Sri. N Ravikiran (Chitravina)
Akkarai Kum. Subbulakshmi (Violin)
Mannargudi Sri. A Easwaran (Mridangam)
Sri. Ravi Balasubramanian (Ghatam)
Cleveland Sri. R Balasubramaniam (Khanjira)
Waetjen Auditorium, CSU, Cleveland, OH, USA
2013, April 5th, 1930-2130
...
1. Edayya Gati - Chalanattai - Adi - Koteesvara Iyer
2. Baalagopaala - Bhairavi - Adi - Muttusvami Dikshitar (RTNST)
3. Yaalaapadare - Begada - Triputa - Kshetrajna
4. Entadi Kuluke - Kalyani - Rupaka - Tiruppanandal Pattabhiramayya
5. Vega Neevu - Suratti - Rupaka - Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Iyengar
I may have missed a piece in the beginning, but this was by far the best concert of the day. The Bhairavi alapana was out of this world; every phrase had so much depth and weight. As I watched Ravikiran play long phrases without plucking, creating a quite emotional effect, I wondered if this was the nagasvara-bani on the chitravina :-)
The ragamalika thaana (Bhairavi, Latangi, Neelambari, Nattakurinji, ...) was delightful, with Subbulakshmi also displaying her control and mastery over her instrument. Ravikiran chose "Vainikagaayaka ... gopikaamanoharam" for niraval, which was an unusual niraval-line choice based on the number of syllables. But he would excel in any line; I remember a concert in the Seattle area years ago when he executed a brilliant niraval at "Bhavaabdhitaranopayamu nerani" in "Brocevarevare".
The thani was also enjoyable; Sri. Eswaran is a seasoned veteran and orchestrated the thani well with Sri. Ravi and Sri. Balu. Balu seemed to want to renounce his thani turns, and so Eswaran and Ravi participated in an alternating challenge-response.
Ravikiran then took up what his pathantara is well-known for - padams/javalis. The Kalyani padam (javali?) was beautiful as was the Suratti javali.
P.S. At some point, Ravikiran quipped that there were 2 Ravi's and 2 Balu's on stage, but they made up only 3 people :-)