Recorded at Darbar Festival 2009

Musicians
Ganesh Rajagopalan (violin)
Kumaresh Rajagopalan (violin)
Patri Satish Kumar (mridangam)
RN Prakash (ghatam)

Ragas performed :
Ragapravaham (instrumental composition) in Raag Gambheera Nattai

Raga Gambheera Nattai, Ganesh & Kumaresh Rajagopalan

Hailed as Carnatic music’s superlative talents, violin brothers Ganesh and Kumaresh Rajagopalan had performed more than 100 concerts even before Kumaresh (the younger) had turned ten. Their insurance broker father was also a talented violinist, and started teaching them at the ages of three and two respectively. By their early teens they received acclaim as prodigies and were playing at major festivals. Citing their maturity of style that belied their years, the AIR (All India Radio), India’s national radio channel bent its rules, lowering the minimum age of an A-grade performer to accommodate and feature both of them in the category of senior-most musicians.

In this video from 2009, they are joined by the supremely accomplished mridangam player Patri Satish Kumar and on the ghatam by the widely respected performer and educator, RN Prakash. The ensemble performs a ragapravaham in Raga Gambheera Nattai.

‘Ragapravaham’ is a concept the violin brothers introduced into Carnatic music almost two decades ago. Set to Raag Gambheera Nattai, this zesty composition deviates from the Carnatic trend of playing vocal compositions on an instrument. Instead, it is a composition that they had written exclusively for instruments and comprises only notes and no lyrics. Beginning with a brief introduction, the composition veers and meanders along fascinating tonal structures and patterns which is enhanced with a prompt, easy and exuberant interplay of the violins carried out in a playful exchange of phrases between the violins as well as the percussions.

Kumar and Prakash display dazzling virtuosity and heightened sense of melodic support with exciting accompaniment. Attuned to the dynamic modulations of the violins, their beats whisper, dance, dash and somersault with the playful expansions of this joyful piece.

Gambheera Nattai is a pentatonic raga of the Carnatic system that has been derived from Chala Natta, the 36th Melakarta. It is a symmetric raga that does not contain rishabha and dhaivata. Its arohana and avarohana are as follows:

S G₃ M₁ P N₃ Ṡ

Ṡ N₃ P M₁ G₃ S

The notes used in this scale are sadja, antara gandhara, suddha madhyama, panchama and kakali nishada. Gambheera Nattai is also known as Suddha Nattai.