Ramakrishnan Murthy - 21 Oct 2012 - Naada Inbam

[srikant1987]

Ramakrishnan Murthy - Vocal
Charumathi Raghuraman - Violin
Kallidaikurchi Sivakumar - Mridangam
N Guruprasad - Ghatam

sarasIruhAsanapriyE - nATa - Adi - ? (sketch, S)
nannu kanna talli - ? - Adi - T
kAmAkShi - bhairavi - cApu - SS (R)
tAyE tripurasundari - shuddhasAvEri - khaNDacApu - ? (R, S)
ST navarAtri krti for the day - kAmavardhani - Adi - ST (RtNS)
tani
...

It was a splendid concert. Ramakrishnan gave his usual wonderful music. It was the first time I saw Charumathi Raghuraman in a concert, and she plays really nicely. Her bhairavi especially was wonderful: phrase after phrase was played with complete nirNayam making it flawless at any basic level. A mark of her tutelage under Prof TN Krishnan, she did not hesitate to use the lower-sa string for kAmA"kShI", which needs a smooth slide to and back from ma for proper articulation.

The shuddhasAvEri sketch by Ramakrishnan did not immediately yield the rAgam to me, but the blame could lie with me or the rAgam even. Charumathi's sketch too was just OK. Then again, the filler gave some time for everyone (me, at least) to chill out. Even so, the swarams were sung to a tricky eduppu.

In the swarajati, Ramakrishnan sang the first two caraNams' sAhityams in the upper register -- I waited with a freezing spine for him to do that to ALL caraNams, but I suppose it's one thing to go real, real high or real, real, low, but totally another to jump up and down repeatedly like that.

The kAmavardhani was gripping. For an almost hour-long exploration of the rAgam, it never sagged into clubbing notes together. I was thrilled to see Ramakrishnan go around the ni for a long while, it reminded so vividly of a Semmangudi kIravANi RTP with MSG ... Charumathi had taken the essence and included it in her reply, but shied away from blasting over it.

Ramakrishnan's tAnam was wonderful, especially around the pancama in the madhyamasthAyi.

The tani especially in the beginning was irritating because the mridangam's shruti refused to come down to the AdhAraShadja, but eventually it sounded just like a kAmavardhini riShabha and was OK to hear.

Would have liked to hear MD's punnAgavarALi krti for the day, but unfortunately it was sung last ... it had gotten late for me and I had to leave. Was hoping it would be sung immediately after the tani (it was already 8 35) and lingered there even, but was disappointed.

[mahavishnu]

Thanks for your report, Srikant.
Nannu kanna talli is in Sindhu kannada. tAyE tripurasundari is by PeriyasAmi tOOran.

The tani especially in the beginning was irritating because the mridangam's shruti refused to come down to the AdhAraShadja, but eventually it sounded just like a kAmavardhini riShabha and was OK to hear.

how unfortunate. sometimes there is not much one can do when the instrument (and the heavens) do not cooperate.

[sureshvv]

In the swarajati, Ramakrishnan sang the first two caraNams' sAhityams in the upper register -- I waited with a freezing spine .

And mine froze! Another instance of a member from the same school treating octaves interchangeably in the Swarajathi.
I wish they would leave it alone if they cannot sing it right.

Just heard a fantastic rendition by Smt. Vislakshi Nityanand on radio of the same swarajathi.

[bilahari]

Is it commonplace to sing the first caraNams in the higher octave? I have not heard it sung that way often, and the elegance of the melodic structure of the composition lies in its careful, note-by-note ascent through the caraNams. When the violinist or vocal accompanist complements the main artiste in a higher octave, it sounds fine, but for the main artiste to do it would detract from this beauty.

Thanks for the review, Srikant. I haven't heard Charumathi Raghuraman in years now, and I'm gad she's playing as well as I remember.

Speaking of shuddha sAvEri, people should sing shuddha bangala more often.

[PUNARVASU]

[quote="bilahari"]Is it commonplace to sing the first caraNams in the higher octave? I have not heard it sung that way often, and the elegance of the melodic structure of the composition lies in its careful, note-by-note ascent through the caraNams. When the violinist or vocal accompanist complements the main artiste in a higher octave, it sounds fine, but for the main artiste to do it would detract from this beauty.

That is what I too felt.