Thanks
Appropriate timing for the anniversary!

Sri MKR, looking forward to more of your reminiscences.

Recently, was listening to a string of ragamalikas played by TNR (post-RTP I think). I don't remember what those ragams were, for my mind wouldn't even venture into identifying them. It simply didn't matter in those moments of awe. The beauty of whatever he played outshined other such mundane details. What an experience it was - even from a recording. And how wonderful it must have been listening to him live.

Dear friends,Let me have the privilege to indicate in this page dedicated to TNR that I am uploading from my collection of music over past seven decades in my blog --apkoilns.blogspot.com--.Great TNR's masterpieces also find a place. Please listen and enjoy. Regards-ANSapthagireesan

To The Listener(Post#52).Sorry for the belated ack. Thanks for your kind remarks.To me TNR shaped my musical appreciation skills and I seldom get tired recounting his genius. An anecdote:

Circa 1954--I was studying B.Sc. in Presidency College(VKV was my Physics tutor--used to take permission from VKV to skip the Labs to attend a concert only to find out VKV had cancelled the whole class to show up at the same concert!!!!)) On a Friday riding the 21 B Mandavali Bus(I lived in mandavali) I happened to overhear a conversation between two old ladies(Chettiars) talking about a big wedding of one of their rich Chettiars where TNR was going to play on Sunday in Purasawalkam--With the three key phrases--leading Chettiar house wedding,TNR playing and Purasawalkam--in the absence of any Google or any other search engine I managed to "scout the location --a big Pandal in a big school in Purasawalkam
and "trekked" my way(anybody who knows Chennai of those days would know that from mandavali to Puraswalkam one has to take 2 or three buses and returning late at night(after the reception concert) was a risky proposition because of the lack of frequency of buses on those routes. reached the pandal around 5 P.M.--just in time for the reception concert to start--did not know anybody in the crowd--was very cordially invited by the hosts--much to my embarassment because I was a wedding-crasher and looked every inch a street urchin wandering into the wrong place. TNR was awesome(no interruptions or pauses--either the Chettiar must have been a knowledgeable rasika or a very generous patron of the Arts!!)--the concert was going on even after 8 ;30 and I got nervous about my return trek and reluctantly left the concert--when I was getting out the hosts were profusely requesting me-- a boy of 16 to stay for dinner etc--I was too embarassed(first having to crash the wedding w/o invitation and second to stay for Dinner would have been the height of indiscretion ). I excused myself and managed to reach home at a decent hour-that was the third live concert of TNR I had heard. To this day those memories haunt my mind--his genius in Raga expositions--imitated by his peers (Vocalists/Instrumentalists)-his style of raga outlines that carry the imprint of allied ragas and yet distinct enough to charm you.

The greatest lesson I learnt --which I try to follow in my own singing style --is the leisurely pace of gamakams and Kuzhaivus--there will be no flat notes--even if the Raga stipulates that there shoul be no oscillations of a Jeeva Swara he was adept in giving it the gamakam and Kuzhaivu w/o marring the spirit of the Raga--the speed and the clarity--his famous Thodi is a classic example--Note that he has brought out the Classic Thodi krithis of Thyagaraja(Jesinathella, Arakimbave) in the alapana. He had a very limited repertoire of krithis in the Gana ragas that he was fond of playing--Kalyani,Kambodhi,Bhairavi,Thodi, Sankarabharanam and yet the gamut that he covered in his Raga Alapanas brought out the phenomenal Lakshyam in his music. He was a towering Colossus and made no efforts to hide it!!!

My uncle told me a story(in 2009--he died 3 moths later @ 96) about TNR and our family. Circa 1929-- for my Aunt's wedding--TNR was arranged for the all-night Janavasam procession in Mylapore--the wedding was in Luz Church Road(where the Petachi Auditorium is currently built). One of our family elders-- a landlord in Tirunelveli and patron of the arts was a fan/fiend/patron of TNR(TNR was 30 and had already acquired both fame and notoriety!!) and he persuaded my maternal grandfather (who was a leading Bank executive at that time to arrange TNR.Given the kind of crowd my grandfather expected at the wedding he was a litle skeptical about the idea of TNR and his "alleged idiosynchrasies". However the grand uncle who had orchestrated the whole idea hit upon a novel idea-- TNR was to come 3 days before the wedding to be lodged in a private setting far away from the Hall with plenty of the "holy Liquid"--the understanding was that TNR could indulge for 2 days but should be absolutely clean and sober on the day before the wedding(the janavasam procession being in the night there was plenty of time for the "sauce" to "dry out"). TNR respected it and according to my uncle played his heart out(ofcourse TNR would not play on foot-- an open "pleasure car"(TNR's favorite expression for the foldable top!!) was arranged for him--the procession from Luz Church Road to the Kapali temple and back lasted into the wee hours of the morning--the wedding day till 4 A.M--the family and the guests barely had time to prepare for the wedding to start in a couple of hours. TNR could play his heart out whenever he willed it if he is convinced of the genuineness of the host in terms of musical tastes--ofcourse one has to be careful in not inviting any other artiste--his peers --for a Double nagaswaram idea very popular in big society weddings in those days.

Another anecdote pertaining to his sensitivity to being "clubbed" with other artistes--no matter how respectable they may have been(his signature in his letter of acceptance of a concert engagement will be a big bold NADASWARA CHAKRAVARTHI--the text itself will be only a few lines.

Anecdote in my next post---

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES...KEEP THIS STREAK GOING....VERY FASCINATING & INTERESTING....VKV

Very interesting story. You did not drag Sri VKV for TNR concert ?
I have heard stories in my village near Tiruvarur, they used to walk 10 km to concerts of Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer in some remote village, have food at the marriage and walk back well past midnight. I have also heard that TNR used to perform for Tiruvarur temple Lord Thyagaraja Vrushaba vahanam and TNR used to come decked javadhu pottu and diamond earrings (Vaira kadukkan).

My only trip to Purasawakkam in during my hostel days was to see a Kamalahasan movie on the first (release) day @ Purasawakkam and we walked back to the hostel (with several stops at tea shops along the way); seems lowbrow compared to attending a TNR concert.

Annamalai: I am glad I am not the only one to do such crazy things in pursuit of something philosophers might say "ephemeral" but "vital for fans like us -each in his own way--somehow the idiosynchracies of geniuses blind us to such eccentricities!!!