For vocal music you can say that i feel this song was sung by this/that person because you recognize the voice but how do you say that this mirdangam was played by a particular person? Instruments produce same sound whoever plays it. are you recognizing the mirdangam player by the way he tunes his mirdangam or any improvization he does in playing it?
You have written, "Instruments produce same sound whoever plays it." While what you wrote is quite often true, there are occasions, however, when a few discerning Carnatic music lovers can spot a few instrumentalists by merely listening to a recording. For example, when mridangist Sri Arun Prakash plays for Sri T M Krishna or Sri Ramakrishnan Murthy, it is possible to recognize from his extraordinarily soft bridangam playing that it is Sri Arun Prakash. When other mridangists play for them, one can easily say that that was not Arun Prakash. Last year during the five months I stayed in Chennai for the music season, I attended 263 concerts, and I spotted six bridangam players, among some 50 who played, who beat the hell out of bridangam by thumping too loudly. Now when I hear in a recording some bridanga player beating the bridangam too loudly, I can generally say that it is one of those six players. While one bridangist who thumps the instrument too loudly sounds just like another bridangist who thumps too loudly, it is possible to say when one hears a good bridangam player that he is not one of those six! Similarly, it is possible to identify when Sri Sriramkumar plays violin, by the soft and unique style of his bowing. There are many rasikas who can spot Sri Mysore Chowdiah's violin playing from the unique sound of his seven stringed violin. I have witnessed some men identifying Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman's playing by listening to a recording. Some people can also spot Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri Palghat Raghus' mridangam playing from the quality and sound of the beats and the naada of the bridangam. Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri Vellore Ramabhadran also has a unique "sarva laghu"style of bridangam playing and it is possible to identify him. Of course, I am not saying that I can spot all these musicians, except perhaps one: Sri Arun Prakash! Yesh Prabhu, Bushkill, Pennsylvania
Dear Aravindh, It is quite possible to work out instrumentalists, particularly the more prominent ones purely by listening to the recordings. Mridangam is an artform that has been enriched by many stalwarts who have introduced many different strokes and playing techniques. There are two very prominent schools of mridangam - Thanjavur and Pudhukotai (others like Thinniyam School also exist of course) and within those schools there were/are many stalwarts who introduced banis or styles of playing. Using those as a basis it is quite easy to work out who is playing. I also had a quite an interesting encounter with a well-known violin vidwan (he was staff artist at AIR) who stayed with my family a few years back, and he was able to tell me exactly who the violin artist was after listening to a few sangathis. He’ll say, ‘he plays those phrases in his Bharavi’ or ‘she plays Khamboji in this way’ etc. To my amazement, every time I checked the cd he was correct.
Undoubtedly, TN Seshagopalan is a very learned and industrious musician. However, he always sounds like he is under tremendous strain. I wonder how much more melodious and appealing TN Seshagopalan would have been if he had sung more through his mouth than his nose.
Superb and what a finish by TNS. Born to sing Bhairavi.
Thank You for uploading this Precious Bhairavai.Fortunate to listen to this Great Maestro.
Namaskarams Respected Dear Sir
Listen to the sublime sound of Mridangam. No loud overpowering noise. Could be Umayalpuram Sivaraman.
Not சிவராமன். Might be kv prasad or Rajarao.
@@SribalaRamakrishnan looks like Shri Karaikudi Mani Iyer. You may be right also. But not UKS
Distilled essence of Bhairavi. Thanks for up-loading this piece.
Feather touch Bhairavi.. Namasakaram to Living Legend TNS Sir.
Once again the living veteran legend TNS sir is performing top class !
my favourite raag thanks TNS
Ths classic song I like and farther send me
excelent sir, my son sings this raag
very nice
I get the feeling that Mridangam is Umayalpuram Sivaraman sir..
For vocal music you can say that i feel this song was sung by this/that person because you recognize the voice but how do you say that this mirdangam was played by a particular person?
Instruments produce same sound whoever plays it.
are you recognizing the mirdangam player by the way he tunes his mirdangam or any improvization he does in playing it?
You have written, "Instruments produce same sound whoever plays it." While what you wrote is quite often true, there are occasions, however, when a few discerning Carnatic music lovers can spot a few instrumentalists by merely listening to a recording. For example, when mridangist Sri Arun Prakash plays for Sri T M Krishna or Sri Ramakrishnan Murthy, it is possible to recognize from his extraordinarily soft bridangam playing that it is Sri Arun Prakash. When other mridangists play for them, one can easily say that that was not Arun Prakash. Last year during the five months I stayed in Chennai for the music season, I attended 263 concerts, and I spotted six bridangam players, among some 50 who played, who beat the hell out of bridangam by thumping too loudly. Now when I hear in a recording some bridanga player beating the bridangam too loudly, I can generally say that it is one of those six players. While one bridangist who thumps the instrument too loudly sounds just like another bridangist who thumps too loudly, it is possible to say when one hears a good bridangam player that he is not one of those six! Similarly, it is possible to identify when Sri Sriramkumar plays violin, by the soft and unique style of his bowing. There are many rasikas who can spot Sri Mysore Chowdiah's violin playing from the unique sound of his seven stringed violin. I have witnessed some men identifying Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman's playing by listening to a recording. Some people can also spot Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri Palghat Raghus' mridangam playing from the quality and sound of the beats and the naada of the bridangam. Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri Vellore Ramabhadran also has a unique "sarva laghu"style of bridangam playing and it is possible to identify him. Of course, I am not saying that I can spot all these musicians, except perhaps one: Sri Arun Prakash!
Yesh Prabhu, Bushkill, Pennsylvania
Yesh Prabhu , wow, you explained me very well.
Dear Aravindh,
It is quite possible to work out instrumentalists, particularly the more prominent ones purely by listening to the recordings. Mridangam is an artform that has been enriched by many stalwarts who have introduced many different strokes and playing techniques. There are two very prominent schools of mridangam - Thanjavur and Pudhukotai (others like Thinniyam School also exist of course) and within those schools there were/are many stalwarts who introduced banis or styles of playing. Using those as a basis it is quite easy to work out who is playing.
I also had a quite an interesting encounter with a well-known violin vidwan (he was staff artist at AIR) who stayed with my family a few years back, and he was able to tell me exactly who the violin artist was after listening to a few sangathis. He’ll say, ‘he plays those phrases in his Bharavi’ or ‘she plays Khamboji in this way’ etc. To my amazement, every time I checked the cd he was correct.
it is Shri Guruvayoor Dorai
Undoubtedly, TN Seshagopalan is a very learned and industrious musician.
However, he always sounds like he is under tremendous strain.
I wonder how much more melodious and appealing TN Seshagopalan would have been if he had sung more through his mouth than his nose.