1 Topic by coolkarni

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Topic: M S Gopalkrishnan

Today is MSG's birthday.
Let us wish him a Happy Birthday .

The words MSG Conjures up many images - the panthuvaralis , sindhu bhairavis , Nalinakanthis , Bhavanutha , Hamir Kalyani and others whioch have that classic touch .

And that wonderful smile accompanied by a small bow of the head ,after a round of applause..
My friends son , who trains under him says that he dreads being late for the class .If he is late by five minutes , it is common to see MSG already at the Teaching Spot  , playing the lesson for the day.
Another friend who used to visit that house frequently  fondly remembers that on each and every occasion MSG would have a small gift for him.

How Often Have I seen him ,Violin tucked under his arm,rushung to the dias at the appointed minute , without wasting his time..

On the second day ,after Narada Gana Sabha was inaugurated , we were all waiting for the artists of the day to arrive.The car parking lot wore a fancy look with all the toyotas , standard 2000s (Rover) ...I am noit sure of the name of the vocalist (was it kvn) but at 5.55 pm sharp , a cyclerickshaw rolled into the premises.MSG climbed out and after an exchange of few words (we could see a few notes going back and forth) he had settled the fare for the journey from mylapore to Alwarpet and briskly walked past us to the stage.
for sheer simplicity
That scene is etched in my mind forever.

Here are a few tracks where he accompanies MM Iyer in the Company of PMI

http://rapidshare.de/files/22669470/MM_ … i.mp3.html

http://rapidshare.de/files/22670827/MM_ … a.mp3.html

http://rapidshare.de/files/22669032/MM_ … i.mp3.html

Hope you will like them

2 Reply by Radhakrishnan

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

Happy Birthday MSG! Very well written coolkarniji!! It portrays MSG’s character.
Incidentally, his daughter Narmada is in town Thrissur ,to give a performance later today.

3 Reply by meena

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

Warm wishes to sree msg.

-

Last edited by meena (2008-05-06 04:58)

4 Reply by Radhakrishnan

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

Thank you meena for mentioning that site;it contains all the important information regarding the maestro.
He is known for the purity of notes(sudha swara)be it in mel sthayi.There was an elaborate article in Sruti magazine some 15 years ago about the styles of MSG,TNK and Lalgudi(any body having that issue,pl u/l it here) according to that article,MSG treats violin purely as an instrument,forLalgudi it is 50% instrument and 50% vocal.
Regarding his association with HM and Pt Omkarnath Thakur,1965 M.A concert of the Pt with MSG is available at sangeethapriya.
I recall a Hindusthani concert of MSG 15 years ago at Shastry hall,Chennai.
As person,he was shy,composed and humble,never after popularity or fame.He appreciates all styles of music and has a good collection of his western counterparts.

5 Reply by vasanthakokilam

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

>As person,he was shy,composed and humble...

My only encounter with him for a few seconds after a concert revealed all these qualities. After an MSG's concert, I stuck around talking to a few people in the audience for half an hour or so. And I saw MSG walking down the hall with a couple of people on his side. He wore the simplest of attire. I usually do not go to the stage to talk to the artists, especially not of the stature of MSG ( why trouble them, they are already being bugged by so many  wink  ) ... but something compelled me to walk with him and say a few good words about the concert. He listened patiently with full attention and accepted my words with a smile and graciousness and said a few appropriate words in return. That was a great encouter for  me.

Happy Birthday MSG!!

6 Reply by kaapi

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

Happy Birthday MSG.

Being accomplished in both CM and HM to such a high degree is a very  rare feat. Hats off to the Great Man.

7 Reply by venravi

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

Thodi RTP of DKJ_MSG_UKS.
MSG's reply to DKJ is excellent.
here is the link:
http://www.savefile.com/files/8158584 [url]

8 Reply by srkris

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

A very happy birthday to the doyen.

The Manavyalakim (Nalinakanti) with Trichy Shankaran uploaded by coolkarniji a few months back still rings in my ears as one of the most outstanding renditions of that song.

9 Reply by Suji Ram

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

Coolkarni
Thanks for the tracks.I am a great fan of MSG, though I have heard very few. Would appreciate if you could upload more.

10 Reply by venkatpv

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

great man, indeed!!!

i listened to a Thodi RTP where he accompanies BMK... u/l by raju a long time back... its not the usual "heavy" thodi... but a thodi with a very different feel... the behag that MSG plays in the ragamalika portion is  8) !!!

there is also a rishabhapriya RTP with BMK and TVG!! hiffunda :twisted:

happy birthday!!! smile

11 Reply by Sam Swaminathan

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

As my manaseega Guru, my pranams to MSG Sir on his birthday ( belated, though !).

It would be extremely befitting if some one could upload the concert of MSG Sir in MA when he was accorded the SK title couple of years ago...

Am I hallucinating ??

Cooli.......any luck here ??

Cheers

12 Reply by coolkarni

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

Sam
You are hallucinating ,indeed.
Full Concert uploads are not advisable , we have already decided that.
If you remember the concert details , maybe we could savour a few highlights..
:twisted:  wink

13 Reply by coolkarni

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

I am a great fan of MSG, though I have heard very few

sujiram
you can  mail me at inmech@gmail.com  .I will introduce you to another fan of MSG .. 8)

14 Reply by shanks

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

Sam,
There is a concert of MSG at http://www.sangeethapriya.org

While you are there, download the Omkarnath Takore concert in which MSG accompanies - this is a MA 1865 concert - pretty good one as panditji settles down.

Shankar

15 Reply by Sam Swaminathan

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

Shankar

Thanks for the input. I went to that site.....pray, tell me that was not the whole concert, is it ? Or just a few songs ?

On the Omkarnath concert.....boy am I lucky or am I lucky ?!!

I was 18 then and I WAS THERE AT MA THAT DAY !!!! Beat that !!!

What a concert ? My MSG played like a God that he was....like a shadow...never one step this way or that way....simply proved what a real accompanist should do....I can still see the image of Thakur Saab lifting his head and admiring MSG Sir every time he played back the difficult pieces that he had sung....and I could not understand why....some time in the middle of the concert Thakur saab was scolding Shantha Prasad for some thing he played or did...they were conversing in hindi and so....

Shankar, due to the munificence of people like Raju Sir and Kulkarni Sir and others, I have that concert.....what I want to have now  is MSG Sir's MA concert on his Kalanidhi accreditation......

Sigh.......

16 Reply by vasanthakokilam

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

>this is a MA 1865 concert

>I was 18 then and I WAS THERE AT MA THAT DAY !!!! Beat that !!!

:shock:  :cheesy:

17 Reply by coolkarni

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

that was a good one VK
To know that Sam is 141 years old !!

BTW
If Sam does not mind my spilling a few beans here ...

Sam is the younger brother of Mannargudi Eswaran.

18 Reply by cmlover

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

Gee vk!
Didn't realize you are the reincarnation of our great Thyagaraja wink

19 Reply by vasanthakokilam

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

Welcome Sam.. I have some mannArguDi connections. Did you grow up in mannArguDi?

20 Reply by Sam Swaminathan

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

Hi VK

I was born in Mannargudi ( 3rd Street) and my anna Easwar was also born there. We moved to katpadi in our early years, where my anna started his mridangam from Sri Kuniseri Krishnamani Iyer ( AIR, Bangalore). We moved to Chennai later on and that is where we finished our university etc.

I feel so previleged to be amongst such learned and experienced rasikas like you, Kulkarni sir, Raji sir, Lakshmanji, Meena, CM lover....just to mention a few....

I will keep visiting the site just to learn that much more ...

Please keep it flowing....

Regards

21 Reply by prashant

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

I've been an MSG fan as long as I can remember. My parents and uncle were also huge fans of his, and growing up, my house resonated with Chembai/MSG, DKJ/MSG, MMI/MSG and early BMK/MSG. In 1988, after a long gap, MSG was to visit Mumbai. I was keyed up by the thought of 'finally' seeing the great man live. He was due to accompany Sri TVS at Chembur FAS [in those days, concerts were held in a pandal at Gandhi Maidan, Chembur], and perform a solo with Dorai Sir the next day at BRRS. He played a vintage kamAs at CFAS.

The next morning, he visited my house [my grandfather and MSG were close friends]. I was pushed in front of him and he was informed that I 'was learning music.' He asked me to sing something, and hesitatingly I sang the rItigauLa aTa tALa varNam which I had just learnt. That evening, the hall at BRRS was jam-packed. My uncle and I arrived early and took up the vantage point, sitting on the floor right under MSG's nose. He as usual arrived on the stage a minute before the concert was to start and meticulously tuned his violin. He looked straight at me, gave me a smile and launched into the rItigauLa varNam! I will not forget that moment as long as I live  wink

In the 60s, MSG used to stay with my grandparents during his visits to Mumbai. My grandmother describes him as a man of extremely simple habits. Every day, he would practice in a methodical fashion: saraLi varisai, jaNTa varisai, alankArams in multiple speeds, a varNam and then a krithi. Truly one of the all-time greats!

22 Reply by shanks

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

MSG is one of the very few persons (MDR is the other) who has played a wide variety of ata tala varnams - most of the performers stick to the bhairavi, kanada, kalyani and may be kamboji.

I have heard play bhariavi, kalyani, sankarabaranam (KVN sings this one), kanada, narayanagowla, kanada, reetigowla, kamboji and todi. Barring todi in which you get to hear shades of sindhubhairavi on occasions, his rendering of the varnams are gems.

Talking of the reetigolwa varnam, i have a concert of his at BARC with Dorai and Harishankar starting with reetigowla varnam and probably RTP in natakurunji.

23 Reply by shanks

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

An interesting statement that i heard from someone is that Palghat Mani Iyer has accompanied MSG ONE SINGLE time only. At the end of that concert, he apparently told MSG that he would NOT ever play for him again :shock:

There could be an element of truth in this because to my knowledge there is just one concert of MSG with PMI accompanying. Is this correct or known fact?

Cannot fathom why PMI chose not to accompany MSG - specially considering that he has played for the L brothers.

Seems that people either love his playing or simply do not like him at all. Surely they have no idea what they are missing.

I once heard an organizer of a major group in US that he does not like MSG period - needless to say MSG has never performed in their venue.

24 Reply by prashant

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Shanks: It is indeed the same concert [ninnE namminAnu main, rAma bhakti sAmrAjam / nIlAyatAkshi etc]. The kanjira is not Harishankar, but Dorai Sir's disciple Sri N.H. Jayaraman.

There's of course a famous MMI concert with MSG & PMI which has shaDvidamArgini and awesome sindhubhairavi swarams in the pallavi. I also have an SSI concert documented as MSG / PMI [srI krishNam bhaja mAnasa main] but of course, documentation can be notoriously unreliable  :?  :?

The famous Semmangudi kIravANi RTP was made special by MSG's touches, especially his reply in the AlApanA and some phases of the tAnam. That, in my opinion, is one of the finest pieces of live music ever recorded [in any genre]. Such intensity and verve!

I also agree with you on his rendition of varNams, especially the monumental kalyANi aTa tALa varNam. His rendition of sAvEri and nATakurinji varNams is also crisp and delectable. I have a soft corner for MSG's sAvEri - I heard an RTP in this rAgA about 8 years ago by him and it still remains vivid in my memory.

25 Reply by prashant

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Re: M S Gopalkrishnan

Shanks: It is indeed the same concert [ninnE namminAnu main, rAma bhakti sAmrAjam / nIlAyatAkshi etc]. The kanjira is not Harishankar, but Dorai Sir's disciple Sri N.H. Jayaraman.

There's of course a famous MMI concert with MSG & PMI which has shaDvidamArgini and awesome sindhubhairavi swarams in the pallavi. I also have an SSI concert documented as MSG / PMI [srI krishNam bhaja mAnasa main] but of course, documentation can be notoriously unreliable  :?  :?

The famous Semmangudi kIravANi RTP was made special by MSG's touches, especially his reply in the AlApanA and some phases of the tAnam. That, in my opinion, is one of the finest pieces of live music ever recorded [in any genre]. Such intensity and verve!

I also agree with you on his rendition of varNams, especially the monumental kalyANi aTa tALa varNam. His rendition of sAvEri and nATakurinji varNams is also crisp and delectable. I have a soft corner for MSG's sAvEri - I heard an RTP in this rAgA about 8 years ago by him and it still remains vivid in my memory.