25th December 2019. It was a sunny day in Chennai, India, and a crowded one at The Music Academy Madras.

T. N. Krishnan was leading the violin trio accompanied by his disciples-cum-children Sriram and Viji, with Thiruvaroor Bhaktavatsalam on the Mridangam and Vaikom Gopalakrishnan on the Ghatam. It was a 9 AM concert.

This was the first concert of TNK I was attending live. There were several magnificent pieces played, but to me, two in particular stood out – Shankarabharanam raga alapanai¹ (preceding Tyagaraja’s Swara Raga Sudha), and the Christmas special – Jingle Bells!

TNK played Jingle Bells at the Academy every single year he performed on Christmas. It was a joy to listen to – three violins playing the carol, while the audience clapped to the rhythm; dulcet tones for a perfect occasion.

Shankarabharanam was a transporter. The trio brought out the raga in all its splendour – so absorbing were the nuances of their play that the audience was caught in its melody; all sat spellbound and none noticed the time fly by.

After the concert, I managed to catch up with a relative in the lobby. “Fabulous, wasn’t it?”, I remarked. “It always is. I attend TNK live every year here – never missed a single concert!”, he said.
Evidently, there were hundreds of fans like him; I’d never seen such an enthusiastic turnout for a morning Kutcheri² at the Academy.

I then went up to greet the legend backstage. “Mama, the concert was brilliant. I almost have no words to describe.”
“Really, you liked it that much?”, he said with a cheeky grin.
We both laughed, and there was a gleam of delight in the 91-year-old’s eyes that I’ve never forgotten.

At 10.58 AM, before he’d ended the concert, he said to the audience, “2 minutes baaki irukku.“³
The audience laughed.
“I shall take it for next year …”, to which the enthralled crowd cheered enthusiastically, with a standing ovation. “I wish you all a merry Christmas, and a happy new year!”

Poignant indeed are those words, for they were said in both humour and good intention, but they were his last to his legions of fans at the Academy – his favourite venue. TNK passed away yesterday night, in Chennai.

The last of the Violin Trinity (the other two being Lalgudi G. Jayaraman and M. S. Gopalakrishnan), there were several aspects of his musical style that are distinctive and indelible. A unique Harikambhoji alapanai without the traces of Kamboji or Kamas⁴. A delightful adoption of Christmas carols to a Carnatic audience.

As I look back, I realize his music shall live, long and far, for his fans to reminisce through memories and recordings, and for his brilliant disciples to take forward to the newer generations.

May the Gods above delight in his music!

Glossary

1. Alapanai (Tamil): Extempore rendition of a raga (distinct set of notes).
2. Kutcheri (Tamil): Concert.
3. Tamil for “2 minutes remain”.
4. Shankarabharanam, Harikambhoji, Kamas: Ragas in Carnatic music.