T M Krishna for Sharada Cultural Trust, 2nd Feb 2018

Review the latest concerts you have listened to.
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shreyas
Posts: 251
Joined: 03 Mar 2018, 13:16

T M Krishna for Sharada Cultural Trust, 2nd Feb 2018

Post by shreyas »

Song list:

A-Alapana, T- Thanam, Th- Thani, KS- Kalpana Swaram, N-Neraval
Kamakshi (Swarajathi) - Bhairavi - Syama Sastry (N@Abhimanamuleda, KS @Parama Pavainigada)
Manavinala-Nalinakanthi-Thyagaraja(A, KS@Natana Thyagaraju)
Ragamalika (A, T)
Neranammithi (Kanada Varnam) - Th
Hiranmayim-Lalitha-Muthuswami Dikshithar
Smarane Sukhamu-Janaranjani-Thyagaraja(N@Smarane Sukhamu)
Sanchara Dadhara (Jayadeva Ashtapadi)-Mohana, Vasantha, Yamunakalyani, Sindhubhairavi (Tuned by Sri B Seetharama Sarma)

Nice concert. Manavinala was amazing. Hiranmayim was rendered at an extremely slow pace.

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: T M Krishna for Sharada Cultural Trust, 2nd Feb 2018

Post by rshankar »

Who were the accompanying artists?

shreyas
Posts: 251
Joined: 03 Mar 2018, 13:16

Re: T M Krishna for Sharada Cultural Trust, 2nd Feb 2018

Post by shreyas »

Akkarai Subbulakshmi on the violin, K. Arun Prakash on the mridangam, B S Purushottam on the Kanjira.

shreyas
Posts: 251
Joined: 03 Mar 2018, 13:16

Re: T M Krishna for Sharada Cultural Trust, 2nd Feb 2018

Post by shreyas »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS3w9nzAkYY

EDIT: It also happens to be exactly two years since I joined this forum.

Throwback to two years ago!!!!

This video helps me relive this concert. It happened more than two years ago, and what a fabulous exposition of musical virtuosity it was.

He began with a sedate Bhairavi outline that led straight into the majestic Bhairavi Swarajathi, Despite having heard him present it numerous times in the past, it was an entirely new experience this time, for he rendered it in Chowka kalam. His powerful voice aided in setting up the splendour of Bhairavi. When he reached the line 'Ga, Ma Ga Ri Sa,,,,,, Ni Sa Ri Ga, Ma Ga Ri Sa (the swaram for the sahityam 'Pavanigada, Paramapavanigada') he spent nearly a minute there exploring the possibilities the 'va' in Pavanigada could offer, singing the same line nearly ten times with a different gamaka on it each time. The presentation of the composition itself lasted more than twenty minutes as he explored the contours of Bhairavi through the classic lens of the swarajathi, augmenting the impact of the sequential swaras beginning each charanam. If I recall correctly, he sang an expansive neraval at 'Abhimanamuleda', (ateeta), and swaras, with a smirk, at 'Parama Pavanigada' returning there for more improvisation. In total, this piece lasted for more than 45 minutes, but, evidently, nobody was complaining, least of all the artistes on stage. Arun Prakash leveraged his classic minimalistic playing style to provide deft accompaniment to the piece, Purushottam following suit, and Akkarai remained the faithful companion in the musical journey, giving brilliant replies to all of Krishna's elaborations of neraval and swaram. My only gripe with this number was how he pronounced 'Kuvalaya' as 'kuvaLaya'

He then began a Nalinakanthi alapana (after someone requested it before the concert). It was a classic TMK alapana, novel in many ways yet remaining loyal to the core of the raga. After Akkarai's wonderful reply, he began the classic krithi Manavinala, in madhyama-kalam. It is amazing to see how much can be accomplished with a repetitive structure of four notes, as Arun Prakash demonstrated (for most the krithi rendition, he maintained a similar style to that shown in the clip), with everyone in the audience tapping their feet to the rhythm. After a succinct presentation of the krithi, he began swaram at 'Natana Tyagaraju' (22 beats after the samam), as evinced in the video. And this was clearly the highlight of the entire concert. His satisfied facial expressions as he hit the line right on time, and Akkarai's classic smile as she revelled in the music, are unforgettable. The rest of it can be seen in the clip.

He then coaxed Akkarai to play something, and she began a brisk Varali outline, followed by Krishna in a rare 'vintage' moment, who sang one long fast-paced brigha in a single breath. In the higher octave, he then switched to Kiravani, playing with it for a while. Akkarai then played a scintillating Surutti, followed by an absolutely stunning Andolika from Krishna. Some astounding alapana phrases and some fast-paced thanam in the raga were presented. Akkarai then moved onto Vagadiswari, with a splendid transition, and Krishna picked up Bahudari in the higher octave. A quick revision of all the ragams followed, with TMK signing off with a slow alapana of Varali once again. This entire exercise took a solid twenty minutes.

After a thunderous applause, he hummed Kanada for nearly a minute, before beginning with the Ata thala varnam. Just as the mamas and mamis in the audience 'ah'-d and 'tsk'-d a brilliant brigha at Neranammithi after the second speed, he silenced them by beginning a racy thanam, which linked straight into the charanam line. After an energetic rendition, he handed it over to Arun and Purushottam for a high-octane thani in Ata thalam. Not very knowledgeable in the art of percussion, I am not qualified to comment on it, although it seemed quite good to me...

After a very slow and tender rendition of Dikshithar's Hiranmayim, he began a Janaranjani sketch. After a slightly ponderous rendition of Smarane Sukhamu (I had never heard the song before), he sang a brief neraval at the pallavi itself. Finally, he presented a Jayadeva Ashtapadi in Mohana, Vasantha, Yamunakalyani and Sindhubhairavi, prefacing it with a note about his guru, Seetharama Sarma, who had passed away just a few months earlier, was the tunesmith for the song, and how MLV used to present the second verse in Gavati instead of Vasantha.

The concert lasted for nearly 165 min, but it still felt too short. My picks would be the Andolika in the ragamalika, the Nalinakanthi swaram and the rendition of the swarajathi itself.

Songlist:

Kamakshi - Swarajathi - Misra Chapu - Syama Sastri [O, N @ Abhimanamuleda, S @ Paramapavanigada]

Manavinala - Nalinakanthi - Adi - Tyagaraja [R, S @ Natana]

Varali ragam (AS)
Varali ragam (TMK)
Kiravani ragam (TMK)
Surutti ragam (AS)
Andolika ragam thanam (TMK)
Vagadiswari thanam (AS)
Bahudari, Vagadiswari, Andolika thanam (TMK)
Kiravani, Varali ragam (TMK)

Neranammithi - Kanada - Ata - Puchi Srinivas Iyengar [O, Th in between purvanga and uttaranga]

Thani in Khanda Ata thalam

Hiranmayim - Lalitha - Rupakam - Dikshithar [O]

Smarane Sukhamu - Janaranjani - Adi - Tyagaraja [O, N @ Smarane]

Sanchara Dadhara - Mohana, Vasantha, Yamunakalyani, Sindhubhairavi - Adi - Jayadeva (tuned by B Seetharama Sarma) [O]

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