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pb
ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 12, 2003 09:05 a.m.

Hi,
RS' sitar in the dvd "In Portrait" looks a lot like mine , from far away :-) The parda look almost flat and the thing that the strings hook onto on the base looks metal as opposed to the one that Anoushka plays. It also looks a fair bit smaller than his daughters. Is this a sitar that is made for an older man?

The pen work is really ornate, with two colours. I always thought two colours looked a bit gaudy and perhaps cheap, but if you look closely at his sitar, it is really impressively done. (Mine has two colours, that is why I think it looks cheap).

Although I really like the darker sitars, now that I see the nice wood grain in Anoushka's sitar, I think I am starting to come away from the dark side.

Anything else special about RS' sitar?


Pb
Billy
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 12, 2003 10:06 a.m.

There's a pretty good photo of her Nodu Mullick sitar on the cover of her "Live at Carnegie Hall" CD. It looks like the penwork on this one is red and black. Is this the sitar you're talking about, or would it be her Rikhi Ram sitar?

By the way, I think it says somewhere on her website that she has two Nodu's. Considering there were supposedly only six made, she's pretty much got the market cornered! Must be nice. .

Namaste',
Billy Enigmar Godfrey
K.K.
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 12, 2003 01:48 p.m.

Pb: There's really nothing special about Ravi's new sitar except that it has the 'Om' symbol inlaid in it. It was custom made for him by R.R. The reason why the two-color pen work on this sitar doesn't look cheap is just because it was done well. The sitar is smaller than his previous sitars - notice the difference in the size of the neck compared to Anoushka's N. Mullic's.
One of Anoushka's N.M.'s is her favorite, but both her and Bapi prefer to play the newer R.R. sitars because of the maintenance and worry factor of playing the older 'masterpieces.' What's interesting is that they're not as picky as most of us on the Forum are.
Reminds me of a story - ('Oh no, here he goes again') The late, great Formula One driver, Jimmy Clark, once took a milk truck out onto the race track and came within a few seconds of the lap record. It just goes to show ya
I have to agree with you about the lighter vs. darker finishes. My teak Mangla has a clear finish (no stain) and the natural wood color and grain really show through nicely. But I like some of the dark reddish finishes also. I guess it just depends on the particular sitar.

Billy, you are correct about the Shankars cornering the market on N.M. sitars - they own all of them except one!
Neal
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 12, 2003 03:37 p.m.

Hey Pb - AGREED. That sitar Ravi plays in PORTRAIT is my favorite looking and sounding sitar of all time. Neal

Hi,
RS' sitar in the dvd "In Portrait" looks a lot like mine , from far away :-) The parda look almost flat and the thing that the strings hook onto on the base looks metal as opposed to the one that Anoushka plays. It also looks a fair bit smaller than his daughters. Is this a sitar that is made for an older man?

The pen work is really ornate, with two colours. I always thought two colours looked a bit gaudy and perhaps cheap, but if you look closely at his sitar, it is really impressively done. (Mine has two colours, that is why I think it looks cheap).

Although I really like the darker sitars, now that I see the nice wood grain in Anoushka's sitar, I think I am starting to come away from the dark side.

Anything else special about RS' sitar?


Pb[/quote]
Lars
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 12, 2003 08:34 p.m.

If I remember right, his sitar is 20+ years old and a "Golden Jubilee" edition RR. . The metal thing that the strings anchor to is made of metal versus bone. The name of it is the "Langot" but most of us just call it 'the metal thing'. .
The finishes on the sitars aren't actually clear, they have various opaque powders mixed into the shellac. . .
Lars
pb
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 12, 2003 08:48 p.m.

Thanks guys. The pen work on his sitar is incredible. He Lars, can you get that done :-)

I think that RKS sitars have taken the look and colour from his sitar. Mine looks so much like it, but only from a distance. The details of his sitar are sweet

Is it me or is Anoushka's sitar too big for her? It is such a beautiful instrument, I would play it if it were 6 ft long. Anoushka is very easy on the eyes too!

Pb
K.K.
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 14, 2003 03:44 p.m.

Hi All: Here's some more info that may be of interest. I talked with Kenji today. He got back last night from the concert in Portland.
Guruji's sitar is around 10 years old. R.R. made a new gold label for it so that it would be more "recognizable" so to speak. About a year ago, R.R. changed the frets and opened it up to do some mods to it. Kenj says that now the action is too low and it has to have the nut & bridge raised because the strings buzz.
Some news: Evidently Anoushka's right hand is bothering her (she's been on holiday too long) so she couldn't play. Raviji fans got a special treat as he played the whole show. Kenji said Raviji is in good health and it was an exceptional concert.
So. .unfortunetly Anoushka will be cancelling some shows and not opening for Bapi on some shows.
Billy
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 14, 2003 04:02 p.m.

K.K. (Sep 14, 2003 03:44 p.m.):
Some news: Evidently Anoushka's right hand is bothering her (she's been on holiday too long) so she couldn't play. .

How very sad. She will never be a Master player.

Namaste',
Billy Enigmar Godfrey
pb
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 15, 2003 08:53 a.m.

Hi,
I'm sure Anoushka will be fine by the time they come this way on Oct 3. She is pretty easy on eyes :-) Although, if not, it would be a real treat to hear RS the whole time. I'll be in the 4th row centre so, I am really looking forward to the concert.

Pb
AJ
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 14, 2003 04:59 p.m.

How very sad. She will never be a Master player.[/quote]

Naw, she can always model or be a movie star or something. . . . .check out Manilal Nag's daughter, Mita, Billy. . . . . . .!!!

http://www.calcuttayellowpages.com/adver/102811.html

AJ
Billy
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 15, 2003 09:14 a.m.

pb (Sep 15, 2003 08:53 a.m.):
Hi,
I'm sure Anoushka will be fine by the time they come this way on Oct 3. She is pretty easy on eyes :-) Although, if not, it would be a real treat to hear RS the whole time. I'll be in the 4th row centre so, I am really looking forward to the concert.Pb

Must be nice; best I could do was tenth row, a bit to the side. The best seats went to the season subscribers, and even though I put in a pre-order well before the season seats were filled, the tenth row was the best left over. Guess I'll drag in the binoculars. Still, I'm looking forward to (hopefully) seeing both Anoushka and Ravi.
Namaste',
Billy Enigmar Godfrey
Amitava
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 15, 2003 12:27 p.m.

Mita and Mailal are scheduled to tour in the Spring of 2004.

Billy, I doubt closeness to the artists would do much good. RS probably will not be able to use many of his signature techniques - and/or compromise on form. Anoushka should fare better if her hand is back in form.

I used to be very taken by the physical distance to observe technique, but slowly outgrew it, since it distracts from the music. But this is a phase - and hopefully we will outgrow it somewhat. Also the sweet spot of the auditorium is rarely in the front. So 10th row is not bad. Once I purchased tickets late for one of RS's performances, and got center seats in the orchestra pit. . .who says the early birds get the best seats? So seat exchanging may be possible for you as well for better seats. Check regulalrly.

Enjoy the performance.

FYI. .Good professional artists make it a point to practice "regularly". Manilal for example practices atleast 2-3 hours a day even when he had nothing going on. .or busy. Indrajit seems to do the same. This is not just to keep the physical aspects of the performance in tone, but also keep growing on the musical ideas/imagination.
Russ
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 15, 2003 01:36 p.m.

I don't get much from watching the hands/fingers during a performance anymore. Now I know the basic boles and finger techniques, it really doesn't matter.
Indrajit taught me how to listen this time around in College Station, especially to raag construction and evolution within a given taal. I think listening using the "right brain" for the sheer beauty, but also listening with the "left brain" to hear the raag evolve should be the primary goal of any ICM rasika (or professional for that matter). Ravi is not as flashy with the flying fingers anymore, but he can still create an excellent raag, and yes he can still play fast. Anoushka I know less about, but she is getting better each year.

From what I've experienced, off-center somewhere between the sitar and tabla seems to be a good spot in many recital halls. In good concert halls, sound will not be effected by distance from the stage. Amplification with mikes, mixers and speakers are used anyway. If the sound system sucks, then go for front row seats.

Good advice I got from Indrajit. If you can practice at least 45 minutes each day, you will stay with the music, and playing will come naturally. Creativity depends on the individual, but most of us here play other instruments as well. So, just use that.

OK, my 10 rupees worth. . .
Russ
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 15, 2003 02:06 p.m.

Amitava, do you know Manilal&Mita's schedule? Is it posted anywhere?
Billy
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 15, 2003 03:15 p.m.

Amitava (Sep 15, 2003 12:27 p.m.):
FYI. .Good professional artists make it a point to practice "regularly". Manilal for example practices atleast 2-3 hours a day even when he had nothing going on. .or busy. Indrajit seems to do the same. This is not just to keep the physical aspects of the performance in tone, but also keep growing on the musical ideas/imagination.

That was my point about Anoushka; if she is having hand problems because she has not been working, she will never be a master of the craft.

By the way, my wife can't understand why I'm more excited about seeing Shahid Pervez at the ICMC concert in a couple of weeks. She's never heard of him, so he must be no good, right? I think he is great!

I like Ravi and Anoushka well enough, and you bet I'm happy about finally getting a chance to see Ravi. But I'd rather see just about anyone in the Khan family (not everyone, but most of them), no matter what they played.

Namaste',
Billy Enigmar Godfrey
Billy
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 15, 2003 03:24 p.m.

Russ (Sep 15, 2003 01:36 p.m.):
I don't get much from watching the hands/fingers during a performance anymore. Now I know the basic boles and finger techniques, it really doesn't matter. OK, my 10 rupees worth. . .

And well worth it. But remember, you've been playing for like, 30 years, and I've been playing for like -2 weeks! So yes, I want to see those fingers. I've been listening for years, and I know how to enjoy and meditate with the music. Now I'm interested in how those sounds are made. So who can blame me? But I'm not going to be holding the binoculars during the whole show. I hate even the thought of doing that. Trust me, after the first rag, I'll settle down and enjoy.
Namaste',
Billy Enigmar Godfrey
Russ
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 15, 2003 06:10 p.m.

30 years? No, not really. I played the sitar for about 3 years in the early 70s, but then I got into both electric guitar and electronic music. The sitar took a hiatus. I have a Gibson electric guitar and Moog synthesizer, both vintage from the 70s. I stayed with those staples for over 20 years. It was only around 1997 that I came back to the sitar. Now, that's all I play. It would be difficult for me to go back to guitar at this point.

But I don't blame you. First time I saw Ravi, I had to watch his hands as well and figure out how he was doing that magic. But, the magic is in the mind, not just the hands. The hands do what the brain tells them to do.
The Imdadkhani school has their own following for sure. Very precise and energetic playing. But the Maihar Senia style impresses me more so. That school seems to have more "rasa" to it, more feeling. But hey, if Parvez played anywhere within 200 miles from me, I'm there!
Remco
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 15, 2003 06:26 p.m.

That was my point about Anoushka; if she is having hand problems because she has not been working, she will never be a master of the craft.

What worries me more: if she has worked too hard and has handproblems. I suffered from RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) due to over practicing, in combination with doing computerwork. My therapist told me of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra 83% of the musician have serious healthproblems caused by their instrument.

Peace,

Remco
Billy
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 15, 2003 07:51 p.m.

Remco (Sep 15, 2003 06:26 p.m.):
That was my point about Anoushka; if she is having hand problems because she has not been working, she will never be a master of the craft.

What worries me more: if she has worked too hard and has handproblems. I suffered from RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) due to over practicing, in combination with doing computerwork.


Extremely good point. And I don't know how one would deal with RSI in such a situation. I too ocassionally got RSI from typing all day, and I learned how to type a little differently, and wore splints when needed, and never had a problem again. But is there much you can do with your right hand technique on sitar? I really doubt it. If she's suffering RSI, she can stop playing for a while, and that may cure the symptoms for the moment, but she's likely to have the problem recur. That would truly be a loss. She has so many other talents to fall back on! But I know she worked so to master sitar, I hope she can stick it out.

And I hope you have found a way to beat RSI. I've been there, and I hope I don't go there again!

Namaste',
Billy Enigmar Godfrey
K.K.
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 15, 2003 09:52 p.m.

Billy (Sep 15, 2003 07:51 p.m.):
[quote]Remco (Sep 15, 2003 06:26 p.m.):
That was my point about Anoushka; if she is having hand problems because she has not been working, she will never be a master of the craft.

. .But is there much you can do with your right hand technique on sitar? I really doubt it. If she's suffering RSI, she can stop playing for a while, and that may cure the symptoms for the moment, but she's likely to have the problem recur. .

Hi All: When Anoushka was younger, she studied piano and sitar, until she developed a problem. Her doctor told her that she had to make a choice, she couldn't play both instruments on a pro level. This is nothing unusual - any professional musician or athlete can (and usually will) develop problems at one time or another. Back in the -80s, when I was playing in a LOUD rock-n-roll band, I developed tendonitis in my left elbow and had to take a year off from playing (or have surgery.) 20 years later I'm fine, I just don't play so damn hard.
Anoushka�s recent problem is just because she's been on holiday for some time. I've had the same problem after not playing drums for a couple of weeks. My hands will cramp up bad. You've got to ease back into it, which evidentially Anoushka didn't. Hey, she�s only 21 years old, she�s not as wise as all you old farts! :-)

Billy
Re:ravi shankar's sitar in "In Portrait" Sep 15, 2003 11:36 p.m.

K.K. (Sep 15, 2003 09:52 p.m.):
[quote]Billy (Sep 15, 2003 07:51 p.m.):
[quote]Remco (Sep 15, 2003 06:26 p.m.):
You've got to ease back into it, which evidentially Anoushka didn't. Hey, she�s only 21 years old, she�s not as wise as all you old farts! :-)

Well, I'm sending special prayers her way. From reading some the interviews all over the Internet, she has done a lot to make ICM accessible to the West, especially to young women like her. I think that's super!

I also read she's being filmed for a Bollywood movie about dancing, and have been going through intense dance lessons, so that may have caused or exacerbated the problem. I just would really hate to see her talent wasted!

Namaste',
Billy Enigmar Godfrey
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