TMK at MFAC on 10.2.08-Thyagaraja Kritis.

[grsastrigal]

T M Krishna
Charumathy Raguraman-Violin.
B.Ganapathy Raman-Mridangam
Sunder Kumar-Ghatam

This concert is in con.with Thyagaraja festival, celebrated every where in Chennai.. So, only Saint’s Kritis.

Raguvara Suguna Laya-Bhairavi
Ganavaritha Namuledha- Begada
Sub-main- Devagandhari Raagam followed by Seeta Vara Sangeetha.
Manavinala- Nalinakanthi
Main- Mukhari f/by Karubaru Seyo- Neraval in “Sadhu Sri Thyagarajaâ€

[vijay]

Interesting list...and yes, Charumathi Raghuraman is certainly a violinist to watch out for. Good to note that she is accompanying TMK these days.

[kmrasika]

Just want to be ont he same page

Ganavaritha Namuledha

The correct words are, "tanavAritanamulEda."

Sree Padhadhi Guruvaram- (Kriti by Mysore Vasudevachar on Saint, as told by TMK)-Kalyani.

The line goes, "ShrImadAdi tyAgarAja guruvaraM" and is an panegyric on tyAgarAja by vAsudEvAccArya.

[arasi]

Charumathi Raghuraman and Charulatha Ramanujam who was to accompany him in his Bangalore concert, and Amruta Murali who played in her place...
It is nice that TMK encourages female violinists to accompany him in his concerts. I have heard Vijay Siva too, accompanied by a female violinist. Of course, akkarai S accompanies her guru Ravi Kiran...

[cienu]

[quote="grsastrigal"]Surprising to note that TMK was singing “Seetavaraâ€

[arasi]

Pieces of papers, books,
Ah, to refer to them or not,
That's the question...

[rasaali]

Pieces of papers, books,
Ah, to refer to them or not,
That's the question...

refer and you err on the side of (pre)caution
defer and you err, the kriti is a concotion.

Er, didnt come out great, but hope you get the idea..

[arasi]

Indeed I do.You explained what I implied.
A senior vocalist who used to frown upon this practice says memory plays a trick with words now and that scraps of papers are like a security blanket . But there is a catch. Looking at them means that the flow of singing gets impeded!

[rajaglan]

As a general rule of memory, if you have not memorised the songs in younger years, you are likely to forget without rehersing it.
Having a notebook helps as a security (very good point -arasi). And someone in the audience suddenly requests for a kritihi which is not
rehersed on that day, they need a quick reference. I remember once we asked for Shri venkata girisam (suruti) in odukathur mutt to TMK.
(logic for asking this is SSI lineage). Defenitely must have been a surprise. Mostly people ask for what one is popular for.

Again over a period of time, (ex. Sudha, Sanjay) artists maynot need this reference. I think all young artists go through this phase
and finally will not need a reference. Some people are good at memories and pattern absorbing.

[anandasangeetham]

I didnt think TMK was referring the book for the lyrics. It was more to do the selection of the songs I think.... NOt once did I see him referring the papers while singing. After the song he was referring to the book for song selection. He and Sanjay are two artists who do not refer to the books while singing.

I agree that the violinist was par excellence. Her amazing devagandhari .... it was far more impressive and brought memories of Salem Chellam Iyengar's devagandhari...(I have not heard a better devagandahri than Salem Chellam Iyengar)....

I was not very familiar with Mukhari and got it confused with Bhairavi...my being a novice.....Thanks for the clarification.

[grsastrigal]

AS-
Good, you were also there. He did refer the book, but what was surprising that he referred for Sitavara which is not a difficult song compared to Mysore V’s Kriti rendered at the end.. Since I was sitting on the left side in the second row, and he saw the book by keeping him to his right side, I could see it very clearly. But Iam not going to criticise this or demean the Vidwat of TMK. He is a class

[srkris]

He might have seen the book while singing sitavara, but how do we know what the page contained? Maybe he had notated a few new sangatis and wanted to try them out?

I dont think TMK would have the need to refer a book for the sahitya of such a popular song.

[rasaali]

Pieces of papers, books,
Ah, to refer to them or not,
That's the question...

PS: We should try to avoid refering to them while writing exams though!

[fuddyduddy]

but whats wrong in referring to books occassionally? as long as it doesnt affect their rendition... especially someone like TMK who always tries to bring something unique to the stage, like a new paasuram in raagamalika. u cant expect him to remember all the divya prabhandhams.. i was fortunate to be in chennai for his Abbas-VaniMahal 4 hr concert and he did refer to the book... Somehow dint seem odd at all... only felt good that it was so unique..

[arasi]

fuddyduddy,
No harm at all, but 'unique'? I see papers and books resorted to by many.
I suppose one of the habits we gained from filmdom. Playback singing in the sound studio, then light music concerts and programs on the TV too.

rasaali,
Yes, I thought on those lines too--I have heard of crib notes scribbled on one's shirt sleeves before entering the exam hall!

[kssuresh]

fuddyduddy,
No harm at all, but 'unique'? I see papers and books resorted to by many.

I think what fuddyduddy meant is that the concert was unique, not the singer referring to the book.

[vijay]

Rasaali, in open book exams perhaps! But, in my experience, they're even worse than having to memorize stuff....an the same is usually the case when you have "open book concerts"!

[vasanthabhairavi]

Well, using notes/papers takes away a little of the Bhavam. Have seen TMK use notes for Varugalamo. Atleast for such popular Krithis, memory must be trusted. And Shri Venkata Girisham is not too rare after all.

[arvindt]

Well, using notes/papers takes away a little of the Bhavam.

Why do you think so? I think this is an unproved assertion.

I don't understand why it's wrong to jog your memory before you start the song,
especially if it's the lyrics you're trying to remember. Have seen TMK once refer to
a book momentarily before he began singing Vadasi Yadi in Mukhari. I don't know
if he referred to the book for lyrics, or for something else: all I remember was that
he sang a brilliant Mukhari and wonderful rendition of the composition that day.

Now perhaps if the singer is always looking at the book and doesn't even
remember the music properly or gets distracted, I agree that could detract from the
rendition -- but I have never heard of, or seen TMK or any other musician for that
matter experiencing that problem.

Just my POV...

It's also possible that some singers use books to record what they sang at the
same venue previously to avoid repeating songs. That would be a very justifiable
use of pen/paper, especially given the demand for new songs in every concert!

[vasanthabhairavi]

Not an unproved assertion.its just my opinion. Of course, in Bhavam and issues such as those, its just not 'provable'. In my opinion, flawless delivery of Krithis without referring to notes enhances the quality of a concert. Of course, there is always an excuse that its better to refer than make a mistake. But then, one mustn't make mistakes. Have seen several muscians of the past and a few from the present who do not refer to notes except for maybe altogether rare Krithis or in thematic concerts.

[arasi]

When they forget a line, some vocalists let the instrumentalists play a round until the line comes back to them.
Some senior vidvAns let the SishyAs start the line for them and join in.
When a word is forgotten, some fudge it, others substitute it with their own (sometimes apt!) words.
No great faux pas in my view. After all, it is like drifting into another rAgA for a moment while they sing one...

[fuddyduddy]

yes, what i meant was that the song he sang was unique since he kept looking at the words and would lift up and make new sangathis... i could never make sangathis impromptu, especially so paandham for the words that he was singing... ofcourse its a piece of cake for someone like TMK or Sanjay or any performing musician for that matter...
hoping mudhra will release the cd for it. and it will be my request song for him when he comes to NJ in April...

[Ragjay]

Hi I remember once Shri T.K.Murthy who was residing near the great Ariakudis house heard him practice a krithi on a regular basis and he had not sung that on the concert stage. When asked by him the veteran said that he had not perfected the krithi... the krithi was Sesachala Nayaka Varali (M.D.) That was his practice..... I suppose each artist has his own way to approach the krithi...Ultimately what matters is how it is rendered not withstanding the fact whether the book is referred or otherwise Bye Ragjay