Monday, January 11, 2010

SOLO VEENA

As a Solo Veena player, the way I plan my concert is very different from the way a regular Carnatic musician would do. I do not have a violin accompaniment to exchange dialougues between the swaraprastharas. Nor do i have anyone to play a reply alap after mine. No rest whatsoever.So every note in the concert has to emenate from my Veena. It is important to keep the attention span of the audience. It is important to give Variety. It is important to sustain energy till the end. It is important not to let the concert sag..So, I plan accordingly. This may answer the questions of some who ask why I dont always play a sub main too...

14 comments:

Pssst! said...

Ma'am,

As a follower of your music for over 2 decades now, I have never failed to be riveted by the creativity and thought in your concerts. It is interesting to me that there are still questions raised about the concert format. There has been much change and evolution in the way music is presented today, as compared to the years past. I feel that new and innovative concert formats will do just as much to sustain the audience's attention and interest as the choice of pieces presented. Or is Carnatic Music not at that stage yet? What are your thoughts on this?

Durga said...

Jayanthi ji,

Plase inform when you conduct the solo veena prog.

I will come

durga

Jayanthi Kumaresh said...

Dear Pssst!
Carnatic music is always at a advanced stage. The question is whether the rasikas are?? Whether the musicians are!!! If there is any defficiency, it is with the practioners and listerners..not with the system. If people are unwilling to try new concepts or if people are unwilling to hear new concepts, they have a prb. Not the system. Carnatic music is a very complete system...to say the least.

Sindhuja Bhakthavatsalam said...

Akka, I have two doubts:

1. Why do you not usually have violin accompaniment? (But you have had some in the past right?) Is it a technical (tuning) issue or just a preference? What about when you play with Ganesh-Kumaresh anna or in a Veena-Venu-Violin trio? Pardon my ignorance about the technicalities of instruments.

2. How would you define Carnatic music if not include the artistes in the definition? At every stage, isn't it the artistes who define and redefine the art form? For instance, these days some people start a song from the anupallavi for lack of time- their logic is that the pallavi will anyway come following the anupallavi and again in the end following the charanam. Another example is the rise of modern instruments in Carnatic (Mandolin, Guitar, Keyboard)- these trends were never there earlier on and now they form an integral part of Carnatic. (These are just two examples..) So if Carnatic music is always at an advanced stage, does it embrace all these trends? Or if not, where to draw the line between what is acceptable and what is not? In other words, what is "advanced"? I ask this since I have come across a variety of objections from musicians themselves, about what is and is not to be allowed in a kacheri and am confused...
I would love to know your opinion on this: http://octaves.blogspot.com/2010/01/carnatic-on-keyboard.html

Pssst! said...

Thank you. I know that some musicians do experiment with the tried and tested, but if this were a more widespread phenomenon, maybe the audience would gradually become more receptive to new ideas?

This is not to say that I am not perfectly satisfied with a traditional kacheri, but once in a while it would be nice to sit up and go..hmmm..that was interesting! :)

Jayanthi Kumaresh said...

Carnatic music simply means"that which is pleasing to the ears". Within the grammer of the raga and the parameters of the tala with the mood of the raga and imagination of the artiste, carnatic music reveals itself to different rasikas in different forms. Whatever you choose to seek, you find in it. Your taste shapes up depending on what you choose to seek. I do not have a violin accompaniment any more because Veena is an instrument that is full of subtle graces, and is the queen of embellishment and gamakas - that which charecterises carnatic music. So, i thought it would be appropriate to present it alone. When I play with GK or anybody else, i change my style accordingly. It is like when u r with amma, you are different, when u r with appa you are different. When you are with your friends you are different...similarly when we team up with different people we are different. Do you miss a violin in my concerts?

Sindhuja Bhakthavatsalam said...

Thanks akka. Its not that I miss violin in your concerts- the veena by itself sounds very complete :) I was only curious- for academic interest :)

Veena said...

Hello Madam,

Could you tell me what amplifier and mic do you use?

draman said...

I was mesmerized at the veena lecture-concert where you performed for us at Bangalore. Besides playing the veena in such a heavenly fashion, you did a phenomenal job in talking about music appreciation. You should make a DVD on this- a carnatic lecture-concert DVD. Would be a boon for many of us.
I totally agree that music by itself is a divine experience - no need to confuse it with religion.
deepa

Jayanthi Kumaresh said...

Thank you sir. I truly enjoyed doing the lec dem for all there. Will take up the DVD idea seriously...

Unknown said...

Jayanthi ji,

Namaskaar,

Am going to be a regular follower of your blog now.......:)

hope to see more musical writing.....

VS

Unknown said...

Since you do not have violin accompaniment, do you do a question and answer on the veena to simulate a musical conversation?

Thank you for the wonderful music!

Jayanthi Kumaresh said...

yes Aren. I do have some question answer type of parts in the improvisations

Ramesh Kumar said...

Good day. I have suddenly been smitten by solo veena pieces i.e. with only and only the veena being played. It radiates a certain magical tranquility.

I was on the verge of giving up searching the Net when I stumbled upon your blog. Have you made any CD albums of solo veena recital? If yes, where could I purchase them. I would greatly appreciate it if you could recommend other solo veena albums. Thank you in advance.

Kind regards.
Ramesh Kumar
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia