TNS harmonium Concert

[hnbhagavan]

Here is yet another from Multifaceted genius
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q56DF_KJhtg

[shankarank]

Heard until MarivErE.

>>From Sunder Rajan in the Event Announcements thread:

It is my humble opinion that the Harmonium can never be the main instrument in a concert. At best it could be an accompanying instrument, as it was before the introduction of violin. Without Chanduru's violin returns one could not even make out the songs being presented !

In that song : mUccu viTTu vAnguvatu mudal ( the gaps in taking breath etc) - he represents a lot of nuances. If instruments are to present gAyaki style - which is the prevailing approach - then listeners also are expected to have the familiarity of the gAnams that are being presented.

We cannot come and say we cannot make out the song etc. We should have listened to all them ( which are all familiar songs) and listened to them especially the renditions of the same artiste in vocal format and internalized them!

The songs and lyrics are not just interfering with the "instrumental" story - but even vocal music - especially the "music" part of vocal music apparently.

I ask whoever saying this - if you have the guts - just do Alaps and try make it a success! There were people with guts before! - and in the same tradition there were people who just rendered songs only - like MuktAmma at many venues - Musiri chamber and Cleveland for example!

[vilomachapu]

It is good that TNS has taken to the harmonium. Suits him very well. His no-gamaka style is best suited for this instrument. I hope he stops singing and continues playing the harmonium. Best wishes for becoming a harmonium mahavidvan. Now on we can call him Harmonium Seshagopalan like Flute Ramani, Veena Balachander etc.

[arasi]

[shankarank]

If the question mark is about my response : Some of it was in response to Sunder Rajan's comments on the Event announcements forum for the same event. I will include a quote.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

It is good that TNS has taken to the harmonium. Suits him very well. His no-gamaka style is best suited for this instrument. I hope he stops singing and continues playing the harmonium. Best wishes for becoming a harmonium mahavidvan. Now on we can call him Harmonium Seshagopalan like Flute Ramani, Veena Balachander etc.

Our dear forumite seems to have failed to note the gamakas for Ananadabhairavi & Neelambari which TNS has rendered so excellently in this concert. In fact he has given us an opportunity to realise the scope of harmonium than to exhibit his talents (he doesn't need to do so considering his stature ).
Harmonium recitals of Alathur Venkatesa Iyer and many old timers was much sought for. And recently Pithukuli Murugadas- the harmonium reproduced all that he rendered vocally- it followed him like a "dharmapatni'.
A harmonium with perfect reeds can create a medley of melodies.

[chalakkudy]

It is good that TNS has taken to the harmonium. Suits him very well. His no-gamaka style is best suited for this instrument. I hope he stops singing and continues playing the harmonium. Best wishes for becoming a harmonium mahavidvan. Now on we can call him Harmonium Seshagopalan like Flute Ramani, Veena Balachander etc.

Ignorance all the way. I have always been an observer in this forum. But posts like this force me to take up writing here more often. If singing superspeed scalar patterns in Nagaswara bani alone makes you brand a style of music as no-gamaka style, I am sorry, but your listening is not nuanced at all. For a starter, try slowing down TNS in VLC player and listen to the micro gamakas that he so effortlessly delivers in his renditions. Listen to his Nayaki and his Bhairavi. Listen to his Mamava Guruguha roopam bhajare.
And about the recent harmonium concert, to handle the micro gamakas of Anandabhairavi, Bhairavi and Neelambari in an instrument that provides no Gamaka freedom requires a complete blueprint of all gamakas and its several varieties especially in such ragas where the varieties can be plenty. Ignorance shades, preconditions and distorts one's perception of music so much so that he/she becomes deaf to details. Sad!

And from your own words, Yes Mahavidwan indeed!

[vilomachapu]

TNS rasikas have begun to jump up and down. I have been listening to CM ever since 1981. That's when TNS got his 'promotion' to the evening 'senior slot of MA. I have listened to him intently for many years at MA, Sastri hall, MFAC, KGS etc. I have seen no improvement n his music which when speed based was meaningless and cacophony, and when he tried to slow down became monotonous because like GNB, TNS also cannot articulate gamakas properly, whether in 1981 or 2000 or 2012 when I heard him last. As for his so-called micro gamakas in Ananda Bhairavi, Neelambari, that was a great joke from you, thanks for making me laugh for a few minutes.

[MaheshS]

TNS rasikas have begun to jump up and down. I have been listening to CM ever since 1981.

Well done. :: clap clap ::

Hope they give you the next Sangitha Kalanidhi as you have performed yeomen service to Music by just listening. That too from 1981. Wow, that's more than 400 years experience isn't it? I bet the elders who were not blessed by your listening to their music are sighing with their near miss with you. Ariyakudi might have just said, THANK GOD he didn't listen to my music live. Dhannamal is weeping in the corner with joy. Viswathana Iyer though, what a crack pot, he had a few words [tanjavoor words mind you] that I'm afraid won't fit with the decorum of this forum.

You are an idiot.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

I now realise that vilomachapu has been just 'poking' the forumites!

[arasi]

Whatever it is, it's not a pleasant thing...

[kedharam]

You are an idiot

MaheshS, this is the best thing since steamed chundal

Happy Navarathri

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMD-S-cEFWU

[arasi]

That was good, kedharam, with or without harmonium

Wish I could offer you the black-eyed peas (kArAmaNi) sunDal--both sweet and salted kind chez nous

[kedharam]

Yum... Do freeze a pack for me

[hnbhagavan]

Vilomachapu

Here is TNS concert- Live Tribute to TRS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q9xc_ZKTBg

[chalakkudy]

TNS rasikas have begun to jump up and down. I have been listening to CM ever since 1981. That's when TNS got his 'promotion' to the evening 'senior slot of MA. I have listened to him intently for many years at MA, Sastri hall, MFAC, KGS etc. I have seen no improvement n his music which when speed based was meaningless and cacophony, and when he tried to slow down became monotonous because like GNB, TNS also cannot articulate gamakas properly, whether in 1981 or 2000 or 2012 when I heard him last. As for his so-called micro gamakas in Ananda Bhairavi, Neelambari, that was a great joke from you, thanks for making me laugh for a few minutes.

Let me make this clear, my post was not personal. Going by the forum rules, I had tried to make my post as neutral and as non-provoking as i could. Also, I am not jumping up and down. As far as I have observed in our fourm, us - TNS rasikas (since you wanted it christened that way) are the least aggressive when it comes to defending and shielding off criticism. There have been plasseys and waterloos fought here between fanatics and devotees of the bandwagons. But we have been pretty much self disciplined. exceptions are there of course. It is unfortunate that one fails to see what infact is a veena bani disguised as nagaswaram. To experience the veena that is innate in that style, one has to have nuanced listening skills. that is what I precisely pointed out earlier. It is difficult to thaw a frozen mind and i am not trying either. But i should say atleast this much that your seeing no improvement in TNS's music summarizes your listening experience pretty much to me.
Finally, about micro gamakas making you laugh, it makes some shed tears at its subtle beauty. Now that you are laughing again, I am happy I could make someone laugh. Cheers to your health!

[arasi]

Better be champions of good music,
No matter what the source be--not
That favoring some to others is taboo--
As varied the musicians, so too listeners...

We choose some over the others, naturally!
Others do too, theirs--no trouble there at all--
When our praising one brings others down,
Ah, there lies the fault--let them all shine!

[hnbhagavan]

TNS's voice was not cooperating.S Varadarajan tried to make up.But TNS Krishna did not lend his voice .Unfortunate for a great Vidwan to struggle with his voice.never mind he is a scholar.