TVS at San Jose, CA (Apr 27, 2014)

[hatakambari]

TVS gave a lively concert at San Jose. Unfortunately, I could not attend the whole event. Hope somebody else can fill the lineup.

Vocal: Shri T.V. Shankaranarayanan
Violin: Shri Trivandrum N. Sampath
Mridangam: Shri Tanjore K. Murugaboopathi
Venue: CET Auditorium, San Jose

1. Kazhalinaik kANa Odi vandEn (viruttham): Mohanam
gajAnana mAm pAlaya - mOhanam - Adi - Tulaseevanam (on PazhavangAdi GanEsha, as the viruttham was)

2. Mohanakara muththuk kumarA - nItimati - rUpakam - KOteeshwara Iyer

3. smArajanaka shubhacharitha - behAg - misrachApu - SwAti TirunAl (R for 3min, S)

4. ShObillu saptaswara - jaganmOhini - rUpakam - ThyAgarAja (R for 5 min, NS@ dhararakshA mAdulalO)

5. VijayAmbikE VimalAmbikE - vijayanAgari - Adi - MuthIAh BhAgavatar (R for 11 min, S@ vijayAmbikE)

6. mA ramaNan - hindOlam - rUpakam - PApanAsam Sivan (R for 2 min)

7. sakala graha bala nINe - atAnA - khanda cApu - Purandara dAsa

.... ??

The concert was brisk and pleasant throughout, typical of TVS style. The CET hall has been renovated recently, and reopened just this week. The audio was ok, but the artiste kept saying he could not hear the feedback, and there was 10-minute pause after Jaganmohini till the issue was fixed. My loss to have missed the rest.

[mahavishnu]

Thank you, hatakAmbari. And welcome to the forum.

After that he sang 8) AdamOdi (chArukesi), 9) saravaNa bhava guhanE (kannaDA), 10) viruttam on bhoomi devi (hamsAnandi), 11) viruttam of karpUram narumo (desh), followed by venkatAchala nilayam (sindhu bhairavi) and 12. mangaLam + vazhiya senthamizh.

TVS sang with so much earnestness and sincerity. I was quite amazed by his detailed handling of neetimati, vijayanagari and jaganmohini. And the quality of his voice and what he can do with it show no signs of age whatsoever. And of course, the impeccable sense of shruti needs special mention.

I was very pleasantly surprised and impressed by Trivandrum Sampath on the violin, whom I am hearing for the first time live. He followed TVS faithfully. Murugabhoopathi was just ok. He played competently, but nothing exciting in his playing today.

I was hoping for an RTP, but did not feel the absence of one after hearing the wonderfully crafted viruttams. The concert was about 2hrs and 45 mins. Although the artistes had issues with the feedback monitors, the PA speakers were, in fact, excellent.

My peeve for today. I had this total yahoo sitting next to me and engaging in his own exuberant percussion activity that was not phase locked in any way with the music on stage. Who is going to save the free world from such musical terrorists? Fortunately, he stopped his private kutcheri midway through sobillu and I could enjoy the rest of the concert in peace.

[arasi]

Mahavishnu,
Sounds like a super concert by TVS! Yes, in a concert like this, I wouldn't have missed a pallavi either. A lovely song list, indeed!

Glad you could listen to him. Musically, CA life suits you perfectly

Sorry about your next seat rasikA
First, I look pleadingly at such a neighbor. Then I look at his hand, and plead again, with my head shaking. Then comes a sigh and a a quick stare. If I have the luxury of an empty seat nearby, another sigh and bye bye!

[hari2810]

We were at CET for a different program on Saturday. Looks like different structures of the CET were under renovation. But the auditorium hasn't been touched. It is in the same form it was 3 years ago. The Saturday program also had major feedback issues.
(that doesn't mean it isn't a good hall. It is just I went there expecting to be completely renovated and new!)

[ramakriya]

Coming back to the forum after a lon....g time , even longer than than when I attended a concert at CET!

I was there only for the first 3 items and had to leave before Jaganmohini. Somehow, the absence of a Varna or a well known kriti in that half hour showed off as a drawback. May be I am just getting OLD ) fashioned. True, Smarajanaka shubha chairta is well known, but I would like to see towards the end of a concert or at least sometime in between rendering two heavy items.

[arasi]

Ramakriya,
Good to hear from you. susvAgata, nIlAnjana!

TVS, like his uncle doesn't sing a varNa as an opener, does he? I am sure he knows scores of them. He usually starts with a song on vighnESvara. To me, this song list looked refreshing, his oft-repeated ones not being there.

[mahavishnu]

To me, this song list looked refreshing, his oft-repeated ones not being there.

I agree entirely. This is the most refreshingly different TVS concert I have heard in a while.
I, for one, am glad that he didn't repeat his usual set list of tatvamariya, sarasa sAma dAna, chakkanirAja margamu and/or kANa kaNN kOdi and ending with eppO varuvarO and the english note.

And Ramakriya: pity you missed most of the concert. He was just about warming up his vocal cords by the end of #3.

[pvs]

Very interesting list from the veteran. I wonder if Sri TVS is nodding to our wistful longing to witness his formidable repertoire of the younger days (Surya RTP's and what not!). Last year's MA concert was another example - he just let loose the fireworks. We all look forward to more such from him.

[rajeshnat]

Hatakambari,
Welcome to the forum , nice to see your coverage of vidwan TVS in US. Keep writing more.Tx

[hatakambari]

Thanks for your welcome and kind words, Rajeshnat and Mahavishnu!