G Ravikiran at MMA 26th Dec

[pperumal]

Had a moving recital by G Ravikiran at the Music Academy.
To me, the first attraction was the unique sounding Gamakakriya alapanai with the slightly different version of Meenakshi. It sounded really ethereal. The second highlight was the expansive Bhairavi ragam.
There was not much time left to expand the Pallavi I felt - compared to the 1 hour of Aruna Sairam I heard after this program, artists like G Ravikiran, Rithvik Raja, etc. are providing serious and classical music!!!!
Carnatic music is in safe hands!!!!

the list(may be incomplete)
1) sourasenesham - sourasena (got this from the program book) (S for Pallavi)
2) RamabhiRama - durbar (R)
3) Meenakshi - Gamakakriya (R,N,S) - first speed N and S - very moving
4) Bhogindra Shayinam (S)
5) RTP Bhairavi
Left after Thani Avarthanam to grab coffee Only to come back after seeing the canteen closed

Amazing concert.
Kudos to the team -VittalRangan (violin), Guru Raghavendran (Mrithangam) and Ranganathan (Ghatam)

- PP.

[harimau]

Had a moving recital by G Ravikiran at the Music Academy.
To me, the first attraction was the unique sounding Gamakakriya alapanai with the slightly different version of Meenakshi. It sounded really ethereal.

The word you are looking for is funereal.

Under the guise of following the notations in Sangeetha Sampradaya Pradarsini, T M Krishna is turning all of Sri Deekshithar's krithis into divasa mantrams.

Who can forget MS (and everybody else) singing a lilting

Madurapuri Nilaye Mani Valaye
Malayadhwaja Pandya Rajatanaye
Vidu Vidambana Vadane Vijaye
Veena Gana Dasa Gamakakriye

Turning that into a funeral dirge takes a special kind of effort.

[Madras-Talkies]

It was a neat concert by Ravikiran.

The swaram m in kuntanavarali was presented well. He showed the traditional pidis that elevated the mood of the concert. Needless to mention the accompanists, they played so well.

Two things: 1.I felt that the artist was not comfortable hitting higher octaves 2. Someone how did not find the azhutham in his bhairavi raga alapana.

[rrnagar_assoc]

I was fortunate to sit through this concert a few seats from the eminent musician from my state- TS Sathyavathi madam.
I overheard her appreciate the concert - since I am a musical illiterate - introduced my grand niece to Sathyavathi madam and she said - 'what a pure music we heard today - we must encourage such kind of music'.

[bhakthim dehi]

Under the guise of following the notations in Sangeetha Sampradaya Pradarsini, T M Krishna is turning all of Sri Deekshithar's krithis into divasa mantrams.

When Vedha mantram is recited by an untrained upadhyayar, it appears only like a divasa manthram.

Though, I appreciate the efforts of TMK, Rksk and Ravikiran in rendering the Deekshithar krithis from Pradarshini, they are unable to strike a chord. Eventually, they get a new version, which is a combination of Pradarshini and the version that they had learnt from their teacher.

For the fault of upadhyayar, we cannot blame Vedha manthram!!

[sankark]

Under the guise of following the notations in Sangeetha Sampradaya Pradarsini, T M Krishna is turning all of Sri Deekshithar's krithis into divasa mantrams.

When Vedha mantram is recited by an untrained upadhyayar, it appears only like a divasa manthram.

Though, I appreciate the efforts of TMK, Rksk and Ravikiran in rendering the Deekshithar krithis from Pradarshini, they are unable to strike a chord. Eventually, they get a new version, which is a combination of Pradarshini and the version that they had learnt from their teacher.

For the fault of upadhyayar, we cannot blame Vedha manthram!!

While I can't vouch that I have heard all such SSP versions and other versions, and skilled enough to understand the intricacies/differences, I have heard atleast 2 - srI bhArgavi bhadram and IshAnAdi sivAkAra (with g2 of srI rAgam usage as announced instead of the g3 only as is in vogue today). They don't sound like divasa mantrams. So this is a sweeping generalization, notwithstanding your knowledge and erudition.

[bhakthim dehi]

Sadharana gandaram (g2) is more dominant than antara gandharam (g3) in the ragam Sahana. In the krithi Ishanadhi, g2 occurs more frequently than g3 when you look into Pradarshini. In the rendition mentioned by you, this g2 is not given due prominence as it deserves. g2 prominent Sahana has a very different flavour. If the rendition was little bit slower, this could have been very well appreciated.
Whereas the above rendition refers to TMK, his student Ravikiran sings like the present Sahana. I really dont know why they should cause this confusion.

Same with Sri Bhargavi too. This krithi was set to misraekam. To my knowledge, TMK sings only in misrachapu (correct me if I am wrong).

Though i appreciate their efforts to sing the versions given in Pradarshini, the product is not as good as it is supposed to be.

[sureshvv]

Though i appreciate their efforts to sing the versions given in Pradarshini, the product is not as good as it is supposed to be.

And it can never be.

On the other hand the Vedavalli school renders several kritis in their unique style. This is not based on a book or notation but on an aural tradition. One never feels that the approach is theoretical.

[bhakthim dehi]

Yes. I too agree there are Vidvans and Vidushis who deliver a good music.
However, their versions too does not match well with the raga lakshanam prescribed in old treatises.
Don't say that theory is different from practical and strict adherence to theory is not required. Our system never separated theory from practical and there was a very good integration between the two. Unfortunately it was lost over the period of time.
Hence, if at all we need know about the music that was extant, we should only look into the treatises like Pradarshini.

[shankarank]

Our system never separated theory from practical and there was a very good integration between the two

How to handle grammar - isn't it a conviction of each Guru and the sadas angIkaram of prevailing times - if ever it was put to a peer review? Can you explain your generic claim?

mEca kAnGi rAja mAtangi handling is justifying enough. Just to land mAtangi on samam they sing it only once. Is there any Artha conflict if it connects back to mE. If so they can leave a gap and do mEca or go back to mInakshi can't they? How does SSP handle this? So many people falter on tALam due to the kARvais, when the kARvais afford such a creative repetition possibilities.

Latest following tadepalli Sri Sarma's critique on dhIrga hrasva handling, mAtangi: all melodic/syllabic stress should be absorbed into mA - the kARvai - and tangi should be very continuous and should not separate! almost no stress on "ta". Possible? What is the SSP verdict?

[bhakthim dehi]

mEca kAnGi rAja mAtangi handling is justifying enough. Just to land mAtangi on samam they sing it only once. Is there any Artha conflict if it connects back to mE. If so they can leave a gap and do mEca or go back to mInakshi can't they? How does SSP handle this? So many people falter on tALam due to the kARvais, when the kARvais afford such a creative repetition possibilities.

I like to admit that I am not competent in talam and its intricacies. I lack both knowledge and interest.
Anyhow let me try to answer this.
meca kAnGi rAja mAtangi runs for 2 tala avarthanam as per Pradarshini. Deergaksharams in that line, namely mE, kA, rA, mA and gi in matangi were notated with kaarvai.

How to handle grammar - isn't it a conviction of each Guru and the sadas angIkaram of prevailing times - if ever it was put to a peer review? Can you explain your generic claim?

I can only guess on this. Govinda Deekshithar attributes his Sangeetha Sudha to the King Raghunatha Nayak. On all possiblities, that book have been , atleast viewed by other poets in the Sadas. Similarly, Venkatamakhin had a great reverence towards his parents and his Guru, Tanappacharya. On all possibilities, he must have shown to them and got it reviewed.