Pgt Ramprasad, Sriramkumar, Narendran, Sivaramakrishnan at Vani Mahal 1st Sep

[CommonMan]

Entered only during end of rarama intiki - not sure if there was a piece before.

Nadhupai - Neraval at aajaanubaahu: liked the way he dragged "Aaajaanu" from one swaram to another to emphasize on the word. Swaram at "payo" (9 after): the usual LGJ like pattern after pattern leading to payo.

Jayajaya - Sarasangi: It was RKS who showed in every pidi in the alapana that it was sarasangi. His alapana reminded vintage TNK of the 50s...RKSs tonal modulation, bhavam sans exaggeration, sruthi alignment - do I even have words? Narendrans accompaniment for jayajaya was brilliant. The valanthalai meetu with the thoppi sound; and the violin made the song sound like a devagaanam. I hardly could focus on PRP - it was just RKS and TN all the way.

Seshachala nayagam: neraval at Aravinda: I expected swarams but not to be. Until this point, the concert was very nice and brisk but nothing spectacular.

RTP Bhairavi: "Saamakrishna Sahodari Sankari Parameshwari Amba" M.chapu: 4 before the samam. I've realized (and also got it confirmed from PRPs friend) that all pallavi lines of PRP is from a song in the RTP ragam. This was fitting. Ragam was brilliant - and his voice could reach the manthra GA and upper DA; each and every of the sangathis was classy - yes laiden with classism. Reminded me of DKP, Alathore and KVN and the return from RKS was short, crisp and enjoyable.
The thanam was Brilliant (read with 100 r's in the word). Very big fan of PRPs neraval and tanam, in particular. the layam in his tanam rendering gives an effect as if there is inherent mridangam accompaniment in it. Here I thought RKS found it a tad hard to keep up with the pace. Pallavi was sensational with chatusra thisram??? Swarams were from Swarajathi one after the other - this I thought was a terriffic idea. Raga maalika drew the customary uproar applause - Hamsadhwani, Malaamarutham, Kaapi. IMHO I thought he drew lot more applause than what I thought it deserved.
Thani was crisp with TN showing his master class and was cognizant of the strengths and weaknesses of the upapakkavadhyam, HS. TNs balance of edam and valam is usually great - and here it was just brilliant.

Parulanamaata, and thirupgazh - surutti. I have met and spoken to PRP once in RKMs concert - this time as much as I wanted to I could not because of my ill health - had to leave. Good luck to him - look forward to his season concerts if I am here in Madras.

[CRama]

I attended this concert, first time hearing Ramprasad live. It was a very good concert especially the RTP. Nice packaging for a two hours concert including an elaborate RTP. Should hear more of this vidwan. But I find that he is not featured very often in Chennai sabhas.