Maharajapuram Ramachandran@Parthasarathy Swami Sabha on Dec 19th,2016

[rajeshnat]

Maharajapuram Ramachandran@Parthasarathy Swami Sabha on Dec 19th,2016
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vocal : Maharajapuram Ramachandran
Violin : MA krishnaswami
Mrudangam : Patri Satish Kumar

Concert Type : Non Nirvana - concert to follow and Ticketed concert
Day/Duration : Monday -2 hours and 05 mins
Sabha : Parthasarathi swami sabha

1. bEgaDa varnam (I think)
2. varasiddhi vinayagam (S)- nAttai - ambi dikshitar
swaras for 6 mins

3.karathiniL vEl yEndum kandan(R N S) - hamsanAdam - swami surajAnanda (possibly tuned by SKR or TMT)
neraval in ezhilAna peyar kOnda azhagan eerAru karam koNda murugan for 2 mins
6 mins swaras

4. manasu swadheenamAi(R N S)-shankarAbharnam - T
11 mins alapana and mins violin return
neraval in tanavu tanavaaka was brief
swaras

5. nee vAda nee gAna - sArangA - T

6A. RTP in kalyanavasantham for 38 mins
14 mins alapana
8 mins taanam
pallavi line was ---->>>>> vasanthOsava priyakaram govindam kalyAna
swaras in multiple rotations in kalyanavasantham+vasantha + kalyani
pallavi neraval and swaras for 16 mins

6B. tani for 07 mins

7A. viruththam - kandA guhA shanmughA -hameerkalyani
+ anJel indru Odum ayya - bhAgeshri
+ pArtharul seyya parAmugham- amruthavarshini

7B. eNmugham pArayya - amruthavarshini - Yazhpaanam veeramani
8. alapana of madhyamavati

[rajeshnat]

I had to miss the first varnam as i was transiting from NGS to Partha. It was a mylapore day and I was the mylapore core rasika and attended three concerts. This concert was between Amrutha Venkatesh and Malladi. Per se the motivation was to hear the combo of ramachandran and patri, to the best of my knowledge i dont recollect even in print media or any of our reviews where Patri and ramachandran have paired . As i entered I was told he sang a begada to start with which i missed. Despite giving allowance to the not so perfect sound in this marriage hall converted 100 year old sabha , I felt Patri to an extent was way too loud. IN nattai even the powerful voice of ramachandran was drowned by duracell patri.

The submain was a fantastic hamsanAdam . Ramachandran with his booming and deep nAdham made it really a hamsa nAdham. Brigas rolled superbly . i have tasted this krithi with the same neraval and swaras in NGS few years back, there is a sure class when ramachandran sings with such power ezhilAna pezhar konda azhagan and the swaras - he and patri were the chinese ping pong table tennis stars in an olympic final, it was superb music.

The main was in shankarabharanam . Alapana was well done , ramachandran started with the anupallavi but his neraval was not upto mark. He just went round and jumped into swaras - there was a little disconnect in shruthi at few rounds in shankarabharnam main

Maharajapuram ramachandran usually avoids RTP . When he sang a superb alapana in kalyana vasantham , i was thinking he will sing his appa patented shree venkatesha in kalyana vasantham. FOr a change it was the taanam - grounded in madhyamakalam and his voice came only from only one point - his nAbhi. THe pallavi line was nice and he rotated in quick succession the swaras in kalyanavasantham , vasantha and also kalyani . Ideas in mid to lower octave were nice but in higher octave the ideas were there in attempt but could have been better delivered .

His appa sings this kanda guha shanmugha in a more leisurely fashion and he has sung in few ragas like brindavana saranga , basant bahar and subhapantuvarAli . I am certainly not asking ramachandran sir to sing in the same ragas- but What I donot like he is singing this extraordinary viruththam in a semi kavadi chindu fashion which his appa has not done . I wish one of the days I get the same emote like santhanam . The ragas were even in quality with amruthavarshini at the end and thrusting into enmugham pAr ayya was lovely. Incidentally at some point in the beginning of bhageshri the power went out .

Volume was considerably high for both MA krishnaswamy and definitely for Patri . SOme time in midpoint It was relayed , MAK was telling yes I can adjust the volume as he had the gadget and Patri also nodded . But however with only the gentle thrust of shankarabharanam and kalyana vasantham pallavi the volume was regulated by the structure of raga devathai

Patri did play with enthusiasm . I felt if the volume was bit adjusted before the midpoint that would have been great . His roll especially in hamsanadam was fantastic.The chief spoiler was the left toppi microphone

Overall a very good concert for 2 hours and 05 mins.

[Purist]

quote rajesh : " I am certainly not asking ramachandran sir to sing in the same ragas- but What I donot like he is singing this extraordinary viruththam in a semi kavadi chindu fashion which his appa has not done . I wish one of the days I get the same emote like santhanam "

I have heard MVS sing 'kanda guha..' in kavadi chindu style on many occasions, as like his father MVI use to .

[rajeshnat]

I have heard MVS sing 'kanda guha..' in kavadi chindu style on many occasions, as like his father MVI use to .

May be there is a kavadi chindu way and also a non kavadi chindu way. There is an extraordinary rendition of santhanam which i think ends with the basant bahar tillana . In that very leisurely santhanam starts with extreme raga bhavam, the kavadi chindu like style does not give the same raga anubhavam.

I did not know that even Maharajapuram vishwanatha iyer sang this viruththam . Thanks for your pointer - Purist.

[Vocalist]

It is interesting to note that he sang the same pallavi several years ago in a review I read at the time - I wish I could have heard this at least now. I will try to look it up after the season is over to identify a more specific time/place when that was.

Interesting artist-accompanist combination. Thanks for the review rajesh.