My Chennai season marathon in 5 days

[kssr]

My wife and I spent 5 days exclusively attending concerts in chennai during the season. We enjoyed 15 concerts plus a Panel Discussion.

I will start with a few observations on the Panel Discussion on Vivadi ragas held at the Music Academy. Panel: Santhanagopalan, Sita Rajan, Rita rajan, Suguna Varadachari. Attendees included Sri.PSN, Sri. TVG, Sanjay, Chiraveena Ravikiran, Sriram kumar, patri and many other vidwans and vidushis.

There was a general anti-vivaadi air. I understand that a raga is a vavaadi if very close notes are in the 72 melakarta scale. Recognised vivadi melas are 40 out of 72! So normal ragas are only 32 melakartas. Where R1 and R2 (R2 is now called Suddha gandhara) , or G1 and G2 ( G1 is now called shatshruti rishabam) or similarly D1 and D2 or N1 and N2 are in the scale they are vivaadi ragas. It is because these notes are very close to each other.

Question is, what about raga with R2 and G1 or D2 and N1 or for that matter any other adjacent notes, say P and D1? These are not called vivadi in spite of the notes being close to each other. Or should we understand that the gaps of this set are more than the vivadi set of ragas? Looking at the veena frets, the spacing seems to be similar and so should be the position an d frequency of the swaram.

There is so much discussion about the vivadi ragas because they are difficult to sing. Confusing and easy for slippage, especially for vocalists.

There were many interesting titbits: Smt.Rita Rajan when she asked her students to sing the wrong song for a particular vivadi raga, she quipped, vivaadi has started showing its effect (confusion). NSG even suggested that in brigas, even if you touch the next swara in a vivadi raga, it should be accepted. "When something cannot be avoided, it should be regularised!!"

It was a great experience. Interesting question that arose in my mind was whether the big vidwans who were in attendance really learnt anything new from the session. They must have, I am sure.

When it comes to concerts, we attended, among seniors, Sri.TNK, Sri.TVS , Sri.TVR and Sri.TNS. All brilliant. Should mention that Sri.MC, once a master accompaniment to TNS, just could not play, while accompanying Sri.TNS in the Mudhra concert. In spite of the starting trouble for TNS, his manodharmam, depth and breadth of vidwat shines through in each of his songs. Really deserves a better violin. Heard this in Mudhra. The other two at MA.

To be continued...

[kssr]

My nomenclature seems to differ from the standard one , in the vivaadi discussion.

My definitions:
R1- Suddha Rishabam
R2- Chatushruthi Rishabam (also called Suddha Gandharam in case of vivadi ragams when R1 comes)

G1- Sadharana Gandharam ( also called shatshruthi rishabam in case of vivadi ragams when G2 comes)
G2- Anthara Gandharam

D1- Suddha Daivatham
D2- Chatushruthi Daivatham (also called Suddha Nishadam in case of vivadi ragams when D1 comes)

N1- Kaishiki Nishadam (also called Shatshruti Daivatham in case of vivadi when N2 comes)
N2- Kakaly Nishadam

[vasanthakokilam]

kssr, yes, the 32 non vivadi ragas are denoted wtih S, R1, R2, G2, G3, M1,M2, P, D1, D2, N2 and N3.

Since the 72 melakarths do not use both Ms, M1 M2 sequence is not even listed as vivadi but that interval is vivadi indeed.

You asked about why other semi tone intervals ( like P D1 ) are not considered vivadi. I guess it is about dissonance. The vivadi semi tone intervals sound dissonant where as the nonvivadi semi tone intervals are not. Why that is so is probably a tougher question, I will leave that to the more knowledgeable people.

Back to the notational aspect, CM notation makes it much more complicated than what it should be.
In reality there are only two variations for each solfa syllable, a lower one and a higher one. We could have used 1 and 2 for it like you naturally leaned towards ( like N1 and N2 ) but CM is entrenched with that 3 variant numbering and so using that differently will only cause confusion.

But we can use lower case and upper case for the lower and higher variation: S r R g G m M P d D n N S'
Then Vivadi intervals naturally fall into place: (r, R ), (g, G ), (m, M ), (d, D), (n, N)

Ah, how simple and clear!. I have seen this lower case, upper case usage in some HM material.

The 72 melakarthas could be represented by the same convention. That is, one does not really need the ingenious and clever 3 variants used by Venkatamakhin. The rule is quite simple to decide which solfa syllable to omit in forming a scale: if (r, R ) omit Ga, if (g, G) omit Ri, if (d,D) omit Ni and if ( n, N ) omit Da. We can then easily accommodate Sri. Kalyanaraman's melakarthas with the rule: (if m, M) omit P.

For kalpanaswara and chittaswara, since the long established convention requires not to use the same solfa syllable for two different notes, make a uniform rule :
( r, R) and ( g, G) sing as (ri ga ),
(d, D) and (n, N) sing as ( da, ni )
Artists can follow this rule, as they do today, for the small minority cases when they sing vivadi intervals.

(note: The convention of not using the same sargam (solfa) syllable for two different swaras in the same raga is not that strict. We see that in ragas like bhairavi where both Da are uttered as Da. It is only for the vivadi interval they do not want to utter the same solfa syllable for both. Even that rule is broken if both Ma s are sung as an interval, though I do not know how common that usage is on those ragas with both Ma imported from Hindusthani)

[kssr]

Thanks. I will probably star using the notation that you have given in the first line.

Now my question should shift focus from the spacing of Swaras which I thought was the culprit that makes a raga a Vivadi, to an appeal to specialists for clarification on the consonance-dissonance angle. This probably is more subjective.

I am yet to find time to write my views on the other concerts I attended.

[kssr]

We started our marathon, minutes after arrival in Chennai with a concert of Ramakrishnamurthy at MA. Ground floor full. Balcony seat. First thing I found was the perfection of the sound system. Anyone with a clear voice has an obvious advantage in this totally distortion-free music system. RKM was excellent. I have heard him once before in Bangalore. But here it was super. Absolute fluency flowed. Highlight was an RTP in Varali. Ragamalika swarams. The violinist Ambika Prasad?, I have not heard before, was very good. (What talent Chennai is producing batch after batch- wonderful )Jayachandra Rao was his energetic self, as usual. I felt 2 hours were totally inadequate for an artist like RKM. RTP had to be stripped to the bone. Probably we cannot get everything- Perfect sound system-primary slot- season concert- music academy and indefinite time. The concert provided an excellent beginning for our tour.

[kssr]

The next important full concert we listened to was of Sandeep Narayan at Narada Gana Sabha Mini Hall . It was 2-4 PM.

The power packed guru styled concert had some lovely moments. Starting with Kalyani adi tala varnam, he presented a brief aarabhi krithi. Bhairavi was taken up for elaboration and Upachaaramu, which I had not heard in a concert in recent times was very refreshing . Neraval and swaram were also wonderfully done. Then came hamirkalyani raga alapana and thaanam. We were given a surprise when he started with " SaathihaL illayadi paappaa- kula thazhchchi uyarchi sollal paavam". I sat up ! What a brilliant selection for pallavi. I do not know if sanjay sings this or it is his own innovation. I felt that he could have pronounced it as "JaadihaL". After all, like all languages, these words are context sensitive. Why make it too pure and rob the impact of the word? But that is just a thought. There were also ragamalika swarams exquisitely executed like a champion. May be a couple of sruti lapses- excusable in CM. Once again a very good panel of accompanying artists, Rajeev-violin, Nirmal - mridangam. I am unable to recognise them and just writing from the list provided by NGS. Overall a very good concert.

Misc observations: At 2 PM, it was pretty warm. After the Bournvita that we had in the canteen below, it was really suffocating in the mini hall. All side doors are locked up. Place is overcrowded with rasikas. people sitting on aisles, standing in a big crowd at the back. AC takes time to probably take effect, if it exists. It is quite strange, as the main hall has no other programme. If they had allowed this concert there, there would at least have been another 50-60 people attending it. Wonder why they punish people who attend these supposedly junior concerts. Because it is free? MA's method seems much more reasonable. That is also the reason why even very junior artists like Vignesh, Subiksha, etc., get a fairly good audience for their concerts in MA.

[Nick H]

it was really suffocating in the mini hall. All side doors are locked up. Place is overcrowded with rasikas. people sitting on aisles, standing in a big crowd at the back. AC takes time to probably take effect, if it exists.

Certainly it exists --- and is usually used to excess. It is one of the places where many of us complain about the freezing conditions! I always choose a seat next to the left wall, because the cold air comes from that side, and, if one sits under the vents, at least it not a direct draught. I have, however, never been part of such a large crowd in that hall.

As to which hall is used, it may be that the concert that you attended was presented by an outside organisation. NGS would have charged them the rate for the hall, and the main hall, whether or not is was free, would surely be much more expensive. Even if it was a "home" concert, the standing costs of cooling, lighting, staffing, the main hall would be much higher.

MA's method seems much more reasonable.

I do wonder why they don't use their mini-hall for post-lec-dem concerts in the season, instead of, or as well as, the main hall. But I'm glad they don't. The lighting design is all wrong, and usually gives me a headache.

[rajeshnat]

KSSR,NickH
May be you both dont know. Till 2008 or 2009 apart from evening slots in NGS Main Hall(NGS sabha and Karthik Fine arts holds it in NGS MAin hall) , lot of morning and afternoon concerts of NGS sabha was also held in NGS Main hall . That was dismantled . I talked with few people . They said apart from evening slots , they donot allow artists to sing in NGS main hall for morning and afternoon slots because of two reasons

1. One is the hall rent and electricity and other exorbitant costs .

2. Some times the hall of NGS is so big that even a decent crowd still looks abysmally small.

3. Most importantly - They donot want to cannibalize the gate collection of evening concerts as morning and afternoon concerts are free. We all know there is quite a few talent in morning and afternoon slots which also sing sometimes even better those in evening slots.

NGS has a different strategy . They are bit unlucky too, unlike vanimahal which has a mini much bigger , I wish NGS had a little bigger mini hall than what it is . But we have to live with it.

[kssr]

Nick. It was very much Narada's own schedule. But I checked the list again. There indeed was a dance programme at 2 PM in their main hall, too... Hence excused !!!

[Nick H]

But not excused for cooking you, or for freezing me!

Thanks, Rajesh, for the background, much of which is as I suspected.

[kssr]

A Small quiz. Can you identify the artists?


http://www.mediafire.com/listen/f7y97iq ... 0padam.wav

[kssr]

My next major concert:

Nisha Rajagopal- Ranjani Ramakrishnan- R.Sankaranarayanan- Prasanna - NGS-Mini Hall 10.15- 2 hours

Not so stuffy at this hour. Very satisfactory concert.

1. Navaragamalika Varnam
2. Meevalle guna dosha - Kapi
3. Bilahari Ragam- Kanugontini- swaram
4. Poorvikalyani Ragam- Deva deva jagadesswara - swaram
5. Soundararajam - Brindavana saaranga - Just brilliant.
6. Kanagasabesan kai vidamaattaar - Valaji?
7. Karaharapriya main ragam - Srinivaasa tava charanam - N,S.
Viruttham- Aaattuviththaal aaduhindren.. Subha PanthuvaraLi- highly emotive- excellent rendition followed by Chiththam eppadiyo in Nadanaamakriya.

[rajeshnat]

6. Kanagasabesan kai vidamaattaar - Valaji

kai viDa mTTAn kanaka sabhEshan - valachi - kallal ramanathan
The first time I heard this number is when Smt aruna sairam sang this.

[kssr]

Yes. same same

[Rsachi]

KSSR,
Ramakrishna Murthy's Soundararajam at BGS is still ringing in my ears. Good that youngsters are taking up tough songs!

[kssr]

Concert of Nisha Rajagopal




I met another interesting artist among the audience. Here is his work and his back view. He does his work in the pen name (pencil name?) of his wife.






------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We then attended Saketharaman's evening concert. Mylapore Fine Arts. Very airy and nice. Enjoyable "Sowkya" concert, as usual

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next was Trichur V Ramachandran's brilliant concert. The mood and spirit was great. On a few of the earlier concerts, I felt that his voice had become very rough and nearly unpleasant. But he has luckily recovered his usual fluent style once again. The stamp of a senior vidwan is unmistakable. Started with a ranjani varnam. His Kanada was brilliant with his usual rolling stones swaras. Kalyani was the main - Endukoni with neraval @ thyagaraja hrudaya sadana. After thani he went on to present Abheri RTP- Madhuram- sumadhuram- adhikasumadhuram. Incidentally this is the clip I have posted earlier in the string. Absolutely satisfying experience.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stayed on for Vidya Kalyanaraman's concert. She no doubt sings very well. Included Pantuvarali- Ninnenere- neraval @ vedashastra. Ragam -Ritigowla and Janani was next. Kambodhi main- Marupadiyum karuvadayum kuzhiyil thaLLi- Gopalakrishna Bharathi- neraval @ Aduththu vanda ennai thaLLalaahaadu, hara hara endru sonnalum podadho. Overall a good concert. I have earlier seen her compereing a TV programme and got a feeling of a somewhat chubby girl, but on stage she was quite a puny young girl!! What her elders should probably tell her is how to make an impressive stage presence. She is totally immersed in her singing that you can see her forehead creased, face contorted and deeply involved. Someone told me that people should practice sitting in front of a mirror. These are just side observations and we wish the young talented artist all the very best.

[kssr]

While waiting for the next concert, we heard a part of Sikkil Neela's flute. She was seated in a chair, so far the better. Some glimpses of her yester years did come through. Grandson Gurucharan was in attendance. Who are we to recommend a dignified retirement to these stars of the previous generation? Nothing more to be said.

Then we attended Amrita Murali's concert. She is without doubt a star performer. Amidst rasikas who are on the look out for energy packed thrillers, I am quite convinced that there are quite a lot of us looking for peaceful enjoyable (sowkyam?!) concerts like this one. Low sruthi maybe less than 5. Nice melodious voice.

List:
1. Daasarathee- Thodi- Good beginning. She kept clearly pronouncing as Daasarachee. Initially thought that it is some kind of difficulty to pronounce certain syllables. But that was not the case as she could manage "thee" in other places well. Some kind of discomfort did creep in by this. But other songs were OK
2. Pantuvarali ragam- Ninnenere nammi- N, S
3. Veeravasanthe thyagarajamaam- Vivadi raga Veeravasantham. Beautiful as all vivadis are.
4. Kambodhi RTP.