Finally, I move on - leaving behind the bhairavi theme that so captivated me for several weeks. In the last of the bhairavi posts - tanayunibrOva - I suggested that MDR would sometimes wear, what I like to call as, a "teacher's cap" when singing. As it turned out, MDR was in a teaching mood during the whole of that concert. I wonder what prompted MDR to get into such a frame of mind? In fact, this was a concert without any live audience! MDR's most popular studio recording (an LP with T. N. Krishnan and Vellore Ramabhadran accompanying him, and containing mahAgaNapatim, sAmajavaragamanA, hariyum haraNum, giripai nelakonna and a kApi tillAnA) also showcases MDR in a teaching mood. Probably it was just the time-boundedness of studio recordings which forced him into that mood - resulting in crisp and measured renditions, without experimentation or sophistication; although, there are many examples of MDR-the-teacher in live concerts also.
In any case, today's post is a tyAgarAjA kriti, srIraghukula in hamsadhwani, from that tanayunibrOva concert (V. Thagarajan and Vellore Ramabhadran were the accompanists). MDR probably loved hamsadhwani and there are some truly brilliant hamsadhwanis in his catalogue. Here, of course, MDR just keeps it clean and simple, yet simultaneously beautiful and melodious. You definitely don't need a diploma in karnATic music either to enjoy this piece or learn some hamsadhwani. Here is one for the masses.
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