FIVE HOUR CONCERT OF TNS AT MUDHRA

[CRama]

Sangeetha Kalanidhi Madurai TN.Seshagopalan presented another fabulous concert - this time in the INfosys Hall, Ramakrishna Mission School, Bazulla Road on 8 January 2012 which marked a fitting grand finale of the Music Festival of MUDHRA. Although it was billed as a Four Hour Concert it happened to be a FIVE HOUR CONCERT unheard in the recent times. Yes. The concert started at 5.10 PM and concluded at 10.15 PM. SD.Sridhar , Patri Satishkumar and H.Sivaramakrishnan (Ghatam) were the accompanists. Being the day of Thiruvadirai, it turned out to be a Thematic concert on Lord of Kailasa. The list of songs.

Varnam- Nayaki
Sidhivinayakam seveham-Mohanakalyani-Adi-HMB
Sree Dakshinamoorthim bhajare-Thodi-M.Chapu
Ee vasudha- Sahana-Adi-Thyagaraja
Mokshamugalada-Saramathi-Adi-Thyagaraja
Enneramum undan sannidhiyil-Devagandhari-Adi-GKB
Sabhapathikku-Abhogi-Adi-GKB
Kanakasabhapathikku namaskaram-Athana-Adi- GKB
Kripanidhe-Hamsanadham-ADI- HMB
Anandanatanaprakasam-Kedaram-Adi-MD
Kanakanaruchira-Varali-Adi-Thyagaraja
Thani
Giripriyam-Kathanakuthoohalam-Adi-HMB
RTP-Chenjurutti

Pallavi- Guha Muruga Shanmugha Nee Vaa
Kaa Vaa Kovey - Khanda Triputa 2 kalai
Tuma bina more- Meera bhajan- Pilu
Virutham- Pachchai maamalaipol meni-Thuppudayarai in
Chandrakauns followed by Thillana in Chandrakauns
Vachanamiga-thirupugazh- Behag
Vangakadal-Thirupavai-Suruti.
Virutham Kallaa pizhayum........Ellaa pizhayum porutharulvay Kachiye kambane
in Madhyamavathi
Mangalam

At the beginning of the concert, Shri Mudhra Bhaskar announced that this unique concert will be shortly released commercially by Mudhra and hence he requested rasikas to desist from recording through any device.

The concert had a spright start with the Nayaki varnam Sarasijakshi with swarams in two kalams appended to it. This varnam was on the Manjunatha swamy which was quite appropriate for the concert. This was followed by raga alapana of Mohanakalyani for about 6 minutes as a prelude to the song on Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. Liberal doses of swaras were rendered for the song. Many avartanams ending in ga had nice combinations.

Next he took up an elaborate slokam on Dakshinamurthy in Thodi ragam followed by the kriti Sree Dakshinamoorthim bhajare. I do not know the composer of the song. The song had a flavour of MD kriti and was in sanskrit. Neraval or swaram were not attempted. An elaborate alapana of Sahana followed and Thyagaraja's Kovur Panchrathna kriti was taken up for elaborate exploration. The neraval at Daasavaradathyagaraja hridyayanivasa was most enjoyable with dazzling swaras in second kalam adding glitter to the song. Mokhsamugalada and Enneramum were rendered in their pristine form sans any raga alapana or swarams. But the prominence was given to the sahithya bhava and the sangathis for Mokshamugalada were brimming with raga bhavam. It was not treated as a filler. Sabhapathi(kku) was decked up with ornaments in second kala swarams with lot of swarakshara prayogams very intelligently coined- sari samaanamaakuma, sariga sari samaanamaakuma, magaa sabhapathikku etc. For Kripanidhe, the alapana contained dhaivatham, as a janya of Neethimathi, as per the praacheena padhathi which was followed by HMB. For Aanandanatana prakasam, liberal swaras were rendered at Sangeetha vadya vinoda which included very interesting khanda nadai prayogams also.

At this stage, Kanakanaruchira was taken up. I was wondering what connection this song has got in a thematic concert devoted to Lord Siva. Moreover, I was disturbed that so far neither the main song nor pallavi has started. But as the song progressed, he stook up neraval at the lines raamanaama rasikudu kailasa sadanudu sakshi in the charanam 7-starting with kaminchi premameera. Then I understood the relevance of the song in this concert. Elaborate neraval was done taking just five words and elaborate swarams in both kalams followed. The swarams had lot of kanakku vazhakku in built in them reminding some of his concert of the eightees- may be fifty avartanams of koraippu. Having good accompaniments by the side would have prompted him to explore into his favourite territory once again. The thani of Patri Satish kumar and H.Sivaramakrishnan went for about 30 minutes.

Now the time is 8.50 PM. The Concert is scheduled to be upto 9.00 PM. TNS is asking Mudhra Bhaskar- Pallavi padalaamnu irukken, paravayillaya. What more can we desire? The hall was still 75% full and the audience shouted paadalam. paadalam. After a quick filler Giripriyam, there was a pleasant surprise for me - Yes, RTP in Chenjurutti. I felt that he has chosen to sing this pallavi specially for me like God coming to the house of the bhaktha to give darsan- because, I went for his concert in MFAC on 31/12 and because of the chaos there, I left the concert hall by 8 PM. And there he has sung this Pallavi. So I felt that I have lost an opportunity to hear RTP in Chenjurutti. Now he is singing in my next door concert- that too within a gap of 10 days- which normally he never does. Chenjurutti was sung most melodiously for 10 minutes- such an elaborate exploration I have never heard. After the thanam and pallavi in Chenjurutti, nervaval was done in ragamalika - in the other prominent madhyamasruthi ragams- Nadanamakriya, Punnagavarali, Yamunakalyani, Manirang and Sindubhairavi. It was absolute bliss. While rendering swaram, he started from Sindubhairavi in reverse order. After few rounds of first kala swarams, he made a string of all the ragams at least for about ten rounds in the second kalam, which was simply amazing and breathtaking. Only people of his calibre can do such feats. The Pallavi was finished at 9.40 PM. The audience was about 50% even at that time. Still he was in no mood to complete the concert- nor the audience wanted to leave. He sang all the tailenders and the concert ended at 10.15 PM.

It was a fabulous concert- words fail to describe it. His voice was in very good form which enabled him to express his imaginations most effectively. The audience who wanted to hear a long concert- assembled in good number and the hall was 80% full.He had good accompaniments. SD Sridhar played his solos and returns quite well. He was able to reply to the complicated koraippu swarams in Varali very well. Patri Sathish Kumar - he is already a star. He followed with good level of anticipation and his combination with SD Sridhar during the swara sessions were very lively His tani with Sivaramakrishnan was an absolute treat. The large audience enjoyed every bit of the entire concert. They expressed their appreciation most liberally at the appropriate places. . The highly receptive audience gave a well deserved standing ovation at the end of this marathon concert. WE will look forward to the commercial release of this concert.

[rajeshnat]

Virutham Kallaa pizhayum........Ellaa pizhayum porutharulvay Kachiye kambane
in Madhyamavathi
Mangalam
....
I went for his concert in MFAC on 31/12 and because of the chaos there, I left the concert hall by 8 PM. And there he has sung this Pallavi. So I felt that I have lost an opportunity to hear RTP in Chenjurutti.
....
.

The viruththam is from PattinathAr . I wanted to be there being a 4 hr concert , but it was difficult to spend such a long time.So you were also there at MFAC , i was there too for about half an hour and left elsewhere.
Tx for your review , hoping to hear the recorded release.

[Thalaivarda]

Every word I read adds up to my jealousy. How I wish some one recorded it. Thanks btw.

[srikant1987]

Thalaivarda,

CRama clearly mentioned that Mudhra has recorded it and will commercially release it.

[Thalaivarda]

Yeah saw that... thanks.

[grsastrigal]

Nice review. kanakana relevance in this concert is well thought by TNS and apt rendering. Also nice to see people are still yearning for a 5 concert concert.
Shri DakshinAmurthim bhajare is "Guru kriti" sung in sampradaya Bhajans. Normally, before Ashtapathy (Jayadevas) is rendered in rAdha kalyNam, some of the Guru kritis were sung. One of the "fit" songs for "TiruvAdhirai" day.

[gardabha_gana]

There was an unfair (IMO) bashing of SD Sridhar in another topic (Ramani?). Please note that this senior artist has got kudos here.

[squims]

Eagerly looking forward to the recording of this concert!

[sureshvv]

Wish T.N.S.Krishna had been there to make part of the 2 hours I spent there tolerable!

[balakk]

Can any one please explain the meaning of " raamanaama rasikudu kailasa sadanudu sakshi " ?

thanks

[ganeshkant]

CRama as usual your detailed review helped in visualizing the concert and how I wish I should have attended it |( .

Maha.SantAnam has sung the varAli ratnam in a concert as main long back.

[Tharangam]

"Sri ramaramaramethi rame raame manorame
sahasranamathathulyam sriramanaamavaranane"

is the a verse which we have all been very familiar with and is in the palasruthi of Vishnusahasranamam. When parvathi asks Shiva to explain an easy way for salvation, Shiva says that chanting ramanama is the only easy way to salvation for everybody. Hence Lord Shiva is ramanamarasikudu ( rasika of ramanama).

Saint Tyagaraja refers to Hanuman,Shiva, naradha,parasara,sukar,sounagar,indra,parvathi,seetha 's devotion and bhakthi as witness to prove the greatness of Si Rama to all mortals. It is in this context he has referred to Kailasapathi Lord Shiva as the first rasika of Ramanama.

Ganeshkant

TNS sir has sung this as main in so many concerts. The Seshadripuram ramanavami concert ( with heavy rain) was a masterpiece with extraordinary kanakanaruchira. Still ringing in my ears after 10 yrs.

[CRama]

Tharangam. I think I have not heard that Seshadripuram concert. But your mention of this rain concert brings to my mind another superb concert we all listened fully soaked in rain and the music of TNS in the same Seshadripuram College, in the early 90s-- He sang a wonderful Alagalalla aadagagala in Madhyamavathi. His neraval in Aaaaaa samayamuna made us spell bound and the cascade of swaras that followed. IIRC, Entha muddo and Kaddanuvariki also were there in that concert. I do have the recording of this concert.

[Thalaivarda]

@crama
please do upload. thanks.

[kartik]

I attended that concert too, and that Madhyamavathi alapana was fantastic(it started when it began to pour).Importantly, it was an alapana for Alagalalla. That Kanakana was outstanding.The concert had some unusual pieces rendered after the main too!!If I remember, it started with Darbar, and no alapana for the main.(hindolam).Was there a Kaddanuvariki?I dont remember that!

[keerthi]

kartik,

Wasn't kanakana rucirA the main piece of this one? If I remember right, He announced on the mike for people to come and sit on stage, when the downpour increased, halfway through varAli.

TNS and his son Krishna took turns for the madhyamavati swarams and it was a veritable sawAl-jawAb, each matching the other in the exchange.

[CRama]

Thanks to Kartik and Keerthi for informing me about another rain drenched concert of TNS in Seshadripuram. The concert I mentioned was different. It did not have Kanakanaruchira. It was in the early 90s. TNSK had not started accompanying his father at that time. Regarding the other songs in the concert, I have to check up my index.

[kssr]

So many rain drenched Seshadripuram TNS concerts. When I was there, the rain started coming down in torrents and TNS started majestically Aazhi Mazhai kanna in Varali. People moved to the sides where there is some cover. My wife and I went and sat on the stage. I remember violinist MS Govindaswamy in the audience. Once the rain subsided people came back to their seats. The concert was not stopped even for a minute. No one shouted or whistled. That is what we call by "elite audience". Great experiences.

Also, a similar experience of pouring rain in Fort high school Ramanavami concert of KVN. It was only a thatched roof those days.

[Purist]

So many "Raga drenched" concerts too !! |(

[sreecons]

Thanks for the review. . . eagerly looking forward to the CD release.