Theme Concert Recapturing an Era: Madurai Shri T N Seshagopa

[uday_shankar]

On behalf of Sunaadam, my father-in-law Shri Soolamangalam M Rammohan and my sister-in-law Smt. Meera Rammohan, it gives me great pleasure to invite all rasikas as well as friends from "rasikas" for this event. Sorry for such a late reminder. There was some uncertainty due to various circumstances. Please treat this as a personal invitation and I will try to call as many of you as I know the mobile numbers of . Also I will try to scan and post the invitation here but here's the content:

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Sunaadam cordially invites you to

Sri Radha Kalyanam Celebrations 2010 January 25 & 26

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PROGRAMME FOR JAN 25th

5.00 pm, Sri Narada Gana Sabha, TTK Road, Chennai

Recapturing an Era:
Karnatic Music Legends
of the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries

Compere: Sri Rajender Kumar

5.00 pm Invocation and Welcome Address

5.10 pm Presiding Address by Cleveland Sri VV Sundaram
5.25 pm Presentation of title SUNAADA SAMPANNA
to Madurai Sri TN Seshagopalan
5.30 pm Felicitations by Sri Chitravina N Ravikiran and Sri B M Sundaram
5.40 pm Acceptance by Madurai Sri T N Seshagopalan
5.45 pm Introduction to Theme Concert: Sri Rajender Kumar
6.00 to 8.30 pm Theme Concert

Sangita Kalanidhi Madurai Sri TN Seshagopalan - vocal
Sangita Kalanidhi Sri M Chandrasekharan - violin
Sri Guruvayur Dorai - mridangam
Sri B S Purushottaman - kanjira

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PROGRAMME FOR JAN 26th

Tattvaloka Auditorium, 76 / 138 Eldams Rd, Teynampet, Chennai - 18

Sri Radhakalyana Utsavam

9.00 am to 12.30 pm
Sri Radhakalyanam in Bhajana Sampradayam -- Bhagavata Sammelana Samajam
followed by lunch

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Recapturing an Era: Programme Concept

The writings of Soolamangalam Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar (1866 to 1943) comprise over 65 articles of historical value and have been compiled in the book ‘Cameos’.

Describing with insight the inherent musical genius of several of his contemporaries, the Bhagavatar immortalizes them in his essays. He was himself noted for his life-long creative output in several musical genres such as Harikatha, Bhagavatha Mela Natya Natakam and Nama Sankirtanam.

The Bhagavatar almost single-handedly ran the Tyagaraja Aradhana festival as Secretary of the ‘Chinna Katchi’ for over 40 years. He enjoyed close friendships with such erudite figures as Composers Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan and Patnam Subramaniam Iyer, Violinist Tirukkodikaval Krishna Iyer and Flautist Sarabha Sastrigal about whom he writes with admiration. The Bhagavatar presents us with details also regarding Harikatha exponents such as Vishnu Bava, Tanjavur Krishna Bhagavatar; Percussion artists such as Tanjavur Narayanaswamy Appa, Tanjavur Tukaramappa; Nagasvaram vidwans such as Tirumarugal Natesan and Pandanallur Veerusami.

Through his masterful writings a host of brilliant musicians take the stage one after the other in our mind’s eye, making cameo appearancesâ€â€Â

[rajeshnat]

Recapturing an Era:
Karnatic Music Legends
of the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries

Uday
That includes from patnam, poochi (Late 19th) to say ambujam krishnA(Early 20th). I wish it was also from Late 19th to Mid 20th century, that way Smt ambujam krishna's vArisu, arasi can just squeeze in. . Best wishes, inru varuvAnO nAlaiyO .

[bilahari]

Best wishes, Uday and family, for a successful event.

[arasi]

Uday,
Best wishes to the organizers for the events. Great to hear that TNS is being honored.
Ignore Rajesh. I am not a legend and do not want to be one, either. Since those of the previous era waited long enough to be celebrated, let me wait my turn (however modest my contribution). Let it come when it does--hopefully in fifty years and some of you can say, 'yes, I knew her' Meanwhile, I am happy that you liked my bilahari song when JS sang it last year.

[uday_shankar]

Thanx all for your wishes. Arasi, so next year I take it JS maami will inaugurate your first Bhairavi composition .

[cienu]

Best wishes Uday

[sivapriya]

Thanks for the invite Uday.

Soolamangalam Bhagavathars', book in Tamizh, makes excellent reading and i have a copy of the same in my collection. Cameos in English does enough justice by way of a translation, but reading the same in Tamizh , is more interesting and captures some incidents surrounding past masters, which i have heard from elders. TNS is a great choice , as he is a bridge between two generations of musicians. With his versatility and also knowledge about these masters, he can bring in a lot of depth and value to the event.

Best wishes for a happy event!

[rshankar]

Uday - Best Wishes!

[Nick H]

Best wishes with your function: I won't be able to make it.

[uday_shankar]

Again thanks all. I edited the title for greater punch of the essentials.

[uday_shankar]

Bump...reminder...today's the day. .

[cpmadhu]

I was able to attend most of the concert and reached when TNS was singing Nagasvaravali. Bought the book too. It was a fantastic event and TNS was at his witty best. Maybe we could have an old style concert sometime with a 2 hour Alapana?

[vijay]

Hope the event went off well and look forward to Uday's summary

[eppramod]

[quote="Uday_Shankar"]
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Recapturing an Era: Programme Concept

The writings of Soolamangalam Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar (1866 to 1943) comprise over 65 articles of historical value and have been compiled in the book ‘Cameos’.

Describing with insight the inherent musical genius of several of his contemporaries, the Bhagavatar immortalizes them in his essays. He was himself noted for his life-long creative output in several musical genres such as Harikatha, Bhagavatha Mela Natya Natakam and Nama Sankirtanam.

The Bhagavatar almost single-handedly ran the Tyagaraja Aradhana festival as Secretary of the ‘Chinna Katchi’ for over 40 years. He enjoyed close friendships with such erudite figures as Composers Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan and Patnam Subramaniam Iyer, Violinist Tirukkodikaval Krishna Iyer and Flautist Sarabha Sastrigal about whom he writes with admiration. The Bhagavatar presents us with details also regarding Harikatha exponents such as Vishnu Bava, Tanjavur Krishna Bhagavatar; Percussion artists such as Tanjavur Narayanaswamy Appa, Tanjavur Tukaramappa; Nagasvaram vidwans such as Tirumarugal Natesan and Pandanallur Veerusami.

Through his masterful writings a host of brilliant musicians take the stage one after the other in our mind’s eye, making cameo appearancesâ€â€Â

[Sam Swaminathan]

Uday...best wishes for the function.....regards...Sam

[saptaratna]

This is from Smt.Saroja Ramanujams' site. It was interesting and also as no on had mentioned about this concert, I just copy-pasted this for the rasikas to read.
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Thematic concert by Madurai T N Seshagopalan who was awarded the title as Sunaadha Sampanna on 25.1.2010 at NGS


The felicitation of TNS was arranged by Sunaadham in memory of Soolamangalam Vaidyanatha bhagavathar in Nardaganasabha where TNS was awarded the title Sunaadha Sampanna and he was the first recipient of the same. TNS presented a thematic concert on the Carnatic Music legends of the late 19th and early 20th century and it was a lec/dem cum concert.

The period was the golden era of carnatic music when the giants like Maha Vaidhyanatha Ayyar reigned supreme. TNS spoke a little about the greatness of such vidvans as Mahavaidhyanatha ayyar, who was supposed to sing like lightning, and sang his composition in Nagasvaravali, `Srisankaraguruvaram.'

Then he started a wonderful alapana of Lathangi in the midst of which he sprung a surprise by certain sancharas which were like lightning and said that he , hearing how Mahavaidhyanatha ayyar used to sing , tried his imagination to reproduce something like it! TNS sang Aparadhamula in Lathangi , a compositon of Patnam Subramania ayyar, who also belonged to the era and said that if one wants a lively music nothing to equal the compositon of PSI
The svaras were sung at krpachesina and the phrases ending with prathimadhayama were exotic. The svara prasthara was fitting to the bhava as it is always with TNS, and the various attitudes in which the devotee asks the Lord to show mercy, first plaintively in slow graceful phrases and then with swift phrases, demanding mercy, all with excessive melody and emotion . The svaras were with sunaadha and sulaya.


Then TNS spoke about Poochi ayyangar, by which name Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Ayyangar was known because of the manner of his singing. His sancharas used to be like a poochi, a bee , said TNS, flying hither and thither. TNS started the raga poorvikalyani and delighted the rasikas by demonstrating how Poochi ayyangar would have sung and it was just like a bee flying! The song was `parama paavana rama,' of Poochi Ayyangar.

TNS spoke about Konerirajapuram Vaidhyanatha ayyar and then mentioned the playing of nagasvaram by Mananrgudi Chiina Pkkiri. Once , he said, Pakkiri was playing saveri when the Mannargudi Rajagopala Swami was about to be taken in procession and those who were taking betel leaves as is the practice in Thanjavur, were about to apply chunnam and their fingers stood still for few minutes stunned by the saveri.

Then TNS sang the Saveri in nagasvaram style to show how they used to play in those days in a very leisurely and captivating manner, with his mouth closed emanating the sound exactly so that if we closed our eyes we heard only nagasvaram!

Then TNS narrated how Madurai Pushpavanam dominated the scene so that his concert was a must in festivals of temples and his ksheerasagara in Devagandhari and Nagumomu in Abheri were loved by all. Then TNS sang abheri and nagumomu. Those who have heard him sing this song can very well imagine how it would have been, but it excelled all expectations.



Finally TNS mentioned about the namasankeerthana tradition and showed how the abhangs were sung with different eduppus and ended the concert with the abhang of Samartha Ramadas, `he dhayaaluvaa, ' which TNS usually sings with a gay abandon.



Thus TNS gave a sample of the music in the golden era, leaving the rasikas wondering how the whole would have been if the sample itself is of such caliber..

[Shivadasan]

Dear Uday,

I came across the book by Soolamangalam Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar a year ago and I was so impressed with his articles that I distributed copies to many musicians. I also wanted to share it with forumites. But I desisted doing so because it might raise controversies. I am very happy that Sunaadam has taken up the initiative to restore the glory of a great tradition. For people who could not attend the function is there a possibility of getting a recorded version of the programme ?

Shivadasan