T.N.S.Krishna @ Sringeri Bharati Vidyashram, Chennai (19 Mar

ram · Post by **ram** » 20 Mar 2007, 00:51

Venue: Sringeri Bharati Vidyashram, Venkatanarayana Road, T.Nagar, Chennai

Date: 19 Mar 2007

Vocal: Sri T.N.S. Krishna (TNSK)

Violin: Sri Pudukkottai Ambika Prasad

Mrudangam: Sri B. Sivaraman

Ghatam: Sri N. Guruprasad

List of songs:

1) gnAnAnanda mayam (slOkam) - hamsadwani - vEdAnta dEsikan

2) jalajAkshA (varnam) - hamsadwani - Adi - mAnmbuchAvaDi venkaTa subbaiyer (S)

3) brOvabAramA - bahudAri - Adi - thyAgarAja (S)

4) shObanE - pantuvarALi - misra chApu - thyAgarAja (A)

5) viruttam - madyamAvati

alakalalla lADaga - madyamAvati - rUpakam - thyAgarAja (AS)

6) EtAvunarA - kalyANi - Adi - thyAgarAja (ANST)

7) vEndanai kandanai (viruttam) - brindAvana sArangA

kaliyuga varadan - brindAvana sArangA - Adi - periyasAmi thUran

8 ) dhIm tArE nArE nArE (tillAnA) - hamsAnandi - Adi - harikEsanallUr muthiAh bhAgavatar

9) nI nAma rUpa mulaku (mangaLam) - sowrAshTram - Adi - thyAgarAja

(Key: O=raga outline, A=raga alapana, N=neraval, S=kalpana swaram, T=taniavartanam)

Sri T.N.S. Krishna presented a cracker of a concert. He seems to have not only inherited much of TNS' vidwat but also his hard work and this was apparent from the effort he put into each kriti he sang. The ragas just flowed. The way he sang the kritis was very impressive, especially the songs "shObanE" and "alakalalla lADaga". I am hearing "shObanE" for the first time. "alakalalla lADaga" happens to be one of my personal favorites in madyamAvati and kalpana swarams were put in this song at "samayamuna tyAgarAja". After madyamAvati came the show stealer. It was a 20 min grand alapana of kalyANi that brought out the beauty of the raga so well. The raga was developed step by step and all those exceptional patterns that TNS would probably sing were brought out by TNSK. The alapana just held me spellbound. Towards the end of the alapana, TNSK suddenly plunged into graha bhEdam with nishAdam as the base to sing sudha danyAsi.

Neraval and kalpana swarams were sung in the next kriti "EtAvunarA" at the first line of the anupallavi starting with "sItA gauri". TNSK used a lot of calculations towards the end of the kalpana swaram in both slow speed and fast speed and the beauty of these calculations were that they, in no way, interfered with the melody. Sri Ambika Prasad kept watching TNSK like a hawk to note the place in the avartanam from where he started the string of calculations each time and I must say that he did a great job with his replies. It is difficult to sing those calculations without affecting the melody. An even more difficult task however is to follow the singer just by hearing him sing those once.

While singing the hamsAnandi tillANA, TNSK slipped in a graha bhedam with rishaba as the base to get hindOLam just after the anupallavi ended. It was done very quickly and in an excellent fashion. TNSK then quickly moved on to sing the charaNam.

Sri B. Sivaraman and Sri N. Guruprasad provided some explosive (and enjoyable) accompaniment. The taniavartanam they played comprised the chatusra and tisra naDais.

After the concerts end, there is a short puja in the temple where the temple people usually ask the artist of the day to sing a kriti. TNSK sang a moving "srI kAntImatim" in hEmavati without the use of mic and without any accompaniment. It was so nice to hear his natural voice as he did complete justice to the great composition.

Source: http://ramsabode.wordpress.com/2007/03/ ... i19032007/

ram · Post by **ram** » 20 Mar 2007, 00:53

Bharath,

Can you please post the words of the madyamavati viruttam that you said was from the kamba rAmAyaNam? I didn't get the words at all.

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 20 Mar 2007, 10:16

the kamba rAmayaNa viruttam that TNSK rendered is

veyyOn oLi tan mEniyin viri sOdiyin maraiya
poiyO enum iDaiyALoDum iLaiyAnoDum pOnAn
maiyO maragadamO marikaDalO mazhai mugilO
aiyO ivan vaDivenbadu azhiyA azhaguDaiyAn

a beautiful stanza depicting the beauty of rAma and sItA and also telling how he went on the vana vAsam.

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 20 Mar 2007, 10:30

i must also add that the AlApanai of pantuvarALi in madhyama sruthi preceeding the shObanE was very moving.

the madhyamAvati was very nice as well.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 20 Mar 2007, 18:55

Bharath,
Thanks for the words...beautiful indeed!

rbharath wrote:poiyO enum iDaiyALoDum iLaiyAnoDum pOnAn

If I understand the meaning correctly, this is the imagery that Kannadasan evokes when he composed: 'iDaiyE illai, irundAl mullai koDi pOl mella vaLaiyum'

sarojram18 · Post by **sarojram18** » 20 Mar 2007, 21:36

Of course Ram has given a detailed account of the concert to which I have nothing to add.The verse from Kamban describing Rama as maiyO maragathamO maRikadalO mazaimugilO was explained by TNS in his harikatha that Kamban felt exhausted in comparing Rama to mai, maragatham etc and still not satisfied and says aiyo expressing wonder at his beauty being beyond comparison. This was one of the gems of Kamban.
Ram was in an advntageous position as he could sit on the floor whcih I could not and had to be satisfied with sitting on the bench in the veranda behind the stage where the dais was not visible and had to put up with people walikng to an fro and the traffic outside and only blessing was the breeze which would have been absent inside as there were no fans.I should go sufficiently early tomorrow when TNs is playing veena in order to grab the benchspace within the hall or at least in the veranda facing the dais in front of the window.

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 21 Mar 2007, 11:25

sarojram18 wrote:only blessing was the breeze which would have been absent inside as there were no fans.

of course not. wherever u sit inside that dhyana mandapam at sringeri matam, u will find some breeze coming from windows and doors that are open. it is a very ventillated place. unless of course, you have to sit in a vague corner.

the stanza under discussion is the one where Kambar explain the beauty of rAmA and sItA. it is better explained by word of mouth, than putting it in words. rather, it is tough for me to type it out. coz, it doesnt have the same vigour as telling it in person. i personally enjoy it a lot, whenever i hear it, since the first time my tamil teacher in school had explained it in class. one of my personal favourites for rAgamAlikA viruttam.

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 21 Mar 2007, 11:25

rshankar wrote:Bharath,
Thanks for the words...beautiful indeed!

rbharath wrote:poiyO enum iDaiyALoDum iLaiyAnoDum pOnAn
If I understand the meaning correctly, this is the imagery that Kannadasan evokes when he composed: 'iDaiyE illai, irundAl mullai koDi pOl mella vaLaiyum'

yup!