Dear all,
Just planned to analyze (Not review) ONE of the best thaniavarthanam played by mani sir. It is not for experts it’s for people who don’t understand thanis but want to know the intricacies.
I was planning to do this long long long time back. I hope the time has come now. Just have a look @ http://ajsriram.blogspot.com
Suggestions / comments are welcome.
Regards
Sriram j. Iyer
Analysing thani avarthanam
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s_hari
- Posts: 872
- Joined: 20 May 2007, 18:45
Sriram - Hope you complete your analysis soon. I downloaded Mp3 file. Please analyze all aspects, this will help to increase awareness. I am hearing lot of "sabash" in the concert. Which concert is this?
I would like to see more people review about tani in concert reviews, and also it should make people not to 'walk' during tani.
-hari
I would like to see more people review about tani in concert reviews, and also it should make people not to 'walk' during tani.
-hari
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sankirnam
- Posts: 374
- Joined: 07 Sep 2006, 14:18
Yes, this thani is indeed very good, the korvais and thirmanams that both Mani sir and Harisankar play that lead so beautifully up the eduppu (1 aksharam before samam) are just so imaginative and great.
This is from a TNS Music Club concert in 1981, the main piece is a Bhairavi RTP in Adi thalam (Maa Madurai Minakshi, Amba Devi".
This is from a TNS Music Club concert in 1981, the main piece is a Bhairavi RTP in Adi thalam (Maa Madurai Minakshi, Amba Devi".
Last edited by sankirnam on 26 Sep 2008, 11:40, edited 1 time in total.
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mridangamkid
- Posts: 150
- Joined: 03 Sep 2007, 22:11
Finally got around to listening to the whole Thani and have some time on my hands, so if you don't mind I'll give my amature "review" of it.
Kaaraikudi sirs Thani was simply amazing, but what made it so good was how it had bits and pieces from everything to not only make it sound good, but keep it very interesting. Sir started off wih some rather simple paterns (mathematically speaking) yet his nadham and tone quality was top notch, such as now UKS sir plays. He concentrated on showing how to keep the nadham perfect and it was very clear to identify every "nam" from a "jhem" or every "dhi" to a "ta", it was quite clear to make out no matter how fast he was playing. A great example of this is at 3:20, where he plays "Naka dhimi naka dhimi naka dhimi naka dhimi" fast and beautifully. One has to play the pattern this way to get the full effect as to how nice it can be played and sir did it perfectly here. Unfrortunatley, some of the newer artists (and i'm not excluding myself) tend to think "faster is better", yet this is simply not the case, one should first make sure the nadham and tone quality is absolutley perfect, and after you achieve this perfectness is when you can try increasing the speed. What Mani sir has done here is not only play fast, but very clear; which, when performed well, is sinfully good (oxymoron?).
At around the 5:00 mark, you can see he's starting to transition into different nadais, this is where sir really shines I feel. He first plays "nakuthadhimi tha dhimi - nakuthadhimi tha dhimi - naku tha dhimi tha dhimi - dhinakuku thaka dhina" in chathusra, and with ease changes to Thisra (much harder than it appears, believe me). He changes back and forth from chathusra to thisra for a couple cycles, and then does a very nice korvai, both in Chathusra, and then in Thisra. Around 11 minutes you see the same thing of him going from Chathusra to Thisra (naku tha dhimi tha dhimi).
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe soon after that he goes into Mishra nadai, playing "Tha thom thathom tha thom, Tha thom thathom that thom"? It sounds like it anyway, He then plays an amazingly good nadai for Mishra (again correct me if I'm wrong), which completley blew me away. Honestly I can not describe the complexity of how he played with perfect nadham, ease, and mathematical patterns.
Sirs koorapu (sp) was one of the best I've heard in a long time, mainly because he didn't keep it simple. Of course none of the great artists korrapu's are too easy, yet IMO, this korrapu was in another level. It pretty much sumarized how the thani was, he started it off some what easy, yet then got ridiculously complicated playing many different patterns in different nadais. I think this is the first thani I've heard where the koorapu changed nadais throughout the piece.
As for the farans mohra korvai. The farans was very nice, just how I like it actually. Fast, not mathematical but very fast and clear, and led up to the mohra korvai well. The mohra was pretty standard, nothing really too spectacular about that. And korvai I honestly was kinda disapointed in. After hearing the things preceding it, I figured he'd play a long elaborate complicated korvai but it seem pretty basic if you ask me (though I'm not expert).
As for Harishankar sir, no I didn't forget about him but honstly I have to be heading to bed or my parents are gonna get kinda mad. I feel it'd be right to give him a good proper review than the normal "oh he followed the mridangist well" review, so when I have time I"ll givey ou my "analysis" on him.
P.S, I didn't proof read this, so I apologize for any erros I made
P.P.S, If I made a mistake in my "review", please let me know, just remember, I'm really not too bright of a fellow
Kaaraikudi sirs Thani was simply amazing, but what made it so good was how it had bits and pieces from everything to not only make it sound good, but keep it very interesting. Sir started off wih some rather simple paterns (mathematically speaking) yet his nadham and tone quality was top notch, such as now UKS sir plays. He concentrated on showing how to keep the nadham perfect and it was very clear to identify every "nam" from a "jhem" or every "dhi" to a "ta", it was quite clear to make out no matter how fast he was playing. A great example of this is at 3:20, where he plays "Naka dhimi naka dhimi naka dhimi naka dhimi" fast and beautifully. One has to play the pattern this way to get the full effect as to how nice it can be played and sir did it perfectly here. Unfrortunatley, some of the newer artists (and i'm not excluding myself) tend to think "faster is better", yet this is simply not the case, one should first make sure the nadham and tone quality is absolutley perfect, and after you achieve this perfectness is when you can try increasing the speed. What Mani sir has done here is not only play fast, but very clear; which, when performed well, is sinfully good (oxymoron?).
At around the 5:00 mark, you can see he's starting to transition into different nadais, this is where sir really shines I feel. He first plays "nakuthadhimi tha dhimi - nakuthadhimi tha dhimi - naku tha dhimi tha dhimi - dhinakuku thaka dhina" in chathusra, and with ease changes to Thisra (much harder than it appears, believe me). He changes back and forth from chathusra to thisra for a couple cycles, and then does a very nice korvai, both in Chathusra, and then in Thisra. Around 11 minutes you see the same thing of him going from Chathusra to Thisra (naku tha dhimi tha dhimi).
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe soon after that he goes into Mishra nadai, playing "Tha thom thathom tha thom, Tha thom thathom that thom"? It sounds like it anyway, He then plays an amazingly good nadai for Mishra (again correct me if I'm wrong), which completley blew me away. Honestly I can not describe the complexity of how he played with perfect nadham, ease, and mathematical patterns.
Sirs koorapu (sp) was one of the best I've heard in a long time, mainly because he didn't keep it simple. Of course none of the great artists korrapu's are too easy, yet IMO, this korrapu was in another level. It pretty much sumarized how the thani was, he started it off some what easy, yet then got ridiculously complicated playing many different patterns in different nadais. I think this is the first thani I've heard where the koorapu changed nadais throughout the piece.
As for the farans mohra korvai. The farans was very nice, just how I like it actually. Fast, not mathematical but very fast and clear, and led up to the mohra korvai well. The mohra was pretty standard, nothing really too spectacular about that. And korvai I honestly was kinda disapointed in. After hearing the things preceding it, I figured he'd play a long elaborate complicated korvai but it seem pretty basic if you ask me (though I'm not expert).
As for Harishankar sir, no I didn't forget about him but honstly I have to be heading to bed or my parents are gonna get kinda mad. I feel it'd be right to give him a good proper review than the normal "oh he followed the mridangist well" review, so when I have time I"ll givey ou my "analysis" on him.
P.S, I didn't proof read this, so I apologize for any erros I made
P.P.S, If I made a mistake in my "review", please let me know, just remember, I'm really not too bright of a fellow
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ajsriram
- Posts: 76
- Joined: 21 Mar 2005, 13:17
Thanks kid!
As you rightly admit, its Not Misram.
Its Sankeernam. I am just writing and writing to make sure that it will be clear for all people when they read the blog, thats why its taking so much time for me. sorry for that
For sure, I am not gonna REVIEW this thani avarthanam. On Need basis IF NEEDED, Yes IT CAN BE REVIEWED, no doubts on that.
For now Its going to be an analysis and nothing more. About Koraippu, It was in late 80's (79,80,81) he framed these koraippus and this happens to be most primitive format.
In class, We were told that they are not the real koraippus, but format of a koraippu in different nadais.
Will soon post in blog.
Regards
Sriram J. Iyer
As you rightly admit, its Not Misram.
Its Sankeernam. I am just writing and writing to make sure that it will be clear for all people when they read the blog, thats why its taking so much time for me. sorry for that
For sure, I am not gonna REVIEW this thani avarthanam. On Need basis IF NEEDED, Yes IT CAN BE REVIEWED, no doubts on that.
For now Its going to be an analysis and nothing more. About Koraippu, It was in late 80's (79,80,81) he framed these koraippus and this happens to be most primitive format.
In class, We were told that they are not the real koraippus, but format of a koraippu in different nadais.
Will soon post in blog.
Regards
Sriram J. Iyer