Vocal Concert of Sri S Srivatsan, at Asthika Samajam, (Amara Bharathi) Thiruvanmiyur, on February 1, 2019

[yeshprabhu]

Vocal Concert of S Srivatsan, on February 1, 2019, at Asthika Samajam, (Amara Bharathi), Thiruvanmiyur.

Violin: Mysore Srikanth
Mridanga: N C Bharadwaj

This concert was a veritable feast for those who love Sri Thyagaraja's compositions for their meaningful lyrics, thought-provoking, incisive questions Sri Thyagaraja asks, and messages that reach, unfailingly, like pointed arrows, straight to the listeners' heart. Every krithi sung at this concert was a Sri Thyagaraja krithi.

He started the concert with the soothing Janaranjani Raga krithi Smarane sukhamu Rama nama. Its Janaka raga, Shankarabharana, is so rich in sowkhya bhaava that it has generously endowed Janaranjani with an abundance of sowkhya bhaava also. This raga, when sung in unhurried manner, calms listeners' mind. Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri Madurai Mani Iyer liked this raga so much that he sang it often, in his inimitable way, in his concerts.

The next krithi, Dvaitamu sukhama, Advaitamu sukhama? in Reetigowla raga, is also rich in sowkhya bhaava. After an elaborate, melodious and ponderous alapana that created a meditative mood, he sang the krithi with bhakthi, at slow tempo, and so it was soul-stirring. The Varali alapana he sang to introduce the krithi Karuna elaagante ni vidhame, was wonderful, with pleasant sangathis, and brimming with raga bhaava. He did not try to sing it too fast, with excessive brighas: So many vocalists get tempted to sing very fast, with excessive brighas, especially in the middle of the alapana, to display their "vidwath" and impress the audience. But that would have simply disturbed the mood necessary to express all the pleading Sri Thyagaraja does with Sri Rama.

Srikanta neeyada bala, in Bhavapriya raga, was sung well; but he sang both the krithi and kalpanaswaras a little too fast, I think. Most vocalists, for some mysterious reason, tend to sing this krithi very fast also. But I have heard Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri Nedunoori Krishnamurthy sing this krithi at a much slower tempo, enabling him to sing this krithi with bhaava. Bhaavapriya raga must be sung with bhaava, I think. At fast speed, it is not possible to sing with either bhakthi or bhaava. Speed and bhaava, or speed and bhakthi, are incompatible.

I was very happy that he chose Upacharamulanu in Bhairavi raga as the main krithi of the concert. Bhairavi raga is one of my ten most favorite ragas, and so is the krithi Upacharamulanu one of my ten most favorite krithis. Bhairavi alapana was melodious and it touched me deeply. The violinist, Mysore Sri Srikanth's Bhairavi alapana, was very melodious, elaborate, and soothing. The line for neraval, "Kapata nataka soothra dhaarivai, kaamita phalamu losage Rama" was well chosen for its message that the innumerable real life dramas happening all over the world as the world revolves, are false, deceptive, and unreal, like the drama enacted by dolls being pulled by the strings held by the doll master.

The Thani aavarthanam by the bridangist Sri N C Bhardwaj was excellent. It was a little too loud for my taste, I think. But I have observed that a lot of rasikas like to hear a loud Thani. Next he chose a rare krithi, Edi ni bahu bala paraakrama, in Kapi raga. I haven't heard this krithi sung in a concert in the last ten years, at the very least. Although he sang the krithi at slow tempo, with bhaava, his pronunciation of Telugu words, in this instance, was not very clear. In fact, I had problem to find out what krithi he sang, and I googled the one word I heard clearly -paraakrama, and Kapi raga, and Thyagaraja, three words in all, to determine what krithi it was. He ended the concert with Thyagaraja's lullaby-like krithi, Ksheera sagara vihara, in Ananda Bhairavi raga. It had shades of Manirangu raga, however, because the two ragas share the same swaras, even though Anandabhairavi is a janya of Natabhairavi, and Manirangu is a janya of Kharaharapriya. It is like two first cousins having identical eyes and noses, I suppose. On the whole, this was a pleasant, deeply satisfying concert. Both the accompanying artists, Violinist Sri Mysore Srikanth, and mridangist Sri N C Bharadwaj, contributed significantly to the overall success of this concert.

I was surprised and distressed to note that the organisers of the concert did not provide bottles of drinking water to the musicians. Although such oversight is rare, it is not unheard of. I have observed that at a few other concerts also. The musicians deserve at least some water, especially when the stage gets hot or very warm under bright lights, don't you think so?

After the concert, I approached the vocalist to tell him how much I liked his bhaava-laden singing, and that many of the krithis he sang deeply touched me. He said, "Oh, you spoke to me after my concert at the Raga Sudha Hall also, a few months ago. And told me how much you loved my Nattakurinji alapana. Thank you very much for your comments." Yes, indeed. I did talk to him a few months ago after the concert. I remember, too, what I had said to him. I liked not only the alapana, but also the way he sang Deekshitar's Navagriha krithi, Buddham aashrayami that followed. After a concert, I usually approach the musicians to congratulate them only if I liked the concert; otherwise I leave the hall quietly without talking to them.

Almost four years ago, I had attended a concert by a junior artist at the Raga Sudha Hall. He was barely eighteen or nineteen years old, I guess, and he was singing at the 4.30 pm slot reserved for junior artists. When I arrived at the hall on time, it was empty. And when the concert started, I was the only rasika sitting in the entire front row of seventeen seats. There were perhaps four more rasikas; he was singing to an almost empty hall. But when he began to sing, his soothing, melodious voice reverberated in the hall. Bhaava laden singing. He was composed and appeared mature well beyond his age. It was obvious to me that he was learning from a great teacher. Good pronunciation, singing in unhurried manner. And when he sang alapana, I sensed that he was immersed in ragabhaava. I imagined what it must have felt like singing to an empty hall. Even though I felt bad for him, he seemed totally unconcerned. Years of learning to sing, years of dedication, and years of practicing alone at home. And very few people there to acknowledge him. It was not right that he was singing to a nearly empty hall. Rasikas of Chennai have an obligation to attend the concerts of junior artists if only to encourage them. They are, after all, the future torchbearers of Carnatic Music. I wondered and worried whether he was very sad, even though he did not show his sadness that there were so few people there to appreciate his singing. I was quite overwhelmed and deeply moved. After the concert I told him how much I liked the way he sang the krithis and the alapanas. He looked rather shy, but thanked me nevertheless, and smiled. So polite, so courteous. And what a dazzling smile! And on that day I decided that whenever I am in Chennai, I should make effort to attend as many concerts of junior artists as I could, if only to encourage them. It is no fun, I imagine, singing to an empty hall. A vocalist needs to see human faces, to see their response to his singing, and to help him to continue to sing without feeling let down. I know that most of the concerts of junior artists I attend will be average, and a few will be even mediocre, but occasionally, the concert would be so grand, so satisfying, that all my efforts would be worthwhile, and I would be rewarded.

It was at one such concert in the junior slot that I heard Sri Srivatsan singing the unforgettable Nattakurinji alapana. That alapana is still lingering in my mind, the way the Nattakurinji alapana sung by Sri Ramkrishnan Murthy at the Parthasarathi Sabha, two years ago, is still ringing in my head, perhaps because that raga is one of my most favourite ragas of Carnatic Music, and Sri Deekshitar's Buddham Aashrayami one of my ten most favorite krithis. The way he sang that day was grand, as grand and memorable and deeply impressive as this concert was.

For those who wish to know the Ragas and Krithis chosen, here is the list:

1. Janaranjani raga, Smarane sukhamu Rama nama, Thyagaraja krithi
2. Reeti Gowla raga, Dvaitamu sukhama, advaitamu sukhama? Thyagaraja krithi
3. Varali, Karuna elaagante ni vidhame, Thyagaraja
4. Sahana raga, Raghupate Rama, Raakshasa Bheema, Thyagaraja
5. Bhavapriya raga, Srikanta neeyada bala. Thyagaraja
6. Bhairavi, Upacharamulanu, Thyagaraja
7. Kapi, Edi ni bahu bala paraakrama, Thyagaraja
8. Ananda Bhairavi, Ksheera sagara vihara,Thyagaraja

Yesh Prabhu, Mylapore, Chennai

[hnbhagavan]

Dear Yesh prabhu,

Thank you for detailed posting of Srivatsan's concert.Indeed it is true that Rasikas flock by Musician's name.More Claps if they are famous.Empty Halls are not new especially for young Vidwans.Even for established Vidwans It is no different.Lucky that those Singing in the academy cannot see balcony clearly.In the evening between two concerts People go out and a few come in.
In one of the years in Dec 2017,the first evening slot was RaGa sisters followed by Amrita Murali at Music Academy.
I got the LCD ticket to the Mini hall which also was incidentally jam packed for the RaGa sisters.For the next concert there was a huge exodus of people and in the LCD screen room only a couple of persons were left.
In case you saw my earlier posting on VR Dilip Kumar's concert arranged by Bangalore Gayana Samaja,It was a case of Empty hall.It is a different matter that the concert itself was in a higher plane and was really excellent.