TM Krishna Lecture SeriesCMI Arts Initiative, Oct-Nov 2012

[raghusrinivas]

An interesting lecture by TMK on categorizing carnatic ragas.
http://bit.ly/1lXTR3W

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Moderator note: Updated the title to reflect the lecture series name of which this is one part.
The full 3 day series can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCMIVide ... na&sort=dd

[kvchellappa]

For anyone in Bengaluru, who may be interested:
The second edition of TMK's recent book is being launched by Shri Girish Karnad at Chowdiah Hall, Bangalore on the evening of March 26th, 2014 at 6:45 pm.

[Pasupathy]

An interesting lecture by TMK on categorizing carnatic ragas.
http://bit.ly/1lXTR3W

Thanks. Do you know where (and when ) these lectures were given?

[sreebeecane]

Given in Chennai Mathematical Institute.

I think organized by Prof. CS Seshadri.

[vanajan]

Thanks. Do you know where (and when ) these lectures were given?

It is part of Chennai Math Arts Initiative series: http://www.cmi.ac.in//activities/arts-initiative.php

Vanaja

[mahavishnu]

Thank you, Vanaja. I was wondering the same.
The setting seemed like a proper academic classroom setting. I binge watched the entire day one. I found his approach quite fascinating.

[vanajan]

I found his approach quite fascinating.

+1
I had watched them many months ago. Then the links became defunct. Glad to see them enabled again.

Vanaja

[vasanthakokilam]

Thanks for the links. I echo Mahavishnu and Vanaja's words. It is very worthwhile. I started with day 2 on thala and laya. We have discussed these kind of topics here in our forum but it is great to hear a comprehensive lecture by a professional musician. He seemed to have researched these topics well.

I especially liked this particular one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjGdJelD-is ( about cyclical time )
Here he makes a simple but profound point about cyclical-ity and linear progression. They are antithetical to each other by definition. But music does something wonderful to that pair. The ever repeating 'same' tala cycle gains a sense of forward progression due to the frequently changing laya of the musical material that is overlaid on top of it.

[saverilover]

WOW! Thank you so much for this!

[mkal]

Thanks to the OP for the link. I am enjoying it as well! Interesting tidbit about Viribhoni charanam as sung today, being a truncated version. Does anyone know of a recording with the full charanam (Sri. Krishna did sing it informally in the lecture, but wondering if it's been sung in a concert)?

[vasanthakokilam]

I think Smt. Vedavalli has sung that anubandam( is that what it is called?). I vaguely recall that now but somehow I am not sure if it was as elaborate as what TMK did.

[vasanthakokilam]

Just checked. Yes, she sings the full thing that TMK talks about there. It is quite wonderful. It is in her Pramanam CD volume 1. It is worth buying just for that one piece. Both volumes together are her attempt to 'set a few things right' ( my paraphrase ) for posterity.

[rshankar]

Just checked. Yes, she sings the full thing that TMK talks about there. Sounds wonderful. It is in her Pramanam CD volume 1. Worth buying just for that one piece. Both volumes together are her attempt to 'set a few things right' ( my paraphrase ) for posterity.

Smt. Sowmya has sung the whole varNam (including the anubandham) in a CD called mayyam, IIRC.

[pvs]

very interesting series. He has done a lot of research on these, obviously and communicates very well except being dogmatic sometimes.
I was warmed when he acknowledged MMI's raga alapanas with short spontaneous phrases; don't know why, but I just felt elated! Probably the only musician he praised.

I couldn't reconcile why the same phrase in one octave is not allowed in the one higher but allowed in the one higher up (Riti gowla). I believe it is just that no one employed it in their composition and it doesn't violate the 'aesthetic' - most likely the most used term in the lecture apart from raga. Aesthetic was used in so many places and senses, much like the algebraic X! It is a catch 22 between tradition and reasoning/logic.

[cacm]

I happen to know that when he was confronted by a serious MMI fan why in his coffee table book (co-authored with Bombay Jayashree) MMI was not included or even mentioned in that book he flippantly said because MMI did not raise to the level of the others included in the book.
Glad he has seen the light or improved his knowledge or taste........VKV

[pvs]

@VKV
Thanks for mentioning this. I also read about that and it has puzzled me greatly. It does take a while to realize that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - MMI's music epitomised that.

[raviraj]

Smt. Sowmya has sung the whole varNam (including the anubandham) in a CD called mayyam, IIRC.

A bunch of things has been brought in & jumbled up. Time to get the facts straight

1. The SSP has the Bhairavi varna of Adiyappayya together with the Anubandha and has 4 sections of ettugada svaras ( with an alternative version of the third ettugada svaram for experts to render) . This has been rendered in full by Smt Vedavalli in her CD titled Pramanam. Additionally she has rendered it as per notation in SSP with D1 dominating and D2 just limited to ND2NS.

2. For the standard varna as it is popularly rendered currently with the 3 ettugada svara ( without anubandha and the fourth ettuagda svara section) there is Telugu sahitya for the muktayi svaras and the three ettugada svaras, which has been published by Prof Sambamoorthi. The authorship of this sahitya section for the muktayi/ettugada svaras is unknown. This version has been sung by Smt Sowmya ( note this is not the version as found in the SSP & is different as I have outlined ) and has been released as a CD album called "Mayyal" not Mayyam.

[rshankar]

Thank you for the clarification.

[raghusrinivas]

Full version of Viriboni including the anubandham
http://vimeo.com/12352069

[cacm]

@VKV
Thanks for mentioning this. I also read about that and it has puzzled me greatly. It does take a while to realize that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication - MMI's music epitomised that.

YOU ARE RIGHT. As you probably know the final compositions of GREAT COMPOSERS like BACH etc were for UNACCOMPANIED VIOLIN & THEY ARE HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL THO' APPEAR SIMPLE. IT is somewhat equivalent to EINSTEIN'S E=M TIMES C SQUARED EQUATION & THE EQUALLY SHORT & SIMPLE LOOKING GENERAL RELATIVITY EQUATION. THESE EQUATIONS appear SIMPLE but imagine both SPACE & TIME as we know it in PHYSICS WERE created by these equations of Einstein!......VKV :-@ :-BD :ymapplause:

[varsha]

I once had an occasion to buy a silver soup ladle. The obliging salesman brought forth quite an array of them ,including ultimately one that was as plain and unadorned as the unclouded sky –about as beautiful ! But the price ! It was nearly double any of others .
“You see “ the salesman explained .”In this highly ornamental ware ,the flaws do not show. The plain one has to be the very best. Any defect would be apparent “.
THERE IF YOU PLEASE ,IS A FINAL BASIS OF COMPARISON OF ALL THINGS.
THE BARE DIGNITY OF THE UNADORNED THAT MAY STAND BEFORE THE WORLD, ALL UNASHAMED ,IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF ITS PERFECTION.

Unknown

[cacm]

Dear Varsha, YOU HAVE CAPTURED THE ESSENTIAL TRUTH WITH YOUR QUOTE...THANKS. VKV :ymapplause:

[vasanthakokilam]

Quite profound and true observation indeed, Varsha and vkv.

In my work circles, we are fond of saying that the first half of our carreer, we work on mastering complexity and the second half mastering simplicity.

Simple is not just simple and it is not simple to achieve it! If that makes sense.

For example, Apple's macbooks are definitely plain and simple looking but it is not simple to make it.

It is one thing to be quite complex and carve out a unique place for oneself but it is very difficult to be simple and plain and still not have others copy you. That is one test to distinguish between the two simples.

[cacm]

Dear V, VERY APT TO POINT OUT THE UNIQUE PLACE OF APPLE. YOU ARE OF COURSE VERY GOOD IN COMMUNICATING AT THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL......Actually I WAS FORCED TO USE WINDOWS only after I retired & got into the CM HD COPYING ETC. WHAT A HUGE DIFFERENCE! BUT MARKETING APPARENTLY CAN WIN OUT AT THESE LEVELS!....VKV

[kvchellappa]

A spiritual example that comes to mind of what Vasanthakokilam has described is Ramana Maharishi.