TR Subramaniam-VV Subrahmanyam-KR Ganesh-Ravichandran @ New Delhi (25/03/1993)

Live at Music Educational Trust, AP Bhavan, New Delhi (25th March 1993) Prof TR Subramaniam- vocal Prof VV Subrahmanyam- violin KR Ganesh- mridangam Ravichandran- ghatam 1) mA jAnaki- kAmbhOji, dESAdi, Thyagaraja 2) mOsa pOku vinavE- gauLipantu, Adi, Thyagaraja 3) vADErA daivamu manasA- pantuvarALi, Adi, Thyagaraja 4) anyAyamu sEyakurA- kApi, Adi, Thyagaraja 5) eTlA dorikitivO (truncated)- vasantA, Adi (2 kalai), Thyagaraja 6) pArvati ninu nE (incomplete)- kalgaDa, Adi (tisra naDai), Shyama Sastri Thanks to Lakshman sir for sharing. The original video I received was out of sync with the audio so I worked to match them properly. If it is not perfect, please pardon the audio-video syncing inconsistencies. Also the concert is incomplete, as the full rendition of the fifth krithi goes to the charanam while skipping the anupallavi and the video cuts off at the beginning of the sixth piece. If anyone has the full concert, please email me. TRS sir has become one of my favorites over the years. What I love about him is the brilliant scholarship, superb spontaneity and love for the music. His style was a cerebral one which he made it pleasing to listen to. He is a perfect example of the ever learning student of music who never rested on his laurels and wanted to bring music lovers together with a smile on his face. He would sing krithis of the "then" new vaggeyakkaras like Dr. BMK sir and LGJ sir to name a few and made every krithi his own. Most importantly, he was always encouraging of the upcoming artists and would attend their concerts until his passing in 2013. My praNAms to the departed legend. This concert is as if I can see him live in front of me today. What pure joy and class he puts into each krithi. And what a fantastic team player he is. See how he encourages and uplifts VVS sir and the percussion accompaniments. VVS sir has always been a delight. When you have a masterful violinist like him who has played with the past legends like MSS Amma and Dr. BMK sir to name a few, you are guaranteed an A+ team player who not just complements but raises concerts to brilliant levels. Here it is no different. He goes toe to toe with TRS sir and explores every nook and cranny of each rAgam. Pay attention to his responses to pantuvarALi, kApi and vasantA. The nADam he has perfected is topnotch and the bhAvam he elicits from his violin is brilliant. My praNAms to the living legend who never ceases to amaze and whose bAni will live long. The percussion accompaniments provide good support to TRS sir and VVS sir without disrupting the mood. Being the son of the legendary mridangam vidwan and guru Kumbhakonam Rajappa Iyer, KR Ganesh displays why he is a chip off the old block and a torchbearer of his father's bAni. As for the ghatam artist Ravichandran, I never heard of him until this video recording. If anyone has information about him, please educate us in the comments section. According to TRS sir's disciple, Sri Mohan Santhanam who was in attendance, "This was supposed to be a concert of the compositions of the tri-murtis but TRS sir just sang Tyagaraja kritis till item #5! Then he suddenly realized it was a tri-murti themed concert and thereupon quickly rendered Parvati ninnu, followed by Dikshitar's Rudrakopa (Rudrapriya), also rendered equally briskly. He then sang a PHENOMENAL RTP in Sankarabharanam, set to misra /khanda triputa (don't remember which) talam, tisra gati. A few years ago, when I met VVS sir at a function, I asked him if he remembered this concert, and he immediately recalled the pallavi to the T! Most unfortunately, this is one concert where I don't have the pallavi documented. :-( :-("" Those who attended along with Sri Mohan, please share your reminiscences and those who are listening for the first time, please share your thoughts. As I finish typing this description, I am imagining TRS sir delighting the Almighty!