Carnatica Brothers Concert -Guru Vandanam(Raga Sudha Hall)-2

pavithrac71 · Post by **pavithrac71** » 26 May 2009, 17:49

K.N.Shashikiran and Ganesh
M.A.Sundaresan-Violin
Srimushnam Rajarao-Mridangam
E.M.Subramaniam-Ghatam

1.Varnam-Kunthalavarali-KSK
2.Sadananda thandavam--Bahudari-Achutadasar (KS)
3.Pariyachakama-Vanaspathi-Tyagaraja (R)
4.Vinata Sutha-Huseni-Tyagaraja (R)
5.Edayya Gathi-Chala Naatai-Koteeshwara Iyer
6.Nadopasanace-Begada-Tyagaraja (RNS)
7.Siva perumai-Suruti-Papanasam Sivan
8.Javali-Paras

The concert started off with a bright Kunthalavarali Varnam composed by Sri.KSK mama...followed by swarams for the popular piece, Sadananda Thandavam. Shashikiran's Vanaspathi Raga alapanai sounded very melodious. Huseni and Begada Raga Alapanas were by Ganesh... who was in a good form too !
Nadopasanache was the main piece for the evening...the Kalpanaswarams were rounded off with some nice korvais.
Post main phase had two songs...A suruti kriti of Papanasam Sivan and a Javali in Paras !
The accompanists supported the singers very well and enhanced the kucheri !

A very neat, crisp presentation indeed !

Sri.Shashikiran and Carnatica deserve lots of appreciations for having put up a two day programme exclusively in rememberance of his Guru...Calcutta Sri K.S.Krishnamurti....Not many musicians would take their time off and put in efforts to come up with such programmes...to show their gratitude and respect to their Gurus ! Kudos to artistes like Shashikiran !!

srikant1987 · Post by **srikant1987** » 26 May 2009, 19:54

KSK seems to have been very fond of kuntaLa varALi!

srinivasrgvn · Post by **srinivasrgvn** » 26 May 2009, 20:25

Even I attended the concert, but I didn't like it that well.
Here are some of the negatives:
1) First of all, the accompaniments' volume was too loud! I don't know why but I was hearing only the mridangam and ghatam. Sorry to say this but I felt Sri Raja Rao was literally thrashing the mridangam. The vocal volume was too low.
2) In the vanaspathi kriti and in general, the brothers could have given more importance to stagnant phrases i.e. the alapana-like phrases while rendering the song. Those phrases were just too short and not rounded. They sounded a bit blunt.
3) I should say, they could have included some brigas in their bEgadA alapana. Maybe it is their style, but I would prefer an alapana with some brigas atleast.
4) The violinist's returns in husEni alapana were a bit repetitive. He could have explored the raga in a greater detail.
5) The Brothers' pronunciation of words were unclear. They should sing clearly.
6) This has nothing to do with the artistes but rAgasudhA hall management should hire a pest control service and free the place of odd insects, flies and mosquitoes! They are really annoying.

Sorry to highlight so many negatives. I just wanted to tell these. Anyway, here are some of the positives:

1) The varnam was very attractive - new and refreshing.
2) Selection of rare ragas like 'vanasapathi' and 'bahudhAri'.l
3) A nice husEni piece.
4) The singer on the right, Ganesh, has a soft but powerful voice. He is equally proficient as his brother but I liked his singing better than his brothers'(Not in terms of vidhwath or anything but overall effect)
5) Violinist's returns in bEgadA were excellent.
6) Nice kalpanaswaram section in bEgadA kriti.
7) Entertaining post-main pieces.

ganeshkant · Post by **ganeshkant** » 28 May 2009, 12:39

The concert was good but lacked bit of tempo normally U see in the brothers concert.

Huseni alapana by Ganesh was good in the sense normally artists sing any kriti in pieces and fake it look like an alapana.But Ganesh's was a real alapana of Huseni.Unfortunately MAS couldn't take que from the vocalist and played like what I have written above.

Shashi's Vanaspati was also satisfactory.The only problem is he doesn't open his mouth fully and gives a feeling as if he is having some bhakshanam in his mouth.I also missed his manthrasthayi prayogams.I expected him to share Begada alapana with Ganesh but he didn't.The Begada alapana could have been better.I really can't understand why Ganesh didn't come out well in that.

I leave a doubt here.I think the brothers sang Nadopasana in Adi (2 kalai) while RV sang the same in the next session in Desadi.Can anyone clear ? Thanks.

srinivasrgvn · Post by **srinivasrgvn** » 28 May 2009, 12:43

Yes, Smt.Vedavalli also sang the same song! =)
But, I think both of them sang it in Deshadi.

ganeshkant · Post by **ganeshkant** » 28 May 2009, 12:45

Srinivasrgvn,

I know the kriti is same but my doubt is on talam.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 29 May 2009, 09:21

I did not know that artists had a choice for krithis like Nadopasana. At 2-Kalai, 3/4th eduppu, the arudhi et all falls sharply in the right place, namely 5th beat. Math-wise, it is true, any 3/4th eduupu 2-Kalai krithi, when kept as 1-kalai will be 1 1/2 eduppu which is desAdi.