BHARAT SUNDAR AT RAMARAO KALYANA MANTAPA-HABIBULLA ROAD-21/12/16

[CRama]

Accompanists. Trivandrrum Sampath- Violin
Sumesh Narayanan-Mridangam
S.Krishna-Ghatam.

List of songs.
Sahana varnam
Sathinchane- Arabhi-T (S)
Ninne near namminanaura- Panthuvarali-T (R,N,S)
Tulasamma-Devagandhari-T (R)
Muruga Muruga-Saveri PT (R,N)
Tani

Bharat Sunder is the young vidwan who is assenting to the top position very fast. I have earlier heard him in Pallavi Durbar concerts and have developed an appreciation for his vidwat, booming voice which has got lot of azhutham and capable of producing Carnatic sangatis to perfection. His voice can handle flat notes, gamakams and brighas with ease. It seems that he is listening to lot of music of old masters and they do have an impact on his music. Of late, more Sanjayish flavour is seen in his music. I heard recently a concert in the YT in which he sang a splendid Bhairavi.

This is the first live concert I heard of Bharat. The concert of two hours duration- 4.30 P.M to 6.30 P.M. The venue is near to me, but a lousy one for many reasons. Chennai Cultural Academy (earlier called Nungambakkam Cultural Academy) is holding concerts in this venue. The audio system is awfully bad and they have to meddle with it throughout. Today also not different. Bharat started with Mohanam varnam and continued with Sathinchane. The song was rendered with perfection. He further decorated the song with kalpana swaras at Sathinchane. Panthuvarali, Devagandhari and Saveri- three ragas were taken up for very detailed treatment. Each taking 10 minutes. His open throat singing, powerful voice, use of choicest sangathis that produced accurate raga bhavam, gamakams, brighas in optimum measure all portrayed the ragams in a profound manner. Ninne nera namminanura in Panthuvarali was dealt with the sagathis in tact. Elaborate neraval at the lines Veda sastra purana and the following swaras in two kalams were much enjoyable. His high energy neraval followed the pattern of TMK which culminated in a crescendo that demanded huge applause from the audience. Next came an equally elaborate alapana of Devagandhari. Such expansive of alapana of Devagandhari is rare. But there were not much repetition of sangatis. Tulasamma- the composition popularised by Ramnad Krishnan was sung very soulfully.

The main ragam of the day was Saveri. Oh Gosh! What an alapana. Saveri was flowing like Kaveri in the entire Habibulla Road. The alapana was very elaborate that reminded me of TNS alapana in the 80s. His voice traversed all the three octaves with consummate ease and the powerful voice pregnent with manodharmam and raga bhavam brought out the majestic roopam of Saveri. This alapana was most appropriate for a grand kriti of the trinity like Ramabana, Sree Rajagopala etc. But Bharat had other ideas. He chose to sing Muruga Muruga which do not carry the weight for the main song. But Bharat Sunder sang the song in a little more vilamba kalam than normal. He sang again very elaborate neraval at the lines Siriyen en kurai ellam poruthe arul seyvay- high voltage neraval till a thunderous applause falls. Alas! He signalled the Mridangam vidwan to take over. No swarams followed. This was a thorough disappointement for many like me. It is a case of poor planning. He could have avoided swarams for Sathinchane- already it is heap of swarams. Or he could have shortened the neraval for Muruga Muruga and sung swarams. Absence of swarams for the main song took away the weight of the song.

I honestly feel that he eschewed swarams because of lack of time. Bharat is such a gifted singer and at the rise of his career. Better he follow the Sanjay route and not the TMK route. Trivandrum Sampath on the violin played very well. His alapanas were highly imaginative and brought the raga swaroopam most beautifully. Sumesh Narayanan and S.Krishna played with lot of enthusiasm and they had amazing clarity of strokes. The tani was received with loud applause.

[rajeshnat]

....
Sathinchane- Arabhi-T (S)
Ninne near namminanaura- Panthuvarali-T (R,N,S)
Tulasamma-Devagandhari-T (R)
Muruga Muruga-Saveri PT (R,N)
Tani[/b]

The concert of two hours duration- 4.30 P.M to 6.30 P.M. The venue is near to me, but a lousy one for many reasons.

He signalled the Mridangam vidwan to take over. No swarams followed. This was a thorough disappointement for many like me. It is a case of poor planning. He could have avoided swarams for Sathinchane- already it is heap of swarams. Or he could have shortened the neraval for Muruga Muruga and sung swarams. Absence of swarams for the main song took away the weight of the song.
....
I honestly feel that he eschewed swarams because of lack of time. Bharat is such a gifted singer and at the rise of his career.

Crama
This is a non nirvana 2 hours concert , Bharathsundar cannot even extend it as the next artist is waiting . SInce you have not reported after tani , I am assuming may be he sang a viruththam / slokham in a ragamaliga .Per se some thing has to get cut short- you cannot expect a 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours content in a 2 hr concert (very very few have done it, but that is an apoorvam). Also there are two percussioinist so the tani cannot be a 4 minute one that I experienced with only Arjun Ganesh . Vijay Siva few days back only sang a R N for madhyamavati main. There is a chance that if he had sung a R N S T main, he would have not had time for thukkada to give atleast one leisurely closure.

Poor planning is by birth for all those non open ended -non nirvana concert.

Thanks for your subjective impressions. My counterpoint is not to rob your lovely review.

[rajeshnat]

....
The concert of two hours duration- 4.30 P.M to 6.30 P.M.

Better he follow the Sanjay route and not the TMK route.

Crama
TMK route is to sing only an alapana and orphan it without a krithi. If one of the days in the kutcheri if sanjay is asked to sing for exact 2 hours where another singer is waiting and puts virtual pressure , you would know the real vandaVAlam of sanjay or far that matter any musician.

[CRama]

Rajesh. I am also hearing lot of 2 hours and one and half hours concerts with proper planning and execution.

[bhaskaran19]

[quote="CRama"]

Very nice review. However "It is a case of poor planning" - not really it could not been due to poor planning. the artist must have that speed does not require swaram
Also # Better he follow the Sanjay route and not the TMK route# each one of them have got their own style of singing and he need not follow any one of them mentioned nor they are such greats like yesteryears to follow them. In fact Bharat sings much better than these two and he does not believe in gimmicks

[Sivaramakrishnan]

TMK route is to sing only an alapana and orphan it without a krithi

"orphan it"- that's quite an expression, rajesh!

[sureshvv]

Actually that describes it exactly! Good going Rajesh!!