T.M. Krishna on 01/02/2010 at Gyana Samaj, Bangalore

[squims]

Vocal - T.M. Krishna
Violin - R.K. Sriram Kumar
Mridangam - (?)
Kanjari - (?) This is what I get for writing up a report so late. Both artists were unknown to me prior and I cannot recollect their names. Apologies.

1. Suma Sayaka - Karnataka Kapi - Adi
2. Nenapunchinanu (RS)- Malavi - Adi
3. Vatapi - Hamsadhwani - Adi
4. Meenakshi memudam(RN) - Gamakakriya - Adi [Neraval at Madhumada modita hridaye sadaye]
5. Parvathi Ninne - Kalgada - Adi
6. Kathamaham Varnayami Ramya Leela (RNST) - Bhairavi - ?
7. Shabdam - Ragamalika - Kamboji, Dhanyasi, Purvikalyani, Surutti
8. Ramajogi mandukonare - Khamas - Adi
9. Jaya jaya shankara (RTP) - Darbari Kanada
10. Pavamana sutudu (mangalam) - Sourashtram - Adi

I'm an ardent fan of T.M.Krishna. I just adore his voice and his music, which might have made me have unreasonably high expectations for the concert. Which is why I might have come out of it feeling very slightly let down. Don't mistake me, the concert was great, but I still felt that the extra edge I've come to expect from Krishna was missing.

The concert began with the rendition in Karnataka Kapi (I could not recognize this ragam when he sang it. I asked Krishna about it after the concert) which seems to be quite different from the usual Kapi that we hear, but very soothing. I remember thoroughly enjoying the Malavi piece. Vatapi was a rushed disaster. The whole krithi was sung in less than three minutes. I guess he wanted to lighten the mood between two heavy pieces, but some other composition could have fit the bill. A personal gripe, that is all. Just feel Vatapi could have been treated with a little more reverence.

This was followed by Meenakshi memudam in Gamakakriya. Interesting choice here. We all know that this song is usually sung in Purvikalyani. When Krishna started the aalaapanai, most of the audience thought they were listening to Purvikalyani. Only after the aalapanai did Krishna enlighten us. Though Gamakakriya sounds a lot like Purvikalyani, it is not the same ragam. The most major difference he said was that Purvikalyani uses the phrase PDPS in the Aarohanam whereas Gamakakriya uses only PDS.

The Bhairavi aalapanai followed(after an outburst at an audience member to stop video recording the concert). The ragam was sung beautifully(but there seemed to be a strain in his voice in the uchcha sthaayi) to excellent accompaniment from Sriram Kumar. This Sanskrit piece was written and composed by Sriram Kumar himself I believe. The neraval and swaram were brilliant as usual. Thani was very good too. The shabdam set to a ragamalika was enjoyable.

The biggest surprise was when Krishna suddenly started singing taanam in Darbari Kanada all of a sudden, followed by Jaya Jaya Shankara. The whole thing was extremely beautiful! Lovely stuff from Krishna.

Mangalm followed and as people started to get up Krishna said 'Innum 30 seconds vokkara mudiyada?' and people obliged, thankfully.

[rajaglan]

Squims, thank you for all your update on Gayana samaj concerts.

[squims]

My pleasure rajaglan!

[rshankar]

Squims - what was the Sabdam - any idea of the first few words? From what I understand, most Sabdams are in kAmbhOji, or if they are set to a rAgamAlikA, kAmbhOji is the first rAgam - for me, the starting strains (tA taiyya tai tatta tai) of a Sabdam in kAmbhOji make for a very bright start. Madurai Sri N. Krishnan's dEvi tAyE is probably the only Sabdam I am aware of that completely eschews kAmbhOji.

[squims]

I'm so sorry I do not remember the lyrics! This is what happens when I try to recollect stuff ages after the concert!
And any idea where I can catch the Madurai Krishnan shabdam?

[srinidhi]

rshankar,


The shabdam starts with the words - "sarasijaakshulu jalaja mAdE..." by Maharaja Swati Tirunal. Sri TMK has rendered this in a commercially released album -" Adbhuta"

[eppramod]

Mridangam - Shri Tumkur Ravishankar
Kanjira - G Guruprasanna

Sumasayaka is Maharaja's Daru Varnam I suppose.
The concert tempo was on the slower side of course Vatapi was like a bullet train passing

Shabdam piece was very interesting..with very nice set of ragas.

Pramod

[keerthi]

Sumasayaka is Maharaja's Daru Varnam I suppose.

Pramod

It is a vaRNa attributed to swati tirunal, nothing daru-ish about it.. There is an identical varNa with telugu sahityam, by the tanjore quartette..

[sais72]

The malavi composition is Nenarunchinanu (Tyagaraja). The Bhairavi lyrics that i noted down was Kathamaham Varnayami Ramya Leela vichitra vinodha vishwa jaala and the neraval was at the line - Suma patra phala .

The Darbari Kanada - Jaya Jaya Sankari rendering was very elaborate and divine.

Another note worthy point was the fact that there was just one kriti of Tyagaraja and was a brief one at the beginning.

[squims]

Sriram Kumar said that he composed the Bhairavi piece on a request from Krishna for something to do with nature specifically. We all know Krishna's stand on Bhakti. I tend to agree with him(mostly). I like the idea that the music doesn't have to be about the Gods to be divine. The music is divine by itself.

The pallavi translates to (I think): "I shall describe a tale, a beautiful tale, one which is different, new and is about the wonders of the world".
And the neraval line seems to talk about the beauty of the fauna. Wish I'd paid more attention to the lyrics!

[karaharapriyajanyam]

If one desires variety, they should go to TMK's concerts. What a repertoire! The most versatile artiste ever, presenting different shades of CM every concert!

[srinidhi]

Was the bhairavi piece the same one that he sang for Jaya TV MMU?

[squims]

As far as I can remember, Krishna didn't sing a Bhairavi piece during Jaya TV's MMU. And I can only remember Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada sahityam that he sang. Don't recollect a Sanskrit piece. But maybe he sung it at the kutcheri and it was edited out for the telecast.

[eppramod]

Sriram Kumar said that he composed the Bhairavi piece on a request from Krishna for something to do with nature specifically. We all know Krishna's stand on Bhakti. I tend to agree with him(mostly). I like the idea that the music doesn't have to be about the Gods to be divine. The music is divine by itself.

The pallavi translates to (I think): "I shall describe a tale, a beautiful tale, one which is different, new and is about the wonders of the world".
And the neraval line seems to talk about the beauty of the fauna. Wish I'd paid more attention to the lyrics!

May be the reason for singing this Kriti was that it was part of Annual Spring Festival

[rajaglan]

The malavi composition is Nenarunchinanu (Tyagaraja). ........

In one of his rendition of the same, the album title says it is in Simhavahini !!!

And surprisingly both sumasayaka and Nenarunchinaanu were sung in an album , live at SKGS in 2006 by him.

[srinidhi]

Rajaglan,

There are two Nenerunchina..... one in Malavi and one in Simhavahini.

Maybe squims can clarify which one he sang

[keerthi]

Rajaglan,

There are two Nenerunchina..... one in Malavi and one in Simhavahini.

Maybe squims can clarify which one he sang

rajaglan, squims,

The SimhavAhini song is NenaruncarA..

NenaruncinAnu is in mALavi.

[squims]

The one he sang at the concert was definitely Malavi! No doubts about that. Well, T.M.Krishna himself announced that it was Malavi after his aalaapanai, for one thing!

[srutilaya]

Was the bhairavi piece the same one that he sang for Jaya TV MMU?

Krishna did sing RKSK's Sanskrit composition describing the beauty of Prithvi ias part of his theme concert for Jaya TV Margazhi maha utsavam 2009.

[kssr]

TM Krishna is one of today's most talented C vocalists- no doubt. But the grand Meenakshi memudam completely lost its beauty and was totally flat (Chappai) in the new style of rendition. This disappointment on the main piece, cast its shadow on the overall feel at the end of the concert. Also many queer things like Vatapi in the middle of the concert.... Just OK concert.