Chitravina Ravikiran

[AVK]

As someone who is exploring Karnatak Music from a untutored aesthetic
approach I generally listen to what sounds good; often times with an
HCM compass directing me in the search for Karnatic musical bliss.

Regardless of the error in my ways I generally feel it is best to
absorb as best as you can before embarking on a theoretical study. In
fact my journey towards becoming a knowledgeable HCM rasika is very
much in its nascent stages, therefore Karnatic music theory seems to be
too much to cope with. However, I do enjoy Ravikiran's Chitravina. I am
curious to know if Ravikiran is highly regarded by purists and not
simply a well marketed former child prodigy? I find his music to be
relatively easy to appreciate. Hopefully it isn't watered down
classical "pop". Of course it doesn't really make a difference because
even light classical music can be equally satisfying as the heavy
stuff. But a good classical music performance must adhere to some
standards, else no matter how good it isn't classical music anymore.
e.g. A bhajan can be as satisfying as the most academically perfect
Darbari Kanada recital but it doesn't make it classical either.

Arjun Kalbag

[psit...@gmail.com]

Ravikiran is by no means a well marketed former child prodigy. He is a
highly talented musician not just on the Chitraveena, but also in vocal
music. I think you are on the right track and by no means is his music
watered down. His concerts are usually of very high standards, with
strict adherence to standards and tradition.

Pravin

[Adi Nemlekar]

Agreed, Ravikiran is a class act. We could use more musicians with his
temperament on the Hindustani front. We're all growing weary of the
un-warranted theatrics (if ever they actually are warranted).

Being an ardent enthusiast of indian slide instruments, I'm a huge fan
of his music. I cannot comment intellignetly on whether his music is
watered down as I'm completely devoid of Carnatic know-how...but I can
say that I find it very moving.

I do have an off-topic question for you guys though. Is it true that
Carnatic "purists" scoff at artists like L Subramanium? Where pray tell
lies this impurity? I find that mindblowing because L Subramanium is
one of my favorite musicians (indian or otherwise) of all times. I
still mantain that one hasn't lived till he's heard L Subramanium play
Hansadhvani.

Aditya

[Todd Michel McComb]

In article <1133375191.6...@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,

Adi Nemlekar <aditya....@gmail.com> wrote:
>I cannot comment intellignetly on whether his music is watered
>down as I'm completely devoid of Carnatic know-how...but I can say
>that I find it very moving.

Ravikiran is capable of playing at an increasingly high level. Keep
in mind, though, that most of the available recordings are from
when he was much younger.

>I do have an off-topic question for you guys though. Is it true
>that Carnatic "purists" scoff at artists like L Subramanium? Where
>pray tell lies this impurity?

The steps by which L Subramaniam articulates ragas and improvises in
compositions are his own, and not strictly of the same layout as past
masters.

Todd McComb
mcc...@medieval.org

[John Wright]

"Adi Nemlekar" wrote

>
> I do have an off-topic question for you guys though. Is it true that
> Carnatic "purists" scoff at artists like L Subramanium? Where pray tell
> lies this impurity? I find that mindblowing because L Subramanium is
> one of my favorite musicians (indian or otherwise) of all times. I
> still mantain that one hasn't lived till he's heard L Subramanium play
> Hansadhvani.
>

No one including his critics doubt his musical skills. But he is not a
traditionalist - here is one example. I attended one of his concerts in
Sydney some years ago. A Carnatic concert performer is expected to follow a
strict traditional format in the sequence of pieces he presents - e.g. first
item must be a short (5-10 minutes) varnam, then a few small krits, then
only towards the middle of the concert come the heavy items - a long kriti
with full alapana/neraval/swarams followed by a short one and then a
detailed RTP ... etc. A 3-hr concert usually has typically 10-15 items. He
didn't follow any of these. Like in a Hindusthani concert, he started with a
1-hr long very elaborate RTP. And played just 3-4 items in the whole
concert, all heavy ones. There were no light items towards the end. Many in
the audience were visibly disturbed by this approach.

He sometimes plays a fast rhythmic staccato-filled ending on multiple
strings (somewhat similar to the Hindusthani 'Jhala') to end his long items.
His playing with western musicians and experiments with fusion music is also
frowned upon by the traditionalists, I guess.

Regards - JW

[naya...@gmail.com]

The L Sub topic is a tangent off the original question about Ravikiran,
but an interesting one.

L Sub is technically brilliant, and his raga bhava is very good.
The only problem with L Sub is that, just as with Shivkumar Sharma,
once you have heard once concert of his, you've heard all of them...
it's a different raga, but if you know the raga, you can predict the
exact pattern he will be following, and it gets really boring.
If you are interested in sheer bhava, listen to his brother L Shankar
playing the pancha nadai pallavi in Shankarabharanam. Beautiful.

Kumar

[kantid...@aol.com]

Hi Aditya,

You wrote

>>I still maintain that one hasn't lived till he's heard L Subramanium play
Hansadhvani<<

Please let me know the details of the CD on which this Hansadhvani
appears. I have one Hansadhvani by him on AAMS 112, 15 minutes. Thank
you,

Regards,

Kanti Dattani

[Adi Nemlekar]

I don't have a CD. I was fortunate enough to hear him play life in a
private mehfil at my friend's place. I do however have that performance
as an mp3.

Aditya