Compact, deceptively simple and suggestively elevating with classical depth and the Trinity culture well preserved… that was vidwan T. N. Krishnan’s violin recital. Dramatic in a few strokes, he brought out the facets of a raga in his characteristic style, which has been developed over 80 years of having lived and breathed music and in the association of stalwarts of an earlier era. Concepts and values fundamental to the soul of Carnatic music have been stored in his memory and it has become child’s play to him to scale peaks of excellence.
The strings of his violin delivered high quality nada of peace. Such an environment was created with Sriram Krishnan providing inputs. Sriram was truly the chip of the old block.
A function organised to honour Krishnan for completing 80 years of his music journey, cut into the performance time to just 90 minutes. In that short period, he and his son spread joy and sowkhyam with their playing, which have been the maestro’s objectives for years. From the Natakurinji varnam to the end, it was music divine all the way.
Sriram played Pantuvarali, all his own. The racy image revealed its underlying beauty. The well-groomed youngster was in full flow. The kirtana was ‘Siva Siva Siva Enarada.’ Father and son depicted the song with all its excellence.
The Harikhambodi essay by Krishnan was followed by the kirtana ‘Dinamani Vamsa.’ They embellished the song with detailed sangatis. The raga and song reverberated with aesthetics. With a fine alapana of Hindolam, the concert neared the end with the song ‘Ramanukku Mannan.’
If Srimushnam Raja Rao is the mridangam vidwan, the accompaniment can only be exuberant. The thani with Vaikkom Gopalakrishnan (ghatam) and Srirangam Kannan was full of startling laya korvais.
