T N Krishnan, Nadopasana

[rbharath]

T N Krishnan & Viji Krishnan Natarajan - N Manoj Siva - N Guruprasad

Nadopasana
Raga Sudha Hall
20 Jan 2013. 6:15 pm

ninnukOri - mohanam - Adi - RSI
niravati sukhadA - ravicandrikA - Adi - T (S)
giripai nelakona - sahAnA - Adi - T (R)
koluvamAra gadA - tODi - Adi - T (RNST)
samayamidE rA rA - behAg (R)
bhAgyada lakshmi bArammA - madhyamAvati - Adi - PD (R)
tillAnA - senjuruTTi - Veena Seshanna (R)
suruTTi AlApanai
nI rAma rUpamulaku - saurAshTram

It was a great concert. Krishnan mama in great form. The concert was preceded by a short speech by Sri Srinivasan of Nadopasana and handing over of a purse to Vidwan Sri KR Saranathan as part of an endowment instituted by Chitraveenai Sri N Narasimhan in memory of his father, Gottuvadhyam Vidwan Sri Narayana Iyengar. The meeting was scheduled for 6:15 and the concert for 6:30. However, the function began at 6:05 and the concert by 6:10 pm. Something this writer still refuses to believe, that a meeting preceding a concert started and ended before it was scheduled to happen.

The varnam was started in a rather less leisurely pace, however the kAlApramANam was so wonderful especially the second speed was too good. The ravicandrikA piece was played with the usual vigour with an elaborate round of svarams. The AlApanai was sahAnA was dripping with classical phrases everywhere. The rendition of giripai was so touching. The elaborate main AlApanai of tODi was touching unknown frontiers of the rAgam and sailing across the ocean of the rAgam with utmost ease. What an AlApanai that was! The kriti was rendered with its regular gait. There was a grand finale with wonderful neraval and svarams to lead to the tani. The AlApanais of all the post main pieces were all sweet and the pieces were rendered so well.

Sri Krishnan was in his usual best rendering music that was touching the soul and soothing to the ear. Smt. Viji provided excellent support to her and shared all parts giving able support. There was probably very little difference and the transition between the father and daughter were so smooth and were unnoticed. Sri Manoj Siva and Sri Guruprasad provided wonderful support to the concert. They embellished the concert with their playing and their tani was awesome too.

A totally fulfilling concert.

bharath

[Nick H]

This was such an extraordinary concert that I fell asleep dreaming of it, not only that night, but the next too. It really left me feeling like overflowing with happiness: as Bharath says, totally fulfilling.

One more point that I noticed... Accepting that Viji has had a lifetime of knowing and learning from her father, still Sri TNKs direction was amazing. "Orchestration" is not really a carnatic concept, but I felt that even if there had been six other people playing with him, he would have led them all seamlessly. Of course, the others would have to be up to the standard --- and Viji's was ---and more. It was sometimes hard, without looking, to know who was playing.

The percussion was excellently played by two favourites, with a thoroughly enjoyable thani. The ghatam is hardly a melodic instrument, but Guruprasad turns it into one

I am really tempted to say, just three weeks in, that this might have been my concert of the year, but if I do, Bharath will remember, and remind me when [hopefully] I have the next one. But the next (and I hope, the next and so on) will be different, and wonderful in different ways. This concert just cannot be beaten.

[srikant1987]

Something this writer still refuses to believe, that a meeting preceding a concert started and ended before it was scheduled to happen.

YEAH! I came at about 6:15, expecting to be on time for the meeting and in time for the concert -- but the concert had already begun!

Thanks for the report, Bharath, and your thoughts, Nick!