of music.The percussionists rose to the occasion. More than one rasika went up to them to thank them!
Prasanna Ramaswamy's documentary was not a biography of Sanjay (he is too young for that). It was a vignette about a young musician's search in the realms of music, his connections, family and places. It was more about music than about a musician. The documentary reminded me of the works of french film maker Louis Malle, in places. It had a spiritual aura and in most parts, the visuals were impressive. Still, Sanjay's music in the background and in places where he performed was remarkable. His voice on the film footage sounded great.
As for the academy canteen, I am not a 'meal ticket' but a tiffin person. Didn't get to taste the mOr kuzhambu, but the tiffins were agreeable too. By the way, how did I miss the pizza and latte corner you (?) mentioned some time ago? Surely, I would have had a whiff of the pizza aroma!
Nedunuri was awe inspiring. RKS is unbelievable--which proves to us that music of high caliber lives for ever.
Neyveli was a treat in his meditative mode (we went to his IFA concert). Pakkala Ramadas, a skilled violin player was simply uncooperative that day (pakkalO kUrchunnadi pakka vAdaymA?) and let down Neyveli by just not responding to his gestures to play. Sorry, that day, Pakkala was an un-accompanist. Others would have been perturbed, but Neyveli remained tranquil, it seemed, bless him. Against the odds, he gave us some blissful moments of music.The percussionists rose to the occasion. More than one rasika went up to them to thank them!
Prasanna Ramaswamy's documentary was not a biography of Sanjay (he is too young for that). It was a vignette about a young musician's search in the realms of music, his connections, family and places. It was more about music than about a musician. The documentary reminded me of the works of french film maker Louis Malle, in places. It had a spiritual aura and in most parts, the visuals were impressive. Still, Sanjay's music in the background and in places where he performed was remarkable. His voice on the film footage sounded great.
As for the academy canteen, I am not a 'meal ticket' but a tiffin person. Didn't get to taste the mOr kuzhambu, but the tiffins were agreeable too. By the way, how did I miss the pizza and latte corner you (?) mentioned some time ago? Surely, I would have had a whiff of the pizza aroma!
Last edited by arasi on 04 Jan 2007, 17:36, edited 1 time in total.
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vijay
- Posts: 2522
- Joined: 27 Feb 2006, 16:06
Arasi, I thikn the Pizza/latte counter was mercifully only for the snooty Hindu Metro Plus festival held in November - somebody had the good sense to close it down to make way for Padamabhan's staunch classicism!
Wouldn't have minded the odd cappucino, though, instead of the "ready-made" filter coffee for which one had to scramble between concerts...the lady behind the counter kept up a brave front despite being thus harrassed throghout the day for a whole fortnight!
Wouldn't have minded the odd cappucino, though, instead of the "ready-made" filter coffee for which one had to scramble between concerts...the lady behind the counter kept up a brave front despite being thus harrassed throghout the day for a whole fortnight!
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jayaram
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: 30 Jun 2006, 03:08
I must admit I wasn't there at the season this year (hope to make it for the next season), so my comments could be a bit dated.
From amongst the under-60 artistes getting a mention here, I feel OST is the one that stands above the others in terms of the total listening experience. OST's style has a lot of soukhyam, and to me this is such an important element of CM. While others like TNS and Sanjay are great artistes, OST scores over them in his sruti alignment and restrained style of singing. And he combines adherence to classicism and established ragas with forays into rare ragas and challenging manodharma.
OST seems to have taken over where KVN left.
From amongst the under-60 artistes getting a mention here, I feel OST is the one that stands above the others in terms of the total listening experience. OST's style has a lot of soukhyam, and to me this is such an important element of CM. While others like TNS and Sanjay are great artistes, OST scores over them in his sruti alignment and restrained style of singing. And he combines adherence to classicism and established ragas with forays into rare ragas and challenging manodharma.
OST seems to have taken over where KVN left.