TMK @ KGS

[venkatraghavan.1955]

I am surprised that no one has written about this concert which took place with just the voice and the violin yet. Ill let someone else post the entire list. I am not going to try and jot down the songs and the improvisations one by one but just want to say that it was an wholesome experience and the lack of percussion did not strike as missing at all. No offence to percussion artists. The rapport the two artists shared was amazing and it was a fulfilling experience. TMK was in full form and sang freely while RKS played an equal role and not that of an accompanying artist. Hearing just the voice and the mridhangam next without the violin would be interesting. Like harimau said elsewhere in another post - Let the fireworks begin

:namaste:

S Venkatraghavan

[SabashBale]

Let the fireworks begin

The end of the beginning?

[ganeshkant]

Last year in musiri chamber concert he sang all alone even w/o violin.I don't know how many of U listened !

[HarishankarK]

Last year in musiri chamber concert he sang all alone even w/o violin.I don't know how many of U listened !

Must have been a different experience - singing from the heart !

[HarishankarK]

the lack of percussion did not strike as missing at all.

Good begining - most of the percussionists add no value but for drowning the vocal artistes voice.
Hope that in the near future percussionists will be replaced by the veena.

[music1]

I am surprised that no one has written about this concert which took place with just the voice and the violin yet. Ill let someone else post the entire list. I am not going to try and jot down the songs and the improvisations one by one but just want to say that it was an wholesome experience and the lack of percussion did not strike as missing at all. No offence to percussion artists. The rapport the two artists shared was amazing and it was a fulfilling experience. TMK was in full form and sang freely while RKS played an equal role and not that of an accompanying artist. Hearing just the voice and the mridhangam next without the violin would be interesting. Like harimau said elsewhere in another post - Let the fireworks begin

:namaste:

S Venkatraghavan

Perhaps no member from this forum attended this concert to write a review.
Or may be anyone who attended did feel that it was a typical TMK fare which is highly abstract and which is not different from his usual stuff in the last few years. Starting with a Mangalam and ending with a Varnam in the name of Innovation, creation of a new style, breaking the traditional path etc etc etc and a 100 negative and 20 postive opnions about the concert !!

[Rsachi]

Gents,
With TMK, it is a process of elimination and giving up mridangam, violin, tambura etc. Those are all somewhat predictable.
In fact the recently launched movie gives a foretaste that eventually we will be treated to pure undistracted and undistorted nature sounds.

I recently saw a lovely ad for Lalithaa jewellers themed Ahaa Swahaa. That tag line would apply to this trend of minimalism.

But a truly memorable experience I have had once in Mysore. TR Mahalingam came, sat down and asked Dwaram Mangathayaru to start playing. We had mostly a flute-less concert from Mali.

[kvchellappa]

Rsachi, Good idea worth forwarding to TMK. If he listens, we will have good music from RKS and Arun Prakash. I listened in Parivadini to the concert of RKS and it has been heavenly with Arun Prakash playing melodiously, rather than a beat here and a beat there.

[pattamaa]

next time, he will have parrot and peacock to acccompany to provide natural sound, or some prerecorded sound of waterfalls and river flow

Jokes apart, don't know what else to say... lokah: samasta sukhino bhavantu

[kunthalavarali]

Those of who have been in IITM campus may have visited the beautiful Jalakandeswarar temple. The temple is situated in sylvan surroundings with lots of lovely trees, deers and pranky monkeys in the area. An ideal place for nice meditative music. Many birds including parrots but no peacocks!

[Aditto]

Song list please ...

[sudarsam]

It was a very nice experience. I strongly feel one does not have to be critical of what Shri T M Krishna does. There was once one Subbudu. But now looks like everyone wants to be one. Music is there to listen enjoy...experience . if it is not possible people can just walkout. At KGS I only came across people who were happy with the music

[Rsachi]

Sudarsam, you're right.
There is another way of looking at it.TMK is playing a game. But this game takes two to play- the rasikas form the other party!

[venkatraghavan.1955]

the lack of percussion did not strike as missing at all.

Hope that in the near future percussionists will be replaced by the veena.

Not so sure about percussionists being replaced by veena but a vocal and veena concert intrigued the curios listener in me.

[venkatraghavan.1955]

Last year in musiri chamber concert he sang all alone even w/o violin.I don't know how many of U listened !

This is the concert that has been released as an audio album i think.

http://www.kalakendra.com/shopping/ekan ... -3379.html

[narayan]

Song list please ...

1) Sriramkumar - Kambhoji Ragam
O Rangasayee - Krishna joined in at the anupallavi
Neraval at Bhooloka vaikuntha

2) Krishna - Kannada Ragam
Sriramkumar - Kannada Ragam
Sri Matrubhootam - neraval at Bhasamana navavaranam, kalpana swaram at Sadasivam paramsivam

3) Parvati ninnu - Kalgada

4) Sriramkumar - Nadanamkriya ragam
Payyada (padam)

5) Sakhiprana (Senchuruti padam)

6) Krishna - Suruti ragam abruptly cut by him
Sriramkumar - Kharaharapriya ragam
Krishna - Bilahari ragam
Sriramkumar - Kalyani ragam
Biranabrova - Neraval at Parakuseya and Neepada pankaja, Kalpana swaram at Neepadapankaja

7) Bangla song

8) Meera bhajan

I liked the music a lot, especially the Nadanamakriya and Senchuruti padams. The audience was quiet and listening to something really beautiful, for a good 20 minutes. Such a mood is rare in a large concert hall.

Was annoyed at the abrupt cutting of Suruti ragam, but overall, a very nice experience.

The audience is with him and almost expects the unexpected, with glee. All that apart, it was good music and well worth the time. All compositions rendered very well and full of ragabhava.

[Aditto]

Thanks Narayan garu.

Regards,
Aditya.

[munirao2001]

When I heard TMK with new found freedom, I felt TMK making the statement "WHEN I SING, MY MUSIC IS TO GIVE EXPERIENCE WHAT I HAVE FOUND AND NOT WHAT LISTENERS LOOKING OR EXPECTING FOR". This is a build on TMK's favorite statement of Pablo Picaso.

munirao2001

[SriKrishnan]

I am wondering when Ariyakkudi started the "new' concert pattern of Varnam to Thillana format, what would have been the comments - May be gimmick, lack of depth, singing 15 songs in a concert etc. The wheel is rotating- only time will answer if the new TMK format will stay. But personally I felt it was a wonderful musical experience. The Ariyakkudi pattern has been beaten so much so that it is becoming mechanical reproduction of starting with a varnam, followed by Nattai or Hamsadwani, sing a Pantuvarali fast krithi, then a Sriranjani, etc. Like they say about poetry,just adherence to grammar, rules of the form,rhyme etc does not make a good poem. A good poem could be a free verse. Similarly TMK's concert was outstanding, with soulful ragas. he became emotional many times, just immersed in the Raga. I do not see that he is playing a game - he is exploring the Music in its true sense, may not be appealing for all of us.

Compared to last years, I did not see people walking out in disappointment after a few songs. After the concert, there was a standing ovation by the audience, with TMK with his folded hands and accepting the gesture with tears in his eyes.
That gives me a feeling that the exploration is to stay !

Sri krishnan

[vasanthakokilam]

I was wondering if the generally positive reaction he got in his last U.S. tour was somewhat of an aberration but it does not seem to be so. I guess people are willing to set aside the rough edges of his evolving format ( like the abrupt stopping of a raga elaboration or the general feeling of incompleteness ) and agreeable to enjoying the music as it is offered. He has definitely got the 'stuff' to pull that off.

[CommonMan]

There are enough people in this forum to propagate that people have started accepting his style, irrespective of whether it is really the case. My observation is that those who like his format (or the lack of it) make it a point to convey or suggest that people have started to like and accept his new offerings.

[vasanthakokilam]

CommonMan, if you are referring to my post, be assured that is not about any such propaganda! My focus and concern is typically with us the rasikas and the music we all love. Musicians are adults and they can take care of themselves.

I do feel that some rasikas who do not like TMK for whatever reason ( he is of course prolific in making 'enemies' on many fronts: his arrogance, lack of respect, his experimentation, extra-musical and political dalliances, anti-religious sentiments, change of concert format, intransigence etc) are shortchanging themselves as rasikas if they can't separate all that and the music. And this is not new, there have always been many social aspects to music beyond strictly about ragas, talas, compositions and their delivery. Also, sometimes 'A and B camps' are formed where A and B are typically the top draws of the era. One can say that these are my own biasses and not reality. There is definitely that possibility. (btw, I know there are people who genuinely do not like TMK's music and the format directly affects their enjoyment of the music. It is definitely not about them.)

Back to your point about whether people have started accepting his style of presentation or not, it is too early to tell. One definite sign will be when the concert reviews start to become less about the format and more about the music. Members are reporting what they see regarding attendance and the audience reactions. If you think that is really not the case, please post your actual experiences.

[rshankar]

And VK, another thing that must be pointed out is that what's written in this forum (true of any media, but specially here) is an individual's take on the experience. Should be interpreted as just that...nothing less, nothing more....needs to be respected, and not blown off by someone else as uninformed - and at the same time, it should not be taken as vEda vAkku (divine assessment) either.

[sudarsam]

Let's enjoy music. Let our rasikatvam move beyond the boundaries of musicians, format, languages grammar etc Adi Sankara in Bhaja Govindam says " nahi nahi rakshathi dukrin karane". I think this attitude we should develop towards art also!

[CommonMan]

Sri/Smt VK: I was not referring to your post in particular - in fact, I have felt that you are one of those fair reviewers in this forum, and I respect you for that. It was just my observation that those who liked his format ensure to propagate that people have started to accept his offerings. And I did not see a similar (opposing) stance from those who did not like his format. As you all point out, it is perhaps me and my biases.

[kal]

I attended TMK's concert at SPSS on 28th Dec. Started with ragam n tanam followed by a Tillana. When he started the Tanam, there was a buzz for a few seconds, but the audience quietened to the music. For 2 full hours, there was soulful music, and I guess that is all that mattered to the overflowing crowd. At the end, the audience gave a standing ovation for more than a minute. Whatever be his views, TMK's music, on that day, was simply awesome... most people would have felt it spiritually uplifting - at least in some parts, whether that was his intention or not is another matter altogether. The concert at NGS on the 25th Dec was also very fulfilling, esp his treatment of Bhairavi. My mind could not think of anything but simply enjoy the music. Isn't that enough? Turning the pages in his diary to look for lyrics may not be liked by some, but once the music begins, we forget everything else. Only minor issue is incorrect pronunciation, hopefully he will improve quickly on this.

Kalpagam

[vasanthakokilam]

It was just my observation that those who liked his format ensure to propagate that people have started to accept his offerings. And I did not see a similar (opposing) stance from those who did not like his format.

CommonMan, understood.
BTW, the opposing team interprets the audience support like what Kalpagam mentions above as 'A bunch of clueless people who are gullible and easily deceived' or if they want to be gracious 'it is a passing fad' Time will tell.

[Vyuptakesha]

Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar would have thought of a wholesome offering to rasikas of all hues and colours with the pattern he suggested. Other musicians took it up as it did make sense to them.
TMK has every right to come up with something different. As of now he is just jumbling up the pattern of ARI (squeezing the varnam somewhere else, starting with a mangalam and so on). He hasnt been able to go beyond the jumbling though. It is definitely not easy to come up with a structure that will be easily be accepted by all rasikas; it is a change for the rasika too.
What is important is TMK isnt imposing this change in structure on anyone else. Nor is he questioning artistes who stick to the existing format.
But what TMK should remember is that he shouldnt dilute his offerings when he tries these changes.

[hnbhagavan]

It looks the only contention of Sri TMK is that there need not be any particular order in the concerts.In fact it need not even be called a concert i suppose.I think it is difficult to do any further tampering.Several life examples come to mind.Ex: In any conventional examination,the candidate can answer the questions in any order by putting the question number correspondingly.Second Example is meals.
It may take a long time to get adjusted to this for eating meals.How would it be to start with curd rice,payasam,subjies,rasam rice,sweets?Perhaps it is possible if one tries this many times.Perhaps Sri TMK may not mind this for meals and as such there need not be any meals pattern.
If it is extended further if our body can stand it,one can start the day with meals and not coffee/tea!

[SrinathK]

That analogy might not work so well with TMK, since every piece gets the full main course treatment -- that's what makes the order less important. When a thillana as the opener gets the treatment of a full rendition of a viriboni and a varnam stacks up to a Dikshitar masterpiece (interestingly the varnam main at SPSS was by Dikshitar's father), it isn't the same thillana that is heard at the end of the concert and it is no longer the varnam that is heard at the beginning of the concert. A better way of looking at it would be to observe the energy level undercurrent of the concert.

I for one would ask for a pure tanam alone before the sub-main or the opener -- let's not complain later that tanam is a dying art and is handled like a ritual with the same cliched phrases.

[vasanthakokilam]

But what TMK should remember is that he shouldnt dilute his offerings when he tries these changes.

Does he?

Srinath, yes, a stand alone tanam is worth trying. And a ragamalika tanam too. Somehow I have a gut feeling that may go well with a lot more people. it has structure, it has rhythm and of course melody. And a standalone tanam provides space and time for a full exploration of the tanam format itself.
I can immediately think of four varieties: Single raga tanam with and without mridangam, ragamalika tanam with and without mridangam. Now, since it has rhythm can they do gathi-bedam in the tanam format. That will be awesome. Now we are talking pretty interesting stuff. I can see Abhishek pulling that off brilliantly given his innate strength in layam (has he already done tanam with nadai variations in the RTP context?)

[hnbhagavan]

Dear SrinathK,
The comparison is absolutely right!Each piece in whichever order gets the full treatment.Take the analogy of Question-ans,no matter in which order answers are written,each question gets its full and proper treatment.In case of meals,in whichever it is served,it is done fully.Only difference may be while serving meals,same item may be served several times based on one's liking.Here the analogy differs.

[kal]

Dear Srinath:
you raised a valid point reg Tanam being a dying art. A senior rasika asked a senior vidwan at the end of the concert 'innikkum RTP illaye!'. This rasika has attended 3 concerts of this vidwan in Dec 2014, and couldnt resist giving his feedback:( Later, this rasika informed me that another senior vocalist too didn't sing RTP in any of the concerts this season.
And, in another popular vocalist's concert - which stuck to the standard format - varnam and a couple of krithis were rendered soooo bland, as if only to tick off these items in his checklist.
After listening to CM for more than 40 years, I believe structure is less important than quality of content.
kalpagam

[SrinathK]

A long time back during the heydays of worldspace and Shruti, I had heard an interview of vidwan Sri. R. K. Padmanabha where he had talked about several different types of tanam and demonstrated a few of them. I have not heard those kinds of tanam anywhere previously or since -- mayUratAnam , rudra tAnam, ghanta tAnam ( bell), ashwa tAnam, shangha tAnam, markata tAnam, bhringi tAnam, nAbhi tAnam. There are quite a few styles of rendering a tanam in a particular way as well, again I'm rather in the dark about it.

I also vaguely remember reading somewhere in that big hard cover book that chronicles the whole history of the MA (it's found on the ground floor desk every season) about Prof. TRS explaining about different forms of rendering raga alapanas, again I had hardly a few seconds to look at the page so I can't recall anything else about it. In the meantime I've just started reading "A Southern Music" and maybe I'll get answers there as to the evolution of ragam and tanam -- it's a deep book that requires you to think a bit and understand it, so it will take time to read fully. I'm treading musicologist territory now, but vague as these old memories are, it shows that there is much more to the art form of ragam and tanam than just what is commonly heard, and how rarely it has even been mentioned in concerts. Would be grateful for any further info.