A performance without microphones or electronic amplification, allowing rasikas to relish the pure sound of music on July 20, 2024

Sangita Kalanidhi-designate T M Krishna delighted rasikas with a mesmerising Carnatic music concert at the M.S. Subbulakshmi Auditorium.
 

Krishna, accompanied by H N Haribhaskar on the violin and K Arun Prakash on the mrindagam, started conventionally with a sedate rendering of a few well-known kritis. The raaga alapanas were brief and swara prasthaaraas crisp, perhaps to set at rest the minds of the purists and the orthodox in the audience. Then came a small surprise: he asked the violinist to perform the alapana, ‘Mayamalavagowla’, which he did flawlessly.

This was followed by TMK’s rendering of a ‘sobillu sapthaswara’ composition in ‘Jagan mohini’. It was orthodox – more elaborate ‘swara prasthana’ and ‘neraval’.
 

He traversed two full octaves without showing any sign of strain, given that the hall had no electronic amplification. The mellifluous violin and the soft and sweet mridangam fully complemented the great voice. It was more like an intimate conversation, sometimes down to a whisper. All of them made full use of the excellent acoustics of the hall.

The major surprise came at the end. Instead of the conventional ‘mangalam’, TMK rendered Jana gana mana, but not in the martial style of the national anthem; it was a soulful rendering in Rabindra Sangeeth, based on a century-old musical score, probably written by Tagore himself.