Karaharapriya RTP by Sri M.S.Gopalakrishnan.

[S.NAGESWARAN]

Dear Rasikas,

The down load link to the RTP of Karaharapriya played by Sri MSG is given below.

http://rapidshare.com/files/228399701/0 ... a.mp3.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/228403847/0 ... a.mp3.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/228406513/0 ... a.mp3.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/228410920/0 ... a.mp3.html

The raga Alapana of KH Priya played by Sri MSG appear to be different from the Alapana played by the majority of artists [both vocal and instrumental] for the KH Priya ragam.

Discussions are underway on the same subject in the M.S.Gopalakrishnan thread.

Since I would like to have expert opinion on this subject, I am posting this in this thread.

I will be happy if any of the experts in the forum is able to throw more light on this subject.

Last two postings on the above subject in MSG’S thread is given below for reference.

S.NAGESWARAN.

srinivasrgvn,
Sri Nageswaran,
Thank you so much for providing that fantastic raga aalapana of kharaharapriya. I loved it. I have never heard such a different exploration of this raga!! Thanks a lot. I owe so much to you. Really grateful.
I am really sorry that I am posting so late. I had no time to listen to music the last few days. But anyway, to my knowledge, I have written the salient features of the raga aalapana. I am reiterating the fact that I am not an expert. I am just a normal rasika. There may be some wrong interpretations. It is the duty of the expert members in this forum to correct me of I am wrong.
Here it is:
* Sri MSG, not only in this alapana, but in all alapanas(as far I as have heard), plays a brief outline of the raga i.e. he explores the full scale of the raga and exhibits its scope first to indicate to the audience what raga it is and its important features. Then, he moves on progressively. That too, not in any marked pattern, it is a free flow of manodharma. But, he explores the raga progressively in stages like most singers do.
* Sri MSG in this alapana, provides excellent balance between gamaka and flat notes. i.e. he plays the gandharam of kharaharapriya as a gamakam in rishabham as well as a flat note(normal). This provides an entirely new outlook to the raga. Many singers do this but they do not have such fine sense of balance. Singers stress more on the gamaka aspect and not touch flat notes(as far as I have heard).
* This may be a repetition to the previous point but, regarding his use of gamakas, it is very judicious and justified.
* One of the different sounds produced by him is in the descending phrases. I do not know how to explain this. It is present in descending phrases like M,,G,R, . As a vainika, I felt it is similar to the splitting of fingers and positioning them in the Veena. Vainikas would know better about this. MSG produces a sound like that here. It is very different and pleasing.
*MSG, even while progressing in stages, covers the scale of the raga in such an amazing manner!! Even in progressions, he renders razor sharp ascents and descents that clearly define kharaharapriya.
* The most unforgettable is the brigas. He is an expert at this and renders excellent briga-like phrases. They are perfect in terms of raga exploration.
* He also makes characteristic pauses at notes like mel Sa or mel Ri and renders fast ascending and descending phrases which is exemplary. The pause itself is so pleasing. The sudden outburst of ascent and descent is really refreshing.
* He makes judicious use of the raga with jantai phrases and in the end, he plays phrases that sound western. I have never ever heard this kind of sound in any kharaharapriya aalapana. I don't know if this occurs only to me. If anybody else heard it, please tell me.
* The few years of my violin playing showed me why this whole aalapana is different. MSG uses long bows. Long bowing means he uses 1 full stretch of the bow for playing. This is the reason why his aalapanas are different. I noticed everywhere, from the start to the end, that MSG uses long bowing technique. Also, the free flow of the raga is impossible if we use many fingers at the same time. The effect is more pronounced if we use one finger to slide on the violin. This is what MSG does. To be frank, I am a 'zero' on the styles of violin playing. As the above two features of MSG were noticed by me,Incidentally, I thought I could search for information about the Parur style on the web. To my utter amazement, this is what was written in their website:
"The Parur-MSG bani, incorporates fingering of international standards and approach beyond time , making every stroke of the bow an enchanting appeal to the mind of the listener. The technique stands for perfection in bowing and fingering based on scientific methods for complete mastery over the violin. One finger playing, long-bow are some of the special attributes.
The bowing and fingering incorporate complex gamakas of Carnatic , the lovely meend of Hindusthani Music and the lovely taanam patterns."
I was shocked that what I noticed was absolutely true!! So, Sri Nageswaran, all these differences are because of the incorporation of the Parur style by MSG!! This provided a new dimension to aalapana playing!! This was quite a news for ME, as I did not know anything about this Parur style. But, it is quite obvious that MSG is the pioneer of the Parur bani.
So, I hope your question is now answered. Sri Nageswaran.
Sorry for the late reply. Thanks a lot for this educative assignment. All the best!!

Sri Srinivasrgvn,

Thank you for your elaborate analysis of Sri MSG'S style of playing and the excellent prayogams of the Alapana using full length playing of the bow.

Meanwhile Sri R.Parthasarathy, Veena player came to my home recently, I have asked the same question to him as to why I am feeling that the KHP raga Alapana appears different from the traditional alapana played by many other artists [both vocal and instrumentalists].

After listening to the Alapana of MSG, Sri Parthasarathy opined that while majority of the musicians build up the phrases of the alapana around the Panchama note,
Sri MSG used the building up the phrases of the alapana more around Madyama note. Again referring to the song "Andavane" krithi of Sri Papanasam sivan, where in the madyamam prayogam is more when compared with other krithis of Sri thyagaraja.

I am only a long standing Rasika of Carnatic music and heard the KHPriya raga alapana by all legendary artists. However I am quite sure that the alapana of KHPriya by Sri MSG is differant.

I will be happy if any of the experts in the forum is able to throw more light on this subject.

S.NAGESWARAN.

[S.NAGESWARAN]

Rasikas,

Since the download link given in Post No.1 above has expired, new down load link is given below.

New download link for KH Priya ragam is given below.

http://rapidshare.com/files/230867745/0 ... a.mp3.html
[UPLOADED ON 09.05.09]

S.NAGESWARAN.

[Vinay]

That one isn't accessible either : (
Browsing through the old threads here, I found many Rapidshare links, almost all of which had expired. I recommend Skydrive. (Eg - http://cid-bbaf7e1ca0356380.skydrive.li ... raja%20PDF). It gives you up to 25 GB of free space. All you have to do is upload whatever you want to share to the Public folder. Also, it allows you to create folder hierarchies like you can on a regular hard drive.

Can't wait to listen to this.

[coolkarni]

.

[Rasika911]

Can someone please upload the karaharapriya rtp again, thanks

[visaalam]

Can someone please upload the karaharapriya rtp again, thanks

My request too. Thanks

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, S.NAGESWARAN, I have already posted my reply in this connection in the sub-thread of M.s.Gopalakrishnan under the main thread Vidwan & Vidushis. I repeat this hereunder.

12-05-2009:Particularly, in this rendering of his Kharaharapriya, the unparalleled Violinist, Shri MSG, being the master of the instrument both in Karnataka and Hindusthani treatment of notes, had very rarely given the full oscillation of either Sadharana-gandhara or Kaishiki-nishada of Karnataka treatment and mostly played with lesser oscillation of them. That is the singnificance of this Kharaharapriya.
In our music, I feel, there are two kinds of renderings and among them while one is of sangathi-controlled the another is of note-controlled. While all the traditionalists are well aware of the former the later is far more sensitive and difficult to handle and manage with. In general, while all the vocalists and instrumentalists are used to sing or play the former, in vocalists, Shri M.Balamuralikrishna, though well versed in any technique, is mostly used to sing the later to keep his identity. And, in Violinists, Shri MSG, though well versed in any technique, is used to successfully follow the technique of the main artist without loosing his identity. This could be observed while playing Ragas like Nalinakaanthi or Vardhani or Hindola or Sindhubhairavi or Kalyani or even Todi or Bhairavi. amsharma

12-05-2009: I cannot give much significance of Shri Parthasarathy’s observations. amsharma

[srinivasrgvn]

Here it is, again, if you want to listen:
Ragam: http://www.sendspace.com/file/iy2b39
Thanam: http://www.sendspace.com/file/ybkg8p

Apart from being quite a musical assignment, this RT is a must-listen piece of music. I hope all of you listen to it and tell your feedback. I don't have the pallavi, unfortunately.