NAVYA C
Top 10
Carnatic Music Instrumental Listens of all Time
Although Carnatic music pays heavy emphasis on the vocalist renditions because of the beautiful lyrics penned by legendary composers , the instrumentals have their own grace and beauty . They give a relaxed feel to the mind and some of the legendary instrument players express the lyrics breathtakingly even through the melody . Over the years , Carnatic instrumental renditions have undergone innovative changes and yet stayed strong to the roots . With the Margazhi season on , and Carnatic music getting the front seat in the year , here are the top 10 Carnatic Music Instrumental Listens of all Time :
1 . Raghuvamsa Sudhambudhi- Kadanakutuhalam- Patnam Subrahmanyam Iyer : Over the years , this has been a favourite for Carnatic instrumentalists for obvious reasons . With its gripping notes and progression , the composition instantly sets an ambience through instrumentals . We recommend listening to U . Srinivas ’ s mandolin version and Chitti Babu ’ s Veena rendition of this composition for the racy interpretation- yet staying so strong to the composition ’ s roots .
2 . Vaatapi Ganapathim Bhaje-Hamsadhwani- Mt . Dikshitar : It is usually customary to begin a Carnatic Concert with Hamsadhwani raagam as it is closely associated with Lord Vinayaka . Vaatapi Ganapathim is an evergreen composition and a crowd ’ s favourite over generations . With its intricacies and breathtaking simplicity in right balance , we recommend listening to Kadri Gopalnath ’ s Saxophone rendition of the same- for a new age twist !
3 . Manavi Aalakincharaadate- Nalina Kanthi- Saint Thyagaraja : A raaga with twisted notes , Nalinakanthi is a beautiful choice for instrumentalists . Thyagaraja ’ s majestic composition does complete justice to this raaga- in utmost elegance . The beauty of a
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24 highonscore . com composition lies in its simplicity and bigger reach- Manavi Aalakincharadate does exactly the same . Almost every rendition of this composition in different instruments is appealing !
4 . Maathe Malayadhwaja- Khamas- Muttaiah Bhagavatar : Though a daru varnam as per the composition style , it is quite challenging to perform this in instrument . With its multiple jathis , and variation of rhythmic structure , the composition unleashes the experimental prowess of Bhagavatar . With its instant appeal , the raaga gets complete justice from the composer- and various legendary instrumentalists who have performed it over the years .
5 . Kamakshi Amba- Bhairavi- Syama Sastry : This magnificent composer is known for worshipping goddess Kamakshi and dedicated his life and compositions to the deity . The swara jathi is progressive over each note for every charanam- and the crescendo “ Syama Krishna Sahodari ” gives goosebumps to any listener .
6 . Jagadananda Kaaraka- Nata- Saint Thyagaraja : The first of Thyagaraja ’ s golden pancharatnas , this composition is a majestic beauty . It sets the mood instantly and various instrumentalists have interpreted it in wonderful ways . The raaga Naata , and Thyagaraja ’ s etched notes sound supremely brilliant even after a million listens .
7 . Shiva Shiva Shiva Anaraada- Panthuvarali- Saint Thyagaraja : Panthuvarali is known to be deeply philosophical and has its own sublime beauty because of the prathi madhyamam . This simple yet masterful composition speaks about Shiva Tatvam in style , and is also instantly appealing for instrumentalists to perform . 8 . Raja Raja Radhite- Niroshta- Muttaiah Bhagavatar : An impressive composition with subtle presentation , Raaga Niroshta gets amazing makeover by the master composer . A rare raaga indeed , but the composition brings interesting multitudes of emotions .
9 . Bantu Reeti Koluvu- Hamsanaadam- Saint Thyagaraja : This composition is evergreen in every respect . Saint Thyagaraja completely does justice to the unique raaga with the melodic progression and again- a crowd ’ s favourite as well as instrumentalists alike !
10 . Dhanasree Tillana- Swathi Tirunal : A fantastic tillana brings in the zeal and enthusiasm to the listener , and this is a perfect composition set in the raaga Bhimpalasi- with Hindustani styled nuances .