N Ramani, Music Club IIT Madras

N Ramani - Nagai Muralidharan - Guruvayur Durai - E M Subramanian

Clasfest 2008, Music Club IIT Madras, CLT
12th August 2008. 6:45 pm

sAmi ninnE - srI rAgam - Adi - Karur Devudu Iyer
vAtApi gaNapatim - hamsadvani - Adi - MD (S)
gurulEkha - gauri manOhari - kaNDa cApu - T (S)
gOvardana girIsham - hindOLam - rUpakam - MD (RS)
mAmava mInAkshi - varALi - misra cApu - MD (RNS)
manasu vishaya - naTTAikuranji - Adi - T (RS)
tani
parulanna mATa - kApi - rUpakam
surdas bhajan - janasammOdini - Eka tALam (R)
tillAnA - sindhubhairavi - Adi - LGJ
nI nAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram - Adi - T
madhyamAvati short sketch

It was an amazing concert. Sri Ramani's initial short sketch of srI rAgam was so soulful that one felt it was going to be a great concert. The varNam was rendered effortlessly. The next number, which has become rare these days, was rendered beautifully with all its sangatis and some nice svarams as well. gauri manOhari was awesome, the svarams were just flowing.

The first AlApanai was a very elaborate hindOLam. Sri Ramani traversed across the octaves with utmost ease. I m told that it is very tricky to play tAra sthAyi notes in a flute. However, hearing Sri Ramani reach the notes up to the atitAra shadjam with ease dint seem so. The seasoned veteran he is, he knew how to get what he wanted to play. The varALi (another toughie for a flautist) was marvellous and rendered beautifully. The main nATTaikuranji was completely binding. One could easily get lost in the music. Sri Ramani weaved magic, with phrase after phrase. The kriti, another rare entity in the concert circuits, was rendered beautifully with elaborate round of svarams. The kApi jAvaLi, the bhajan and the tillAnA were all rendered beautifully. The janasammodhini AlApanai was surprise and very enjoyable.

Sri Ramani also used the base flute in some parts of the hindOLam and nATTaikuranji AlApanais. It was tooo good a concert to end in 2 hours. One wanted more. What i enjoyed beyond the rAga bhAvam was the not-so-intricate and yet beautiful kaNakku which he played in all his svaraprasthArams.

Sri Muralidharan on the violin was totally accomodative and played everything gelling with the main artist's renditions. Sri Durai was playing for the kritis, as he must have been playing for them, for decades now. His playing for each sangati and for the manOdarma parts was very inspiring. Sri Subramanian ably supported him. The tani they shared was good as well.