TM Krishna presents the final concert of ARTery’s magnum opus series
A concert that consists of just one major piece in a raga is a difficult experiment. At some point, the analogy can become tedious, unless the singing style is catchy or the artist exposes new patterns. Measured against this, TM Krishna’s concert, the last in Artery’s magnum opus series dedicated to maestro TN Krishnan, was for the most part a success.
Surti is naturally endowed with beauty and elegance, and it lends itself to myriad wide range of occasions. In his Raga Alapana, Krishna deployed very short phrases, one by one, like a flower blooming one petal at a time, exposing Lakshmana one by one. As he hung on to a subtle string of notes or notes, his aesthetic interpretation and ladder-like structure was a treat to the ears. One was reminded of Ustad Rajaratnam Pillai, who, for a few hours, sometimes during the night, would captivate his audience and play the thodi or shanmukhapriya alapana. Krishna’s effort was not that prodigious, but did not leave any aspect unclear.
Sriram Kumar’s own efforts were equally gentle and progressive, matched for syllable.
‘Geetarthamu Sanganandamu’ is a work in praise of Rama (indirectly) and Hanuman, who understood and served Rama’s greatness. Tyagaraja equated the essence of the Bhagavad Gita to musical bliss, a powerful simile. Krishna’s slow-moving behavior allowed the full enjoyment of the song, without any movement or distortion. A well presented masterpiece is always enjoyable.
Niraval was initiated at the unusual ‘Vara Tyagaraja’ place. This is where the ‘similarity’ struck the listener, as wandering associations created a sense of deja vu. The sharper version of Niraval and Swara (in ‘Sangeethanandamu’) gave some relief.
In the beginning the phrase ‘ma pa da pa’ is positioned to have a fleeting taste, as it probably has no classical origin or a Lakhan conflict. Krishna not only indulged in it for longer, he freed Pancham from its slot multiple times – creative wounds, if you will.
Shant Thani
Sriram Kumara takes pleasure in such rakta ragas, providing them with leisurely movements that enhance the pleasure, and he contributed to melodious sounds, especially in raga alapana and in some swara thoughts, in which a calm ascending to the upper shadjam When Arun Prakash let them go. go alone
It’s a challenge to sit idle for long periods of time and then play at about half the normal speed, but Arun Prakash is the quintessential co-star who blends in in all situations, without drawing undue attention through sound production. His Thani was equally calm and clever.
Krishna is a musician who is comfortable in all conditions, tempo and time-limits. His ability to maintain melody, artistry and sruti in ultra-delayed courses is now his epitome, as shown in this concert.
A masterpiece concert, by whatever name it is called, is a great idea that might be interesting to some deep listeners. This, perhaps, is out of sync with the larger audience, who ideally prefer a bundle of flavors in a concert.
The author is a classical music critic and commentator.
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