Sound quality: superlative
Recording date: August 1992
Of course, the young U. Srinivas was the first to use mandolin in Carnatic music -- this is an electric mandolin, like a miniature electric guitar, having little in common with a "real" mandolin. He has made it work, and it does work well.
I have to say a few words about this recording and the program....
First, this "Real World" label was established for world pop music, and the other selections I've heard are mostly worthless to the serious music enthusiast. However this is a classical performance (ragamalika swaras are a little odd & there is more repetition than I would like), so we are lucky to have such good sound on a Carnatic recording. Nonetheless, the liner notes (which are plentiful, as opposed to so many Carnatic recordings) are filled mostly with drivel -- one has to read the fine print to find the accompanists or the ragas (talas are not given). Wouldn't it be nice if there were some more Carnatic recordings with all-around quality production?
The local Tower alone sold dozens of copies of this disc. I'm sure it's the top selling Carnatic recording ever, at least in the US. Kind of strange, I think.
On the program... it's odd... The first piece is listed as being in raga Hamsavinodhini, while the third is listed as raga "Hamsvorodhini". I think they are correct as I've given them above, although I should not be confident, since I have no idea what "Hamsvorodhini" is. I have only listened to this a few times, so I hope I have the talas right.
There is konnakol in Ganamurthy (this the liner notes will tell us, presumably because we might not notice it!).
I'm sorry to have been so annoying here... I don't know why these sorts of productions set me off. But, really, it's excellent that Srinivas could have this kind of engineering job and on a program of his own choosing. He continues to improve. All told, I could hardly choose a different recording by Srinivas... unless I were to continue standing on principle, but I'm not (quite!) that stubborn.
To purchasing information for this disc.
To Carnatic CD list.
T. M. McComb