Vid. T. N. Krishnan (Son & daughter) Fiddlle Trio @ The MA 25.12.2015

[semmu86]

Sangita Kalanidhi Vid. T. N. Krishnan
Sriram Krishnan
Viji Krishnan Natarajan
Tiruvarur Bhakthavatsalam- Mrudangam
Vaikkom Gopalakrishnan- Ghatam.

1. gajAnanayutham- chakravAham, Adi (Was this the first? I just entered as this was getting over).
2. paridhAnamiccithE- bilahari- khanda chapu, R,N,S
3. mAmava sadA varadE- nATTaikurinji- thisra Ekam, R,S
4. saravaNabhava enum- shanmukhapriyA, Adi, R
5. khAmbhOji RTP, Adi (2-kalai, 3/4 eduppu), RST
6. Jingle Bells
7. vangakkaDal- thiruppAvai, thisra Ekam, SuruTTi (Sketch).
8. English Notes

Whenever TNK plays, its a visual treat too, as much as its aural. The most perfect & elegant seating position in holding the violin and honey-dipped bowing is usually what stands him out. Though we are lucky to have him still playing, it was also sad to see age catching up with him so rapidly, though the magic was revealed every now and then.

Overall volume was on the higher side and it felt a bit screechy at lot of times. I was really hoping that he would avoid playing Jingle bells, which has kind of become a norm at all Dec25th concerts of TNk @ The MA for a few years now. Out of all respects to everyone & not with the intention of stirring up anything, I was praying that he would rather play a "solla vallAyo kiLiyE" or a "kAnaDA thillAnA" evoking a Semmangudi or an IyengArvAL nostalgia than this piece, which is just NOT OK for our concerts. That this song evoked the highest applause than even the melting suruTTI did, is indeed sad...

The khAmbhOji pallavi i presume is "jagadhIsha pAthasArathE karuNA payOnidhE", which Iyengar and in turn KVN has sung quite extensively. The percussion Team played with good sensitivity.

[pattamaa]

Agree, bowing wasnt perfect, lot if screetcy, viji was perfect. Sriram wasnt impressive too... But music is still intact....

I am also worried about jingle bells, not required to stoop to such low...

It wasn't pleading to see son and daughter sitting in chair and using tripod stand like dad...

Disappointed......

[Ananth]

No disrespect, but after long a concert where Vatapi is not played...

[shibi]

Truly lovely kutcheri. I suppose one also had to use the imagination to fill the gaps and slips caused by age. I think there was also a Varali piece after the Bilahari. A bit unrelated but about 15 years ago I had the opportunity to practice and watch from close quarters, the great leg spinner VV Kumar bowl. He was well past 60 then but even with a dodgy knee, to watch (in net practice of course) his mastery of flight, loop, spin, turn, and the way he used the crease etc to lure the batsman (much younger and stronger than him) to their destruction was just an absolute delight. One could use the actual experience of watching Shane Warne etc and extrapolate from there as to how he must have bowled in his prime. This kutcheri (the first time I am listening to TNK live) had a similar effect for me .

[hnbhagavan]

Age related problems notwithstanding,it is indeed a great privilege to watch SriTNK in live concerts.In Bangalore Rasikas had the pleasure of hearing the
maestro in November at Kanchi Shankar Mutt,Malleswaram.

[Nick H]

My very personal feeling is that the TNK magic is stronger than it was when I last saw him a couple of years ago.

This does not necessarily mean that it is going to be TNK ever note and every stroke of the bow. What we see and hear from the TNK duet/trio combinations is absolutely powered by and directed by, should I say blessed by TNK himself, whether he is playing or not at any given time. The fact that he left both sides of a swara dialogue to his grandson in the truly-magical TNK-in-the-dark concert I saw a couple of days before did not lessen the thing at all.

I have no objections to the younger members of the family using the same chair/support thing. I'm sure it reduces the complexity of the staging. Last time I saw Viji play without her father, she was certainly sitting cross-legged. This is not an important detail.

I'm delighted to have have seen and heard Great Veteran TNK play twice this week.

[cacm]

[quote="shibi" Truly lovely kutcheri. I suppose one also had to use the imagination to fill the gaps and slips caused by age. I think there was also a Varali piece after the Bilahari. A bit unrelated but about 15 years ago I had the opportunity to practice and watch from close quarters, the great leg spinner VV Kumar bowl. He was well past 60 then but even with a dodgy knee, to watch (in net practice of course) his mastery of flight, loop, spin, turn, and the way he used the crease etc to lure the batsman (much younger and stronger than him) to their destruction was just an absolute delight. One could use the actual experience of watching Shane Warne etc and extrapolate from there as to how he must have bowled in his prime. This kutcheri (the first time I am listening to TNK live) had a similar effect for me

I have played with & against V.V.Kumar in the FIFTIES & it was obvious even then how foxy& clever he was.... Remembering those SPECIAL TIMES brings the BEST MEMORIES of growing up & living in Madras (now a days being called Chennai).
VKV

[Ragjay]

The pallavi is Parimala Rangapathe Mam Pahi.