TMK @ MFAC, Dec 23, 2011

[akshayv]

This was a webcast recording (tmkrishna.com for details). Coming from all the feedback on the MA concert – I truly enjoyed the concert. Very fulfilling. Great camaraderie among accompanists. Somebody who understands CM better can explain the Grahabedham in the Revagupthi song, the octaves that he covered in the Saveri alapanai, the transitions that were happening in a single swara sequence across ragas in the RTP. Even the thukkadas packed a strong punch.

TMKrishna @ MFAC (3hr 20m)
Violin: Embar Kannan
Mridangam: B Ganapathyraman
Ghatam: Vaikom Gopalakrishnan

1. nAdOpasana - begadA (N, S)
2. sadAvinata sAdarE - revagupthi
3. vadasi yadi kincidapi – mukhAri
4. Evarikai – devamanOhari (Violin only alapanai, S)
5. Rama bhana – sAveri (RNST – violin led some portions of the swara rendering)
6. Thunga tharange gange – kuntalavarali
7. RTP – purvikalyAni (iyal isai nataga kalaigalil sirandhadhu engal Chennai pattinam)
8. Pittham theliya – chenjurutti
9. Maulav ganga
10. Eppo varuvaro
11. Chinnan chiru kiliye
12. Vandemataram

[squims]

(iyal isai nataga kalaigalil sirandhadhu engal Chennai pattinam)

Cue more rants.

[gs]

4. Evarikai – devamanOhari (Violin only alapanai,
What does this mean?

[akshayv]

There was no raga alapanai by TMK. Embar Kannan did the raga alapanai, and TMK started the krithi.

[Nick H]

... as squims says, cue more rants.

I'm very comfortable with the "standard" concert presentation. Even if I can't explain it, in more than the broadest terms, from varnam to tillana, my brain knows where it is. I don't have this comfortable familiarity in, say, a Hindustani concert: I have no idea what's coming next, first, or last. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy Hindustani music!

I don't have any objection, in principle, to experimenting with the concert format.

[vasanthakokilam]

I was reading the thread from the bottom to top, and for a second I thought 'iyal isai nataga kalaigalil sirandhadhu engal Chennai pattinam' was akshayv's commentary, overjoyed by the concert Then I realized those are the RTP lyrics.

>4. Evarikai – devamanOhari (Violin only alapanai, S)

akshayv, was that a long alapanai or just a minute or so of tracing the devamanOhari contours?

[carnatricks]

i actually entered during the devamanohari alapana started by embar kannan. i then overheard another rasika saying tmk sang the mukhari alapana for the song before without the violin alapana following it. and then embar kannan played devamanohari by himself and tmk launched into the song. not sure if tmk let emb.kan choose a ragam that he wants to play and just followed it up with a song. that would have been quite a nice thing.

[akshayv]

Yes, mukhari was only vocal alapanai. IIRC both of the alapanai's were in the 3 odd minute range. I think the song set was done by the time they got in. The 1st 5 pieces all delivered a very soothing experience.