TM Krishna

[srikant1987]

Clasfest 2008. Music Club IIT Madras. Central Lecture Theatre.
11th August 2008. 6:45 pm

vanajAkShirO - kalyANi - Adi - RSI (S)
vintAsuta vAhana - jayantasEnA - Adi - T (S)
ninnu sEvincina - yadukula kAmbhOji - mishra cApu - Subbaraya Shastri (RN)
brOvarAdA shrI venkaTEshA - varuNapriyA - Adi - MV
upacAramulanu - bhairavi - Adi - T (RNS)
tani
vINAbhEri - AbhEri - Adi - MD (short sketch)
RTP - nATTai - Adi. 7/8 eDuppu, 7 akshara aridi.
paramapAvana pApamOchanA pavanAtmaja mAm pAhi
rAgamAlikA svarams in hamsadvani, dhAmavati, tODi
smarasundarAnguni - paras - Adi - DS (short neraval)
sapashyat kausalyA - jaunpuri - Adi
tungatIra virAjam - yamunAkalyANi - Adi - Kamalesha Vittala (R)
mAmava paTTAbhirAmA - maNirangu - misra cApu - MD
mangaLa kOsalEndrAya - maNirangu

The varNam was rendered well, with very interesting svarams. The yadukula kAmbhoji rAgam was extremely beautiful, and the krti was rendered with great care and precision, and its weight was felt. The rAgam reply given by the violinist was very good. brOvarAdA was also nicely performed.

The bhairavi rAgam included exploration from atimantra pa to atitAra sa. The violinist did not "reply" to the rAgam, but gave a counter-reply in a way, exploring madhyasthAyi, especially the tAra ri, in great detail.

Sri Krishna mischevously announced AbhEri's name, as the krti sung was an uncommon one in which the shuddhadhaivatam remains conserved.

The RTP was superb, Vidwan Shriram Kumar's tAnam was absolutely fantastic: he literally sang tAnam on the violin. Needless to say, he also handled the rare rAgams offered easily.

sapaSyat kausalyA had some nice "additions" — AlApanai-like conclusion to verses.

mAmava paTTAbhi rAma was sung in a different tune from I know it, including shuddha dhaivatam though another listen says there wasn't any.

The percussion department was absolutely stunning. They charged the audience and the melodic performers with great levels of energy. It was very nice to have a senior, authoritative (AND high-energy) vidwAn like Shri TV Vasan play with youngsters, especially the upapakkavAdyam vidwAn Shri Anirudh Atreya, the youngest of the lot. He encouraged all on the stage, including Shri T M Krishna. Usually the main artist needs to keep saying words of praise to everyone, and has only themselves to motivate them, but this concert was different, and nicely so.

The same authority also led him to join the tAnam without Shri TM Krishna's asking him to, so I got my second percussion-accompanied tAnam in three days (and two concerts)!

Shri Anirudh initially seemed rather nervous to find himself an upapakkavAdyakAra for Shri TVV, but the latter was so encouraging that by the time of tanIs, he confidently attempted many tough (and beautiful) kaNakkus, and succeeded too! ... just to earn a generous praise and be emboldened further!

All four of them seemed to enjoy performing with one another, and we enjoyed every one of them, and the synergic group.

[prashant]

Lovely list especially the intriguing RTP!!!

[rbharath]

It was one of those concerts which would always linger in your mind.

The beginning was normal with the kalyANi varNam and the jayantasEna with usual rounds of svarams. The yadukulakAmbhOji AlApanai was my pick for the day. Hearing yadukulakAmbhOji at two succesive concerts just a day apart and with 2 favourite rare kritis was indeed a great feeling. Hearing ninnu sEvinchina, would have a very soothing effect on any triplicanite, and i am no exception to this. The neraval at 'kanakAngi srI rukmiNi...' did bring back the images of the thAyAr standing right next to Sri Parthasarathy Perumal. The varuNapriyA kriti was well rendered.

The bhairavi was indeed an elaborate affair. For a bhairavi fanatic like me, it was just a grand treat to hear the bhairavi. The kriti was rendered with neraval and svarams in kIzhkAlam alone. The next in line was a short sketch of AbhEri and vINAbhEri was rendered with the required gait.

The RTP was a surprise when Sri Krishna began with the AlApanai of nATTai. It was an elaborate AlApanai done in stages and the tAnam was indeed very well rendered with the percussion team joining in. The pallavi set with intricate eDuppu and placings of the sAhityam was rendered with utmost ease. The anulOmam was done to 2 kIzh kAlams as mEl kAlam would not be possible for the eDuppu to which the pallavi was set. Even the kIzh kAla svarams had to be carefully structured to lead to the eDuppu of the pallavi. The mEl kAla svarams and rAgamAlikA were rendered beautifully.

The paras jAvaLi was rendered in a rather slow tempo and with some short neraval in the caraNam. It was also quite interesting to note that yamunAkalyANi and maNirangu were not rendered in madhyama sruthi.

Sri Krishna gave an awesome concert. In Sri Shriram Kumar, one could find a perfect accompanying violinst. His AlApanais were all top class and his neraval and svarams replies were all fittingly done. Knowing all the kritis, he played them like a shadow and hence added to the overall effect the concert created.

Sri TV Vasan, the mrudangist of the day, was energy personified. The way he embellished each piece and sangati was indeed amazing. I m also told, he played a few of the ghaTam patterns on the mrudangam making it all the more beautiful. (experts in the percussion department could elaborate and educate on what are the differences in playing mrudangam and ghaTam). Sri Anirudh was in good form and played well and gave good patterns from his playing. The tani they shared was very good as well.

[rshankar]

Minor correction:

While I am sure that SrI rAghavEndra svAmi was brave (dhIra), the Kamalesha Vittala piece is 'tungAtIra' - on the banks (tIra) of tunga(bhadrA).

[mridangamkid]

Though I am no where near an expert in anyway, the main difference I see between ghatam and mridangam is the use of the left hand.

For Mridangam one only hits it with three (or four) fingers that are together (meaning each finger does not have space). So when you strike the mridangam, you will just get one sound.

For ghatam, you can produce the "kita" sound with both the right and left, meaning you'll use the pointer finger also (unlike mridangam, mridangam you just use that pinky ring and middle). That's why when the ghatam plays it seems like he's playing a much faster than the mridangam (at least to me).

I know for a fact Dorai sir has done this on plenty occasions and I'm sure, though not positive, other leading vidwans have done it.

Again I'm not to familiar with ghatam, perhaps a ghatam player could give a better explanation.

AS for the concert, it sounded like it was a great one (though with Krishna sir it always is). Wish I could have heard it, especially the RTP.

[Purist]

Repetition causes nausea. There is excessive use of Sir, Sri , Vidwan ,Shri etc by reviewer's of late
as prefix or suffix to names. The reviews will go well without these . Its similar to over embellishments
to sangati's in kriti -.something reviewer's would find difficult to digest. The readers of reviews are in similar state.

[srikant1987]

@ Purist

Thanks. Even I felt so. So I have used "Ramani mama" in his flute concert's review. I hope it looks better!

Also it's easier to mention initials without these words than names. For this concert, for example the vocalist and the mridangist can be mentioned as TMK and TVV, but that can't be done with the other two. I am much younger than the violinist too!

[grsastrigal]

For TMK, I can use PoCM. Phelps of Carnatic Music.

[rbharath]

it is all the more suffocating and nauseating when people start making issues out of nothing.

what is wrong in giving some little respect to a person in public space by addressing them as Sri or Smt or Vidwan etc...

whats wrong in calling an apple as an apple?

[arasi]

Our preferences may differ, but let us not harp on them. Whatever you call them, address them as, whatever prefixes and suffixes you choose to omit--matters not--when it comes to their their vidvat which cannot be questioned.
What we need are good reviews, and Bharath, we are getting many good ones from you. Keep them coming!
srikanth too.
After all, what we are after is their music, and if we cannot be there, a review of the concert at least...

[prashant]

If a reviewer takes the trouble to note down a song list, provide detailed comments about a concert, and also do this in a dedicated manner over a few years and hundreds of concerts, it's absolutely criminal to carp about their usage [or lack] of honorifics. It is a personal preference and should be respected [just like any reviewer here will be glad to respect anyone's right to skip reading a review due to excessive Sris or Smts].

Talk about missing the forest for the trees..

[rshankar]

Absolutely - people with such narrow comfort zones remind me of a saying my mother would use to describe them succinctly - 'ErinAl kuTram, iranginAl aparAdham' [roughly translated, "(this is the kind of person who) will reproach you on the ascent, and fault you on the descent"!]

In any case, a request to all reviewers: 'suniyE sab kI, kariyE man kI' ('listen to everyone, but then, do only as your mind tells you to').

[komalangi]

Out of curiosity, was varunapriya sung vivadhi style or gauri manohari style?

[srikant1987]

vivAdi style.

[manvantara]

Purist, I cannot understand the reason for your annoyance!

Addressing a vidwan or vidushi as "Sri" or "Smt" or "Sir" or "Madam" is part of our *culture* - something we have a duty to uphold and to respect! (whether you respect them as a person is different - one does need to respect their vidwat, though).
Being a student of both classical dance and music, I wouldn't dream of addressing any performing artiste much older than me without using a respectful prefix.
And even if the artiste was much younger than me, I'd still be respectful.

Let me give you an example - back in the 90s, I have attended several lectures by Dr.M.A.Venkatakrishnan (currently the head of Department of Vaishnavism, University of Madras). One day while visiting him and his wife, I came to know that his computer was not working well and I volunteered my brother (who was then just 15) to help out, as he was good at troubleshooting. My brother went there the next day and repaired the computer and all along, Dr.M.A.V. addressed him with respect ("neenga", "okkarungo" etc) and my brother was baffled and requested him not to do so. Dr.M.A.V was close to 40 then and he said, "I respect your knowledge - you know much more than I do in this field".

BTW, if just a few Sirs, Sris, Vidwans annoy you, I can be picky too - please do not use apostrophes for plurals! (Many reviewers are "reviewers", not "reviewer's!)

[Purist]

I am a bit surpised at the backlash. i am not picking holes or making issues. If majority are comfortable
with Sri,Sir ,vidwan,mama etc being used profusely , its fine.
I thought a review should sound impersonal and impartial, with empahsis or centric being music.

Manvantara .thanks . I stand corrected on the use of apostrophes.

[srikant1987]

I thought a review should sound impersonal and impartial, with empahsis or centric being music

But how do these titles make reviews partial? Because I give everyone so accomplished in music utmost respect, not just to my favourite artists.

About your "emphasis being music" point, well, we all do observe how the artists interact with each other. That definitely influences the overall concert experience, which is what I intend to share. After all, this is kucheri review, not kucheri isai review. Notwithstanding that, an artist who interacts well with other artists will bring better music from them as well!

I hope my highlighting the interactions on stage aren't too far off balance.

[sureshvv]

Purist... In the meanwhile I would request you to work on punctuation and use of spaces.

1. Do not use multiple spaces
2. Do not use a space before a punctuation mark
3. Use a single space after the punctuation

This would make your posts more pleasant to read, notwithstanding the content

[rbharath]

I thought a review should sound impersonal and impartial, with empahsis or centric being music.

saving an anecdote or two once in a while, when have reviews/articles about concerts in this forum discussed non-music issues in detail? i dont remember anybody mentioning the saree color or zari design on it or the dhoti/shirt/jibba details here.

in my humble opinion, the 'centre of mass' of this forum has not shifted from music to anything else.

[Nick H]

...the 'centre of mass' of this forum has not shifted from music to anything else

I think I have been guilty of shifting it sometimes <blush> and my very subjective and non-technical reviews could probably be improved by inclusion of dress details. I'll make a note .

But the weight of real rasikas here never allows us far from the path for too long. (Yes, it is wrong to start a sentence, let alone a paragraph with 'and' or 'but').

mridangamkid, whilst what you say is perfectly true about the basic mridangam strokes, I think that the great mridangists use far more than those basic strokes, especially on left hand. It is a shame that the left hand of mridangam is mostly hidden from our view; what is going on there is a great mystery to us much of the time, especially for those who have never sat in the mridangam class, or had the opportunity to watch a mridangist play at home or in informal circumstances. Tradition (I suppose acoustics, originally) demands that even left-handers play with the 'right' side of the mridangam showing.

[mridangamkid]

...the 'centre of mass' of this forum has not shifted from music to anything else

I think I have been guilty of shifting it sometimes <blush> and my very subjective and non-technical reviews could probably be improved by inclusion of dress details. I'll make a note .

But the weight of real rasikas here never allows us far from the path for too long. (Yes, it is wrong to start a sentence, let alone a paragraph with 'and' or 'but').

mridangamkid, whilst what you say is perfectly true about the basic mridangam strokes, I think that the great mridangists use far more than those basic strokes, especially on left hand. It is a shame that the left hand of mridangam is mostly hidden from our view; what is going on there is a great mystery to us much of the time, especially for those who have never sat in the mridangam class, or had the opportunity to watch a mridangist play at home or in informal circumstances. Tradition (I suppose acoustics, originally) demands that even left-handers play with the 'right' side of the mridangam showing.

I'm sure what I said was just a basic understanding of a very complex thing (I have learned only a few, very basic, patterns that require the "kita" sound on the left hand) . All I could speak for is for Dorai sir because I have personallly seen his left hand during a concert, obviously I'm not entirley sure what the strokes he plays are (they are far too complex for me), yet I can say that I know he has played numerous ghatam strokes on the mridangam and I'm rather sure that other greats do this as well.

Talking about the left hand however, the gumakum is one thing that is very amazing once you see an expert play it. Of course theres the normal going up and down gumakam (such as when you play na dhim dhim na na dhim dhim na), however the complexity is far beyond that, such as when you are able to go up the mridangam more than once in less than a second, meaning your able to get a low to high pitch on your left side twice. Or of course there is the pudhukotti (sp?) style where it has the circular motion of the gumakam that Shankaran sir and Dorai sir are able to play to perfection. It's something I don't believe many people get to see yet they should. I've actually heard rumors that Palani Subramania sir was able to go nearly 360 degrees around the mridangam when doing his gamakam's. Something that you'd have to see to believe.


Sorry for going off topic, I didn't realize that this is still a thread about Krishna sir's concert

Talking about the

[shankarabharanam]

After reading purists posts i feel he is like my editors who keep pointing out errors in copies for no reason and their favourite remark would be "Don't repeat phrases or words, readers would get irritated'. But purists as Prashant said if rasikas take the pain to take a note of the songs and talk about it to millions of rasikas across the globe, lets respect him/her for the effort.

I fail to understand whats wrong in addressing musicians as Sir/Madam/Shri/Smt/ Vidwan/Amma...Even in our day to day life we address so many people the way we want...Giving them respect doesn't mean that the reviewer would be biased. As far as i know even a critic who writes in Magazines or Papers does address the artist as Mr/Mrs. Lets appreciate and talk about music and not about add ons.

[Purist]

Purist... In the meanwhile I would request you to work on punctuation and use of spaces.

1. Do not use multiple spaces
2. Do not use a space before a punctuation mark
3. Use a single space after the punctuation

This would make your posts more pleasant to read, notwithstanding the content

Thanks Teacher. Will try to improve by next time, despite not being comp buff.

[Nick H]

I don't like all this sir and madam stuff, and I don't like everyone being promoted to vidwan or vidushi, whatever their age or experience. That's just me... and I feel that the ultimate comment was that concerning the wood and the trees! I was interested to see reviews and comments on this program by knowledgeable raskikas; if their use of a few words is different to what I like or don't like, what of it?

Lets talk about the concert, the musicians, the mridangam...

[sureshvv]

Purist... In the meanwhile I would request you to work on punctuation and use of spaces.

1. Do not use multiple spaces
2. Do not use a space before a punctuation mark
3. Use a single space after the punctuation

This would make your posts more pleasant to read, notwithstanding the content

Thanks Teacher. Will try to improve by next time, despite not being comp buff.

Purist... That was perfect. No need to use unnecessary words like "Teacher"

[rajaglan]

Hi,

My 2 cents.

I feel this is the generaion issue. Current generation doesnot believe that adding prefixes gives respect.
The older generation is taught that adding prefixes is a way of giving respect. I donot think either is wrong.
Why we are becoming ultra sensitive here .

On a different note, If we are talking of contents of a review, then one more point:
If people can write about acoustics apart from CM technicals, It will be helpful. Some sabhas
in Blore and chennai have bad sound systems. Writing here , I guess it will make them aware of problems.
I guess someone responsible will read that. Even lack of facilites also can be pointed out.
Sorry for the distraction.

[erode14]

this is the link for a discussion that we had regarding mike....

http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?id=1854&p=3

[Nick H]

In fact was it not suggested (and adopted by some for a while) that reviews include not only acoustics, but facilities, comfort and audience behaviour?

[arasi]

While a few rasikAs complain about 'asides' in a review, the majority of us relish them. After all, it is not as if we enter a concert hall in our lab coats to do our research and learning in CM. We don't arrive there for the sole purpose of listening, and returning from the hall with no other interactions or shared responses (we could be listening to the concert in individual booths, then).
The merits of our reviewers?
They are keen on sharing their musical experience with us, and some of them are experts in the various aspects of music.
Their lists are more complete than the newspaper ones and are more accurate (If not, there are others who fill in the gaps and offer corrections).
We learn something new with every list.
Their responses to relatively to new artistes (or even established ones that we have missed) help us in choosing to go to their concerts.
It is as if at the end of the day, the family gets together and the one who went to the concert shares with the rest, his experiences.
When a reviewer says he walked in late and missed a few items, we wonder about them, and someone else supplements the list!
It is not just music we are after, but the enjoyment of it. After all, we are rasikAs.
I can add on to the benefits of reading our reviews.
We have such good rasikA-reviewers here, it is a pity most of them are too occupied with their work tand they are not able to attend all the concerts they would like to. It is our loss too...

[erode14]

just now got a msg from ram....

today is 20082008!

so, from today onwards lets also discuss various things associated with listening to music...