T.N.Seshagopalan at Toronto-Apr 29th

[Lakshman]

A 4 hr. concert (including time for comments on some songs)
with Jayshankar Balan on violin, Trivandrum Balaji on the mrdanga and Karthik Venkataraman on the kanjira.
song list:
vIribONi-bhairavi varNa-P.Adiappiah-Sk,S
taruNam IdammA-gauLipantu-Shyama Shastri
O jagadamba-Anandabhairavi-Shyama Shastri-A, N
karuNa jUDu ninnu nammina-shrI-Shyama Shastri
mAyammA aninE-Ahiri-Shyama Shastri
pAlincu kAmAkSi-madhyamAvati-Shyama Shastri-A, N,S,tani
dEvi brOva samayamidE-cintAmaNi-Shyama Shastri-A
viruttam in lalitA followed by
nannu brOvu lalitA-lalitA-Shyama Shastri
brOvavamma-mAnji-Shyama Shastri
shlOka in rAgamAlikA
ArabhimAnam-rAgamAlikA-Tanangampadi Panchanada Iyer
mangaLam

[mohan]

Lot of repetitions from the concert from a few days prior by NSG (http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=19158) Guru and Sishya!

[Lakshman]

It was the final concert of the three day Shyama Shastri festival.

[rajsanthanam]

An excellent concert!

[mahavishnu]

It was a lovely concert by Sri TNS. It was not anywhere near his last performance here, but then if you are a mahAnubhAva like TNS, you only have your own standards to live up to. Nevertheless, it was an extremely engaging concert.

These days I think of TNS's concerts as more of an education than entertainment. And true to the theme, he did not miss the opportunity to educate. TNS is probably one of the last of today's musicians who represents a bridge, a connection to an era of musicians and their oral traditions that go back to the times of the trinity. I felt like I should have taken notes, as he went from sangati to sangati, each line grounded in musical history.

The madhyamavati he sang was simply extraordinary. Trivandrum Balaji and Karthik Venkataraman played a wonderful tani after Palincu Kamakshi. It must have been nerve-racking (but delightfully so) to accompany TNS. But they pulled it off very nicely.

My only disappointment was that he sang the more common SS kritis. Although no one does better when it comes to Bhairavi, Manji, Chintamani, Anandabhairavi, Lalita, Saveri and Gowlipantu than SS, I wish TNS had sung the more unusual compositions.

In fact TNS referred to a subset of these ragams as the "sotthu (prized property)" of Syama Sastry!

I would have loved to hear SS's interpretation of Arabhi (palayAsu) or palimpa vamma (Mukhari) or Akhilandeswari durusuga (Kapi) or Kedaragowla (Parakela nannu) or even Nattaikurinji (Mayamma). I can imagine how much more educational the experience could have been. I also wish he had not repeated songs from his own list from his previous visit.

But I'm just happy to listen to TNS right here in Toronto, year after year. We are truly fortunate.

[nadhasudha]

My only disappointment was that he sang the more common SS kritis. Although no one does better when it comes to Bhairavi, Manji, Chintamani, Anandabhairavi, Lalita, Saveri and Gowlipantu than SS, I wish TNS had sung the more unusual compositions.

In fact TNS referred to a subset of these ragams as the "sotthu (prized property)" of Syama Sastry!

I would have loved to hear SS's interpretation of Arabhi (palayAsu) or palimpa vamma (Mukhari) or Akhilandeswari durusuga (Kapi) or Kedaragowla (Parakela nannu) or even Nattaikurinji (Mayamma)..

Mahavishnu,

I would add Yadukulakambhoji to this. Kamakshi in Yadukulakambhoji(another Swarajathi) by SS is a masterpiece. Currently listening to this song being rendered by Nisha Rajagopal on Carnatic Radio. Heavenly!!

[mahavishnu]

Nadhasudha: couldn't agree more.

[mohan]

Currently listening to this song being rendered by Nisha Rajagopal on Carnatic Radio. Heavenly!!

Was listening to this swarajati too .. was very nicely sung by Nisha.

[MV]

It was a lovely concert by Sri TNS. It was not anywhere near his last performance here, but then if you are a mahAnubhAva like TNS, you only have your own standards to live up to.

This reminds me of his visit to NZ some 6 years ago. He sang an astounding 4 hour concert on Sat evening. The Subha Pantuvarali and Sri Satyanarayana is still ringing in my ears. While we were talking over dinner about his Harikatha, he casually said I'll do one if you want it. His flight was only on Monday and he did another marathon on Sunday evening on 'Thyagaraja Ramayana' Didn't see him do any massive preps that day but it was brilliant-very apt songs for all the moments. It was a weekend to cherish.