Vid.R K Srikanthan at Gayana Samaja, 14th Jan 2008

[sowmya]

Vocal : Vid. R K Srikanthan
Vocal Support : Vid. R S Ramakanth
Violin : Vid. M A Sundareshwaran
Mridangam : Vid. Srimushnam Raja Rao
Ghatam : Vid. G S Ramanujam

Venue : Gayana Samaja, Bangalore. 14-01-2008
Theme : Compositions of Sri Mysore Vasudevachar

1. Vanajaksha ninne - ??? – Adi
2. Lambodaram avalambe – Kambhoji – Rupaka [O,S]
3. Chintayeham Janakikantham – Mayamalavagowla – Tishra Rupaka [R,S]
4. Naaraayana Namostute – Shahana – Rupaka [R, S]
5. Ramaaramana naaraayana - Nagaswaravali – Adi
6. Pranamaamyaham sri praananaatham – Ranjani – Mishra Triputa [R]
7. Devi Kamalaalaye – Garudadhvani –Adi
8. Baalam gopaalam – Bhairavi – Adi [R,S,T]
9. Bhaavayeham raghuveeram – Behag [?] – Adi
10. Tillana [Naadhidhitom] - ??? – Adi

This was the second day of the week-long festival organised by Aanandaa. Apparently, today’s morning concert was organised under the assumption that it would be a holiday for Pongal. But since Sankranthi in Karnataka is celebrated only tomorrow, the audience was much less than expected. Infact, when it started at 10.30, there were barely 20 people in the hall. By the end, I guess there were around 60-70..

R K Shrikanthan never ceases to amaze, with his voice, and for the sheer energy with which he sings, at his age. Today’s concert was based on Mysore Vasudevachar’s compositions. The selected kritis were all pretty rare [atleast, I hadn’t heard most of them before..] He had selected compositions in different talas, with different tempos.. Most of them were in Sanskrit [except the first and the last], and many had Madhyamakala sahithya, like Dikshithar kritis.

None of the pieces was very elaborate. He chose to give concise pictures of each raga, which were nevertheless very crisp, and captured the essence of the raga beautifully. Lessons in Sangraha-aalaapana, as it were… Ranjani aalapana by Ramakanth was done well too. There was no neraval anywhere, but the swaras for Kambhoji and Mayamalavagowla were nice. Muktaya swaras were invariably handled by Ramakanth. Bhairavi was presented very well. The shahana kriti was very good too, with a pretty chitteswaram.

Violin was good, and I liked his accompaniment for Ranjani and Bhairavi a lot. Mridangam was superb. I know absolutely nothing about the technicalities of percussion. It just sounded very good. Both Rajarao and Ramanujam played an engaging Tani.

If anybody else here attended the concert, or have heard these compositions previously, please fill up the blanks...

[cienu]

Thanks a lot for the amazingly quick review. I would have loved to attend , but as you said , today being a working day in Bangalore , could not have attended the morning program. Vidwan Sri.RK Srikantan is a treasurehouse of Carnatic Music and an erudite scholar to boot. An unfortunate miss

[rajaglan]

Hi,

That was so quick. Thanks for the update. Looks like a new list of mysore vasudevacharya. I have an album of maharajapuram on mysore vasudevacharya and that has only one piece rendered here (Ranjani). I didnot go as I am planning to go for the evening concert by Nithyasree. Travelling twice across the length of Blore on a working day is difficult.

[vijaykrish]

5. Rama ramana nArAyAna - nAgaswaravali

[sowmya]

Thanks. I've added that..

@rajaglan - Ya. I've heard that cd too. That was the lone compositon I was familiar with..

@cienu - I'm just glad I had holidays so that I could attend. That's one of the advantages of being a student, I guess - privileged to have many more off-days..

[kmrasika]

Yes this is indeed a vAsudEvAccArya composition concert. The varNam was probably "vanajAksha ninnE" in mandAri.