What is the yardstick?

The number has increased but do all sabhas offer quality experience?

It is human nature to evaluate things, often experiences too. Chennai is gearing for yet another Season of Music and Dance. There is no dearth of variety with programmes happening at venues across the city. Now the quality of these programmes would vary as would the ambience at the venue, which ranges from the best to average. What could be the yardstick to gauge the quality of the sabha hall, which in turn would impact the listening experience. In other words, what are the criteria, which decide the grade that a viewer would give a sabha? When it comes to Chennai concert venues, the best, most would agree is, fairly indisputably, The Music Academy, with the halls at Lady Andal School, Krishna Gana Sabha, Vani Mahal and Narada Gana Sabha following.

This article appeared in The Hindu.

Among the many facets, the first, and foremost, is sound. Like negative space in a painting, with sound too, there are two aspects — there is the sound, of course, and the lack of it. In halls such as The Music Academy, the perfectly installed surround sound Bose speakers provide the ideal listening experience because the hall has practically eliminated external noise from seeping in — even when it pelts rain, it takes a while for listeners to realise it. The average concert goer knows how difficult it is to get a good sound experience in most concerts in India — halls like The Music Academy provide it with consistency.

Punctuality and seating

Second, yet equally important, is punctuality. The Music Academy starts all its programmes on the dot. You can literally set your clock by it. This is absolutely incredible in a country where time is never a priority. Artistes ensure that they are on time and plan and rehearse their programmes so perfectly that they finish only in the last few seconds of their allocated time slot. The Academy has been known to drop its curtains on artistes who overshoot.

Seats in these stellar sabhas are usually comfortable, cushioned and even offer a certain amount of reclining ability. This allows for a comfortable snooze, so comfortable sometimes that one hesitates to get up even when one is told to. Now, the arrangement of the seats in the top notch sabhas ensures that everyone, including in elevated annexes, gets a decent view of the stage. The sound is exactly the same regardless of where one sits as well. This is available only in sabhas of this calibre. Regarding climate control, these top sabhas have the air-conditioning set to an ambient temperature — admittedly though, one size never fits all. After all, there are enough people in Chennai, who reach out for warm accessories the moment the temperature drops.

Parking — The Music Academy is the only sabha that this writer is aware of, that eases this onerous burden for the rasikas. Most prime time concerts held in its auspices come with the tremendous convenience of valet parking. This writer has driven longer distances to attend concerts there on busy working days only because of the availability of this facility. Its importance cannot be overstated. Lady Andal School and Narada Gana Sabha do offer parking space but Vani Mahal requires creative self-discovery and Sri Krishna Gana Sabha can be an outright nightmare particularly if the nearby temple has a festival going on.

An extremely commendable aspect of The Music Academy alone (one wishes the others will keep up in this aspect) is the pristinely clean restroom facilities. Despite the immense traffic in and out of them, the toilets are kept remarkably clean and completely odour free — something the senior rasikas would look for and pretty much missing elsewhere.

In a less serious vein, the sartorial excellence of the guests generally is cut above the rest at the top notch sabhas. The conversation in between concerts too often might zero in on clothing or the latest canteen offering — which might both irritate and amuse a diehard Carnatic buff.

Observe carefully, and it will be found that the demographics at such sabhas almost completely exclude children and the average Joes and Janes. Most prime time seats at such halls often demand a relatively hefty price and, perhaps as a result (or in spite of it), only serious listeners and those who wish to see and be seen choose to come. The locked-in-place seats prevent easy movement, not friendly for the very young and the old. Coupled with the environment being absolutely devoid of ambient noise, the slightest bodily sound or rustle of clothing can sound like a storm brewing. With some ‘intolerant’ artistes known to chide such ‘uncivilised’ rasikas openly in these arenas, the barriers to entry are high for the unfortunate, ordinary, casual listeners for whom being on their best behaviour for 2.5 hours or more might be well nigh impossible.

One really has to ask if the artistes too behave differently because of being conferred the privilege of singing in such venues. Suddenly, backs straighten, chins go up and a supercilious attitude permeates, particularly in these halls. One has to ruminate on the paradox — devotional Carnatic music, performed at the highest levels, itself results in ego… Notable exceptions exist, of course, thankfully — those who give every accepted venue, regardless of its external perception, their all. These artistes are respected, appreciated, acknowledged and have their own faithful fan following — and rightfully so.

On balance — these uber chic concert venues are the ideal ones for the discerning connoisseurs. One can hang on to every note at the perfect volume, sans any extraneous sounds — from the microphones or otherwise. Serious students of music would do well to listen at such venues — they get the perfect experience.

For the casual listener or family though, such sabhas can be overkill. There is no scope for distraction, seats come at a price and entry and exit can cause consternation if not done at the correct junctures. Any rasika would do well (for oneself and for the benefit of fellow audience members) to evaluate whether to put oneself through the difficulty (or pleasure, as the case may be) of conforming oneself to the sabha or offering patronage to a different venue.

Alternate setting

Key parameters in evaluating a venue include ambience/atmosphere, sound, seating, bathroom facilities, entry barriers (perceived and otherwise), child-friendliness, and ability to move around with ease.

The table below attempts to enumerate these. Though these broad brush strokes are rather individual. However, if one puts one’s personal biases at bay, one might realise there is a merit to the general idea. In the table, the scales used goes from 0-5 – where 0 is complete lack of mentioned parameter and 5 is the best available. To cut to the chase, 0 is bad and 5 is good. Some explanations will follow the table.

Temples: If one looks at ambience in the traditional sense — air conditioned hall with noise deadening panels etc, the temple would rank a 0. However, most artistes and rasikas read more into temple ambience. They refer to the devotion, the spirituality of the venue. This is the reason a wide range has been provided for this particular parameter as regards temples — it is specific to the beholder. Sound and seating are rudimentary at best. In terms of its openness, kid friendliness and ease of movement, nothing can rival the temple.

A couple of years ago, at the Navaratri series of concerts at the Ratnagirishwarar Temple, Chennai, I recall vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyan telling me how unfortunate it was that the role of temples in the propagation of Carnatic music has declined. This is not from the religious standpoint — which is most obvious. Temples are the best venue to get the youngest to insidiously imbibe and absorb these arts in a welcoming atmosphere.

Temples are also the only venue where listening might be an unconscious decision — one might have come to pray and merely have strayed into the concert hearing a few notes wafting by — it is one of the few venues, therefore, that might reel in unsuspecting, new listeners.

Chamber Concerts: Chamber concerts generally offer a middle ground on almost all parameters, sometimes ranking fairly highly on some too. Chamber concerts are relatively uncommon and not many are aware of those that do take place. However, there has been a mini resurgence of sorts of late. Some artistes’ best performances are often rendered in a chamber setting. There is a chamber concert of Madurai Mani Iyer’s, for example, where he engages in extempore singing of a variety not commonly heard in his known recordings in larger auspices.

The performers often sit at the same level as the rasikas, making them accessible and appear real. The artistes mingle with the guests before and after the concert, allowing the rasika to speak to and get to know them. Sound systems at chamber concerts are often not sophisticated, but usually adequate. Some might not even have mikes, which is an experience that serious listeners like to enjoy on occasion. The hosts of the chamber concerts usually take pains to ensure artistes’ satisfaction in performing at their venue. Often rasikas too get personally greeted and welcomed as against being one among the madding crowd. Yet, given the much more confined space, everybody is a little bit more restrained .

Chamber concerts are usually organised by die-hard rasikas, some with hallowed familial traditions . Musiri Chamber, for example, which has held monthly concerts for years, almost without interruption, is organised by close family members of Musiri Subramania Iyer. In the chamber are actual tanpuras used by the vidwan, lovingly preserved by the family. The venue itself is located on his property. The history surrounding the home imperceptibly permeates the consciousness of the performer and the rasika.

Then there is MadRasana — a nice portmanteau word combining Madras and Rasana (appreciation) — started just last year, it offers garden concerts in an intimate setting and features young musicians.