TM Krishna @ Cleveland Aradhana 4/13/2007

rasam · Post by **rasam** » 16 Apr 2007, 14:53

Writing this from memory without taking notes, two days after the concert, so apologies for forgetting anything

Vocal: TM Krishna
Violin: Nagai Sriram
Mridangam: G. Dorai
Kanjira: Karthik Venkataraman

1. Swara raga sudha - Shankarabaranam - Tyagaraja - Adi (N,S)

2. Mayamma - Ahiri - Shyama Shastry - Adi

3. E Papamu - Atana - Tyagaraja - Misra Chapu - (R,S)

4. Vinave O Manasa - Vivardhini - Rupakam - Tyagaraja

5. Shree Rajagopalam - Saveri - Adi - M. Dikshithar (R,N,S,T)

6. RTP - Harikambhoji - Khanda Triputa
"Harikambhoja bhava vinute lalite mamava rama" (?)
Swarams in vasanta, varali, kuntalavarali

7. Virutham - Anandha Bhairavi, Sahana, Behag

8. Irakkam varamal - Behag - Rupakam - GKB

9. Smara sundaranguni (javali) - Paras - Adi - Dharmapuri Subbaier

10. Sarvam Brahma Mayam - Madhuwanti

11. Parulana Mata - Javali - Kapi - Dharmapuri Subbaier

12. Kintu cheivu nyaan - Kalyani - Swathi Thirunal

13. Balakrishnam - Mukhari

14. Pavamana

Unconventional start, would have preferred a nice varnam in typical TMK style ... nice concert overall, enjoyed the harikambhoji, atana and saveri. Nagai Sriram and Dorai were outstanding.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 16 Apr 2007, 15:32

Thanks Rasam. As per TMK's established concert format, the varnam should have figured at number 3 or 4. Swara Raga Sudha as an opener is in keeping with the norm though!

gsn · Post by **gsn** » 16 Apr 2007, 19:00

Rasam-

The piece in Kalyani was "Kintu Cheivu Nyaan", a Swati Tirunal composition if I am not mistaken.

gsn · Post by **gsn** » 16 Apr 2007, 19:01

There was also a Mukhari padam(?) in Tamil before the end - Balakrishnan something-something..

mahesh33 · Post by **mahesh33** » 16 Apr 2007, 19:41

In today's carnatic music world, TM Krishna seems to set the tone. The packed hall - replete with attentive children, eminent musicians, rapt musicologists, awestruck fans and admiring friends stood testimony to that.

Overall, it was a good experience. The accompanyists were accomplished and involved, and TMK's selections were outstanding. Swara Raaga Sudhu started in a good pace.....with a quick neraval and kalpana swarams. Ideal start. Mayamma was delightful, languid and resonated with the audience again....thanks to the beauty and simplicity of the lyrics. Atana alapana was wonderful, TMK's voice now is an official wonder...he uses so many amazing akAra phrases, interspersed with Ta-Da-Ri's....and what a wonderful krithi he chose to sing. All the complicated sangathis that this song possesses were brought out beautifully. Vivardhini raga was ordinary. TMK's Saveri is his best.....he sings this like no other, and there is an unmistakeable weight in his alapanas, renedition and swarams for this rAga.... This was an absolute delight of a Saveri alapanai..TMK easily showed Saveri in his grips, demonstrating all the complex gamakas that are important for this raga. His voice was in its absolute elements during this alapanai. Nagai's response again was first-rate - starting off in the lower octaves and ramping it up beautifully, elaborating on all the complex, wonderful sancharas that Saveri possesses. Sri Rajagopala, rendered in madhyama kAla was amazing....with the trademark melkAla neraval @ Dheena Sharanya...swarams were captivating, followed by a wonderful thani Adi. The RTP that came next was also a highlight, in Harikambodhi....using Khanda Triputa...TMK took his time with the alapana and produced a wonderful, ringing taanam..Pallavi in Khanda Triputa was wonderful, and TMK again showed the nadai variations in the pallavi...Guruvayur Dorai's accompaniment was of a high standard, and Nagai was wonderful. Great concert, overall.

TMK sang Sarvam Brahma Mayam in Madhuvanthi in the Tukkadas section....

rasam · Post by **rasam** » 17 Apr 2007, 05:35

Thanks mahesh and gsn for the thukkudas which I forgot. I have added them above in the list in no particular order. (Darn, I should have taken notes, but I was thinking somebody else would surely post the list here)

mahesh33 · Post by **mahesh33** » 17 Apr 2007, 05:42

You did fine...I was going to get to the list, u beat me to it, which is good. I was kinda tired after the long drive yesterday....donno how Ram does this on a daily basis...sure takes a fair amount of effort, particularly when the artist's are TNS/TMK....

rasam · Post by **rasam** » 17 Apr 2007, 05:46

Yes, the atana was special ... BTB, before starting the krithi TMK said something like "maranden na neenga thaan chollanon" meaning "if I forget (the lyrics), you should tell". Who was he talking to?

mahesh33 · Post by **mahesh33** » 17 Apr 2007, 06:14

Chenglepet Ranganathan mama or maybe Prof TRS? Not quite sure, but I think he was referring to Chenglepet Ranganathan mama....

srinidhi · Post by **srinidhi** » 17 Apr 2007, 11:06

<<Chenglepet Ranganathan mama or maybe Prof TRS? Not quite sure, but I think he was referring to Chenglepet Ranganathan mama....<<

Were they sitting on stage alongside TMK?
And did he happen to forget the lyrics? (Very unlikely considering the high standards he sets for himself)

rasam · Post by **rasam** » 17 Apr 2007, 12:02

Were they sitting on stage alongside TMK?

No, they were in the audience.

And did he happen to forget the lyrics?

No.

(Very unlikely considering the high standards he sets for himself)

You'd be surprised ... I've been in atleast 2 of his concerts where he forgot the lyrics. Some people cringe at this, but I dont hold it against him especially since he extemporises almost exclusively. Besides, I shudder at the amount of sahitya a versatile artist has to remember these days in the era where you cannot repeat in Cleveland a krithi that you sang in Madras the previous day

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 17 Apr 2007, 12:11

Yeah TMK's does forget his lines once in a while...like Rasam, I wouldn't really hold it against him although it could affect the momentum of a concert. He usually comes back quickly though.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 17 Apr 2007, 17:44

Yes, given his ability as a singer, these lapses can be ignored, I suppose. I was amused when during the season, I saw him with a mini library of books piled in front of him, and he looked through them before he sang a couple of songs. A bit distracting for the audience. I thought of school days when some carried their books and poured over them till they had to go into the hall to take the exams! It is not as if one sings brand new songs at every concert. Several songs are repeated and after all, how many lines does a vocalist got to remember, if he (she) reviews them on the day of the concert? I know of old timers--even with fading memories--shunning this practise. Don't take me wrong. Leafing through books does not take away their merit as singers but does distract...

mahesh33 · Post by **mahesh33** » 17 Apr 2007, 17:47

Try telling Aruna Sairam that? Fuuny that none of us stayed back for her concert...

!

mahesh_narayan · Post by **mahesh_narayan** » 17 Apr 2007, 21:28

Is #5 Sri Rajagopalabala?

balu · Post by **balu** » 18 Apr 2007, 12:40

T M Krishna is the visionary of carnatic Music. He is willing to experiment and is not afraid of breaking so-called traditions. After Ariakkudi Iyengar. he is the person who is trying for a new format. I like the main piece in the beginning of the concert ( eg sankarabharanam, swararaga sudha) and viriboni varnam as the fourth piece. Posterity , I hope, will mean TM Krishna when it says "Iyengar". I am looking forward to his concert when he sings the mangalam as the main piece.

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 18 Apr 2007, 18:04

balu wrote:I am looking forward to his concert when he sings the mangalam as the main piece.

Is that a tongue-in-cheek remark?
If you mean it do you expect people to walk out after the main piece--even before the tani?

hsuvarna · Post by **hsuvarna** » 18 Apr 2007, 23:40

We have read in this forum about other artists doing the same i.e. having their own concert format like Prof TRS.

bhaktha · Post by **bhaktha** » 19 Apr 2007, 12:07

balu wrote:Posterity , I hope, will mean TM Krishna when it says "Iyengar".

What an extrordinary thought!!
-bhaktha

rasam · Post by **rasam** » 19 Apr 2007, 13:25

Balu, your sarcasm is well noted

I, for one, believe that starting a concert with a major krithi is not wise considering that your voice is not warmed up (especially since TMK does not even sing an alapana outline or anything) and it might be tricky to pull off some of the more complicated sangathis ... But if you can manage it, why not?

Also, I dont think TMK does this in order to reinvent the concert format or anything ... I just think he uses this as a surprise element occasionally which does provide a nice effect in my opinion.

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 19 Apr 2007, 14:42

I am looking forward to his concert when he sings the mangalam as the main piece.

What a thought! While on the subject of kutcheri format, perhaps singing tukkadas at the beginning may be a novel idea - this way serious rasikas can come in late and listen to the concert in peace, without chits going around or having to sit thru chinnanchirukiliye! Hope someone picks this up...

ram · Post by **ram** » 19 Apr 2007, 15:12

Have taniavartanam and mangalam (and a few thukkadas of course) at the start so that people who want to leave early do hear the taniavartanam before they leave and also get the feeling of having listened to a complete kutcheri on hearing the mangalam

Ore kallula rendu maanga !!!

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 19 Apr 2007, 15:50

well, TMK has taken up padams and varNams as main pieces. He sang the kAmbhOji padam, bAlavinavE at kalAkshEtra this january and varALi varNam, vanajAksha, at iit madras for main sometime ago.

he is not the only person to do it. Smt Vedavalli, recently sang the bhairavi padam, vElavarE for main at some concert.

I am told, TRS once sang a concert which began with pavamAna and ended with a varNam.

108talas · Post by **108talas** » 19 Apr 2007, 16:59

GNB used to start concerts with 'Swaminatha Paripala' - Naatai. MMI used to start 'SeethapathE' in kamas.
TRS had introduced many varieties in commencement of concerts.
Heard many artists starting with one of the pancharathna keerthanais.
Many start with Raama bhakti saamrajyam.

So nothing uncommon and unique. ( in the process kritis in praise of Lord Ganesha would certainly be missing).

-sb-

clueless · Post by **clueless** » 19 Apr 2007, 18:31

I am looking forward to his concert when he sings the mangalam as the main piece.

I remember attending a concert with my 10-year old. The first piece was in Sowrashtram, upon which the kid says, 'Why is the concert starting with the Mangalam?'

Clueless, recounting the adventures of Clueless Junior.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 19 Apr 2007, 21:28

Junior is more clued in than you think, Clueless and thanks to senior for taking him along to concerts