T M Krishna at Kanchi Mutt, Bangalore, 13.10.13

[sais72]

Venue: Kanchi Mutt, Malleswaram, Bangalore

T M Krishna - Vocal
H K Venkataram - Violin
K Arun Prakash - Mridangam

List
1. nannu brochutaku, todi, subbaraya sastri
2. swaminatha paripalaya, nata, deekshitar
3. dhanyasi alapana
4. hari kambhoji alapana
5. bhuvini daasudane, sri ranjini, tyagaraja
6. jayadeva ashtapadi with 'priye chaarushile' somewhere, mukhari
7. pankaja lochana, kalyani, swati tirunal, tani - request from the audience for kalyani
8. tanam, ? - can't remember the raga now, can someone help, was pretty good
9. sharade karunanidhe, hamir kalyani,
10. sloka followed by saapasya kausalya, jhonpuri - audience request
11. janani ninuvina, reeti goula, - audience request, started from the anu pallavi
12. karunarasa purna sudha, yaman kalyan

I did not get to posting this earlier and thought somebody more knowledgeable would do. TMK presented a good concert on the final navarathri day at the Kanchi mutt. The starting todi composition (hearing it for the first time) was apt for the occasion, was presented very evocatively and set the tone for the concert. The overall tempo of the concert was slow but there was a lot of soukhyam for me. I am certainly in the admirer camp of Arun prakash's style of playing and H K Venkataram accompaniment particularly in the alapanas enhanced the concert.

Apropos to the other thread - http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=22205, this concert was very similar in structure. Some people in this forum seem to have a problem with the apparent lack of structure. I have no issues with it and TMK's views on these are well known and documented. There is therefore no surprise or violation of a contract. He essentially thinks alapana, tanam etc can be presented completely independently and there is a lot of musical value. He also mentioned during the concert that don't think of this as a 'kutcheri" and hence you don't need to see if it fits any pattern you have in your mind. That thread also talks about shruti lapses in the chennai concert and that certainly is 'not classical'.

Didn't notice any shruti lapse in this bangalore concert and if someone did, please let me know and it will help listen better. The choice of compositions, their presentation and the artists made this concert memorable for me.

[Rsachi]

Sais72,
Thanks.
I am with you on how I relate to the TMK brand of music. I find a lot of value, although TMK gets a lot of flak here for his 'AKRAMA' (pun intended).

[kvchellappa]

I also like TMK's music, he is a genius no doubt, but his katcheri paddhati or lack of it seems to detract from the joy of attending a concert.

[annamalai]

Raschi,

one should not take some of the reviews seriously (both negative and positive). The intent for some is only to make only cheap shots / snide remarks.
Last December, I was at a concert which was raved about , and I could not understand why ?

[Rsachi]

Great point. I don't take ANYONE's assessment of any music as gospel. I try and listen and make up my own mind.
I find that it is a good way to develop myself.

[tiruppugazh]

Raschi,

one should not take some of the reviews seriously (both negative and positive). The intent for some is only to make only cheap shots / snide remarks.
Last December, I was at a concert which was raved about , and I could not understand why ?

So why did you think the concert was not worth raving about? Was it bad?

[sureshvv]

I find a lot of value, although TMK gets a lot of flak here for his 'AKRAMA' (pun intended).

From what I hear, TMK is extremely conservationist about the grammar and presentation of individual items. May be that he has boxed himself in it quite tightly, so the form of creative expression (as in going beyond the "rules") left is the AKRAMA.

[MaamiAtHeart]

I too "get" TMK's music. If I had just read about his concerts' structure (or lack of), maybe I would have had trouble accepting it. However, I had the pleasure of attending one of his concerts last year and it was simply brilliant. There was just music. Pristine, and full of bhakthi and love. Things like concert formats simply did not occur to me at that time. Sadly, no commercial recording of that concert has been released I have no seen any commercial releases from the Dec 2012 season from TMK

[vasanthakokilam]

although TMK gets a lot of flak here for his 'AKRAMA' (pun intended).

ha..ha.. Good pun. Though that word is so negative, it can indeed be used in a neutral way to describe TMK's concert format.
akramapaddhati is not necessarily an oxymoron!

[arasi]

Ah! kramA and paddhati!
Going hand in hand...

akramA and acrobatics?
Far out, but vilamba kAlA
Sounds good to many--

Someone at a buffet,
Started with dessert,
dahI bhAth and pickle,
Then took a cup of rasam,
You guessed right--
BisibELE bhAth came next--

Other than that, when asked
About the food, having tasted
The same food, they all had
Views about the same edibles

Just a tad of a difference--
As after a concert, one starts
Commenting on mangalam,
thukkaDAs and then the rest

mangalam

Wonder what Mangalam mAmi (Venkat Kailasam's vibrant character has to add!).

[Rsachi]

Dear all, I am inspired to write this:

P chintA nAsti kilA tEShAm
chintA nAsti kilA ||

Those who have the following qualities have no worries.

C 1 rAga tALa Sruti sampurNAnAm
bhAva samAgata gAyakAnAm ||

They are perfect with raga, tala and shruti. These singers are in the confluence of music with bhava.

C 2 krama bandha jita KRShNaprAnAm
khanDita kaccEri vidhipASAnAm ||

They conquer the bondage of structural norms, their souls identified with Krishna. They annihilate the deathly grip of all cutcheri formats.

C 3 parama hamsa guru pada chittAnAm
rAgasudhArasapIta janAnAm ||

They are supreme ascetics who keep their Guru's feet in their heart and mind. They are highly intoxicated with the ambrosial bliss of raga.

[kvchellappa]

A nice poem. I posted it to Sri TMK.