Here is a live concert held at Andhra Maha Sabha, Bombay on 22nd Dec 1962.
I am grateful to Sri. Ravi Joshi for finding the spool and digitising the same. The audio is cleaned and remastered, retaining its original ambience. The concert is presented as one single complete piece to facilitate you to experience the wholesomeness.
What makes this concert great?
Perhaps, this is one of the vintage concerts in which BMK’s rendition of all the kritis are charged with great music together with lyrical beauty, presented flawlessly. So many things play in to make the listening experience of this concert wholesome.
This is a demonstration of creating a fine piece of art that stands out for everything in music; technical content, melody, lyrical accuracy impregnated with beauty, a fineness in expression of emotions, visibility of experience experienced by the team in kriti rendition, swara-vinyāsam, laya-vinyāsam and solid team work.
The Voice in the concert and Tempo:
The silken voice and mastery over the tempo in rendition of kritis, perhaps is another highlight of the concert and needs a special mention here.
My friend Sri. T K Ramkumar said “I really liked listening to BMK’s voice from this period. It is not as mature and majestic as some of his later concerts and it still retained a certain ‘doucer de son’ which almost draws you to it and you don’t feel like letting go. The best analogy that comes to mind is the taste of coconut water from a fresh coconut that is not hardened yet; sweet and tender!”
“Another noticeable thing in the concert is the tempo and the mood of the entire concert. It is very relaxing, never rushed whether in speed or tempo (sthāyi) and the concert very quickly puts you at ease and keeps you there for the entire duration,” he added.
The listening experience:
Swara-kalpana in Hamsadhawani is particularly impressive. Swarās appeared to flow effortlessly as if from a waterfall! And yet the experience of listening to this rendition will remain in one’s memory for a long time. And the violinist (MSG) has not only matched BMK in expertise but made the integration with the vocal so smooth that one enhances the beauty of the other! Really a masterpiece.
The rendition in Kalyāni is ‘le plat de resistance’, which is brilliant and different. It is believed that BMK rendered this rāga based on a request made by the veteran Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu, who was present in the concert. The rāgālapana is a delight in which BMK brings shades of Móhanam and just before you realise he is back to pure Kalyāni. A similar variation is also brought out during the swara-vinyāsam. The elaboration and swara-vinyāsam are performed on the line “nanu ganna talli nā janmamu saphalamāyenamma” as opposed to the pallavi line. This brings a different feeling to the kriti while retaining the brilliance one is used to expect from his rendition of this.
The Hindólam piece, though short, is a delightful exercise on the swarākshara in the lyrics with subtle emphasis on several phrases sounding same but meaning differently, which makes it very appealing to listen to.
Overall, it is a listening experience that one would cherish.
The Details of the concert (Start time of track)
01 Varnam - Rāmapriya - BMK (00' 10")
02 Vātāpi ganapatim - Hamsadhwani - MS-Dikshithar (6' 30")
03 Sujanajeevana -Khamās - Tyagaraja (29' 31")
04 Gānarasiké - Hindóla - BMK (39' 20")
05 Sundari-nī-divya-rūpamu - Kalyāni -Tyagaraja (44' 20")
06 Gānamālinchi - Kalyānavasanta - BMK (1h 37' 25")
07 Brihadhīshwara - Kānada - BMK (1h 42' 25")
08 Marulu_konnāné - Janjooti Javali - BMK (1h 49' 00")
09 Tillana - Móhana - BMK (1h 54' 34")
10 Mangalam - Sowrāstra - Tyagaraja (1h 58' 25")
My sincere thanks and appreciation to all my friends for their support in bringing out this vintage concert for your joy of listening.
Let’s listen to enjoy the music, learn something new and discuss our reflections with others. It is to finally facilitate the process of music for posterity by sharing and listening with the younger generation.