TNS at Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 21 Dec 2007, 01:12

T N Seshagopalan - Vocal
T N S Krishna - Vocal Support
V V Ravi - Violin
Umayalpuram K Sivaraman - Mridangam
B SreeSundar Kumar - Khanjira

As I promised, I attended the concert of Sri Seshagopalan at Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha to make amends for my reference to the movie "Thodi Ragam" featuring Sri Seshagopalan.

As luck would have it, the main raga today was Thodi! If my life of the last 24 hours had been a movie, it couldn't have been scripted better! As they say, Life imitates Art!

But I think we should proceed sequentially from the beginning of the concert.

After a brief trace of Bhairavi raga, we got "Koluvai Unnade Kothandapani" as the first piece of the concert. There was the usual mathematical swara exercise though mercifully the complex calculations part of it was brief.

Next came an expansive alapana of Mohana Kalyani. When one runs out of the Carnatic idiom in a raga such as Mohana Kalyani which has an equivalent in Hindustani Music in Raag Shuddh Kalyan, the resourceful musician simply jumps on the Hindustani bandwagon to impress the audience. Which is precisely what TNS did at times. The alapana had the usual attempts at traversing the entire octave or octave-and-a-half in quick time. This was actually significant in light of the kriti that was chosen, "Bhajare Bhaja Manasa Sri Narasingha": one could imagine TNS attempting to imitate the roaring of a lion during the alapana. V V Ravi kept to a chaste Carnatic interpretation of Mohana Kalyani and stayed away from Shuddh Kalyan.

The kriti was dealt with expansively with kalpana swarams. The intricate mathematical calculations during the swara exercises robbed it of musical content. Can we simply accept that the generation that grew up before calculators has the ability to do arithmetic in the head and on the fly and not glorify this ability too much?

By the time this song was finished, well nigh 45 minutes were gone.

During all this time, TNS's voice refused to cooperate fully with all that implies as a result.

Next came a viruttham in Tamil. Being Vaikunta Ekadasi day, I am sure this was a Pasuram but I am not up on Vaishnavite literature. (Not completely true. Upon being chastised by my spouse for being an uncouth person for using the expression, "What is it good for? Not even for naakku vazhikka", I once dug up the venpa that begins "Nokki Yasodhai Nunukkia Manjalal Naakku Vazhitthu Neerattum in Nambikku" in the Naalaayira Divya Prabandham just to shut her up!) The particular pasuram went something like "Palliyil ... Balan.... Vaayil" with the word "vaayil" probably referring to the entrance. Right at that time, TNS had a catch in his throat and cleared it with a drink of water in his "vaay" (mouth). Even here one could just see the full intellectual prowess of TNS in choosing to drink water at the most appropriate time. This was followed by the Tamil kriti "Nara hariyai vandan" in Simhendra Madhyamam. What with the reference to the lion (Simha) in the raga's name, I was now beginning to feel the heavy weight of TNS's intellect in choosing songs/ragas which are appropriate for the occasion. The kriti itself was rendered quickly without embellishments such as neraval or swaras.

This was followed by the Devagandhari piece "Ksheera Sagara Sayana". While TNS managed to successfully reach the tara sthayi most of the time while singing the line "taraka nama Thyagaraja nuta", his hand gestures visually indicated to the audience what swara he was reaching for at any instance of time. I must admit that this was a thoughtful gesture on his part.

I wish he had done that during the next alapana. We got a trifecta in that there were Madhyamavathi, Manirangu and Sri. That was truly a jackpot. Hand gestures might have helped us narrow the raga to one of the three. However, by singing the Tiruppavai "Maayanai Mannu Vada Mathurai Mainthanai", he made it clear that he was conveying the raga Sri to us. This, I believe, is the fourth Tiruppavai and the song meant for the 4th day of the month of Margazhi. TNS's intellectual superiority was once again being thrust on us; nay, we were being bludgeoned with it.

Then came the crowning glory of the evening. TNS elaborated on Thodi raga and during the alapana, he did graha bhedam. He briefly touched Hindolam but changed his mind, came back to Thodi and went into Mohanam. And then, in the descent, he went into Sankarabharanam and very briefly into Neelambhari. V V Ravi stuck to a straight rendition of conventional Thodi. The kriti was treated to neraval and swaras and a sparkling tani avarthanam that lasted almost 20 minutes followed.

TNS then launched into a slokam which saw him changing the ragas almost at will.I heard Valaji, Atana, Sama, Lalitha, Ahiri, Begada, Bageshri, Darbar, Hamsanandi, Reethigowlai, Neelambhari, Bowli, Kedaragowlai, Sankarabharanam, Subhapanthuvarali, Thilang, Anandabhairavi, Kapi, and Sindhubhairavi. He did graha bhedam once again in Sindhubhairavi into other ragas but changed quickly before I could catch them. Even V V Ravi looked puzzled and TNS briefly played with the switches on the electronic sruthi box to indicate what note he was using as shadjam in this graha bhedam exercise. The very last raga was Dwijavanthi and TNS took up the bhajan "Hari Bolo" in the same raga.

The penultimate piece was a thillana in Chandrakauns. The speed at which the charanam was rendered robbed it of all musicality nor could it be danced to at that speed.

The concert then concluded with the traditional "Pavamana".

We all came out of the hall understanding why there is this coterie of people who consider TNS to be a god among humans. Our heads were bloody and bowed.

mahesh3 · Post by **mahesh3** » 21 Dec 2007, 03:03

Phew!

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 21 Dec 2007, 06:57

Harimau,
How hard was it to pry your tongue away from your cheek at the end of that long review? You seem to have planned it as meticulously as the concert was!:P

Sathej · Post by **Sathej** » 21 Dec 2007, 07:25

To me, it was an amazing concert really with his voice settling in quite well as the concert progressed. Regarding mathematical complexity, I would say TNS was rather low key compared to his standards. Only in the Thodi Swarams did he show some of the Kanakku he is famous for. Else, in the Mohanakalyani Krithi, Swarams were very elaborate, no doubt, but I wouldn't say it had mathematical complexity at all, infact it was more of Bhavam in that piece. To me, the Thodi Alapanai was one of its kind. He showed why he is one of the very best today.
Intellectual prowess, well, no doubt about that. Viruthams befitting the occasion, he is a master at that. Not a paper used used anytime during the concert, considering the fact that even a few leading artistes unhesitatingly do referencing work even for Krithis like Varugalamo. And the violinist looking puzzled is not a rare sight at all in a TNS concert

And btw, the Thillana is his own composition.
God or not, he is definitely right up there in the list of brilliant musicians.
Sathej

Amruthavarshini · Post by **Amruthavarshini** » 21 Dec 2007, 11:35

Wasn't the Virutham ahead of the Mohana Kalyani piece?

Iam afraid it was not a catch in the throat, felt that TNS' voice choked because of emotion. People in the first row would have noticed him wipe the tears. May be he is a Bhaktha of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha, and yesterday being Vaikunta Ekadesi, was overcome with emotion while singing the Alwar's Paasuram.I have witnessed a similar incident during a Sivarathiri Concert too.

This spiritual side of him makes me feel that it is because of this innate toal devotion and surrender to God that his music is also close to God. No wonder ardent rasikas feel that he is God.

Hats off TNS!! I recall V.V. Srivatsa's words about him. The other day he referred that there can be a musician of the calibre of TNS only once in 100 or 50 yrs. Very Very True.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 21 Dec 2007, 12:28

I agree with Sathej. The sort of thodi that reaffirms my faith in TNS despite the occasional flop concert. And as for UKS - his khandam was so brilliant that I had started clapping instead of keeping time well before the tani was completed. If I could only get rid of my ego I would have run up to the stage after the Thodi and put feet to TNS and UKS - such was the majesty of the rendition!

Harimau's review only shows how different tastes can be...but I have to say it was very entertaining to read even if his cutting wit tended to bruise the fan in me at times...look forward to more - hopefully some will be positive as well!

sarojaRamanujam · Post by **sarojaRamanujam** » 21 Dec 2007, 14:38

It is obvious that Harimau has gone to the concert only to find fault and well, I expected nothing else from him anyway and he only proved my opinion that he is deliberately trying to undermine the merits of TNS for reasons known only to himself. If he does not like TNS he need not have gone to the concert at all No one would have been the loser.His comments is downright sarcastic and malicious and quite unfair as the reviews of other members show. If one wants to shut the light with the palm of his hand it is only his loss, and not the fault of the light. All the rasikas of TNS will be pained to read such reviews though there is no dearth for such persons right from the times of Ramayana and Bhagavatha when even God Himself could not escape the tongue of malice.It is a pity that the concert which fascinated so many has failed to impress harimou and surely the fault is not with the music of TNS but in the mind of the listener only. I wonder whether he has anything against Iyengars in general and is that the reason he wrote such comments about TNS because his comments about the Iyengar community are not at all in good taste. I appeal to the moderator to look into the matter.My review will follow later. To the remark of Vijay that the review was entertaining even if his cutting wit bruises the fan in him I would like to add that it is neither entertaining nor witty to make sarcastic and personal remarks of a person or a community.I simply request harimou to desist from attending the concerts of TNS in future and spare us the pleasure of his reviews.

sarojaRamanujam · Post by **sarojaRamanujam** » 21 Dec 2007, 14:45

Thanks to you both , sathej and amrthavarshini.
what you have said is cent percent true.Dr. Srivatsa remarked recently that a muscian like TNS 'na bhootho na bhavishyathi', never was and never will be. Perhaps harimou will say that Dr.Srivathsa said it because he is an Iyengar!

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 21 Dec 2007, 15:01

harimau wrote:Next came a viruttham in Tamil. Being Vaikunta Ekadasi day, I am sure this was a Pasuram but I am not up on Vaishnavite literature. (Not completely true. Upon being chastised by my spouse for being an uncouth person for using the expression, "What is it good for? Not even for naakku vazhikka", I once dug up the venpa that begins "Nokki Yasodhai Nunukkia Manjalal Naakku Vazhitthu Neerattum in Nambikku" in the Naalaayira Divya Prabandham just to shut her up!) The particular pasuram went something like "Palliyil ... Balan.... Vaayil" with the word "vaayil" probably referring to the entrance. Right at that time, TNS had a catch in his throat and cleared with a drink of water in his "vaay" (mouth). Even here one could just see the full intellectual prowess of TNS in choosing to drinking water at the most appropriate time.

Dear Harimau,

What you are doing is nothing but slander. The above paragraph is meant to hurt TNS fans and hurt it certainly did. Please refrain from personalised attacks. Even in the review of Dr.Hamsini Nagendra , a visually impaired singer , you showed no grace by launching an assault on TNS film Todiragam , which was not at all linked to the thread of Hamsinis's concert ! I fully agree with the sentiments of Saroja, Vijay , Sathej and rshankar. You can very well say that TNS concert was a flop.No harm. That would be your personal and individual opinion which must be respected. But do not , by jugglery of words ,resort to slander.

Dear Moderators,

there are certain Rasika contributors/reviewers who have personal agendas and who need to be watched.

Sathej · Post by **Sathej** » 21 Dec 2007, 15:43

Well, honestly speaking, all said and done, TNS is a truly great musician of today and there are people who like him and people who don't. But all these 'negative reviews' or 'slander' would mean little in demeaning his stature

He has earned the praises of people worthier than most of us here in this forum, some of them, legends in their own right.
Sathej

rudrapriya · Post by **rudrapriya** » 21 Dec 2007, 16:12

The words Harimau is the reflection of his or her unhealthy mind. This forum is only for giving constructive reviews and healthy coments. But unfortunately, it is being used for personal motives and other nasty business. But, it will in no way affect the true ArtistsT N S Sir. because,500 years ego itself, Sri Purandara Dasa had said that, "Handi iddare, hege keri shuddhavo hage, nindakarirabeku".

rudrapriya · Post by **rudrapriya** » 21 Dec 2007, 16:22

The words of Harimau is the reflection of his or her unhealthy mind. This forum is only for giving constructive reviews and healthy coments. But unfortunately, it is being used for personal motives and other nasty businesses. But, it will in no way affect the true Artists like T N S Sir. because,500 years ego itself, Sri Purandara Dasa had said that, "Handi iddare, hege keri shuddhavo hage, nindakarirabeku".

sarojaRamanujam · Post by **sarojaRamanujam** » 21 Dec 2007, 16:23

Please give the meaning of the words in kannada

sarojaRamanujam · Post by **sarojaRamanujam** » 21 Dec 2007, 17:24

Review of concert of TNS at Parthasarathy swami sabha on 20-12-2007

â€˜Gaavatha naachatha Vaikuntajaanaaâ€™

Vaikunta ekadasi is a day sacred not only to vaishnavites but to all Hindus as we can see all throng the Vishnu temples on that day. The day for those who have visited the temple in the morning culminated in yet another divine experience when TNS sang with more than usual divine fervour in Parthasarathy swami Sabha on VaikuntaEkadasi day. Our music can never be dissociated from devotion as all the composers were the devotees of God.

Also the musician who is involved and inspired could not help being a devotee and he could not sing something totally devoid of bhakthi as even the raga alapana or svara are considered a part of nadhopasana and the musician is the high priest of the altar of music which is divinity itself. TNS on the day of vaikunta Ekadasi was only that.

The concert started with the krthi of Thyagaraja in bhairavi, â€˜koluvaiyunnaade,â€™ and hearing TNS singing that reminded the rasikas who have heard him in his harikatha on Thyagaraja when he explained the song and its implications. He said that Thyagaraja has woven into the pallavi the various sangathis, which depict the scene of Rama sitting on the throne on the day of his coronation, as though saying, â€œHas the decorations were done properly , has everyone come,â€

balu · Post by **balu** » 21 Dec 2007, 22:08

when tns fans can raise him upto god level everytime even when he opens for yawning ,that too without sruthi what is wrong in calling spade a spade.harimau iam with you.for too long this crap is goingon.atleast you had the guts to say the emperor is without clothes .keep it up.

bhaktha · Post by **bhaktha** » 21 Dec 2007, 22:48

It's very disheartening to see such comments from learned rasikas. Shri TNS has been in this field for 50 odd years and he certainly doesn't deserve this. I am in no way trying to defend him as a mahan of his calibre requires nobody to defend him. Such great men allow their music to speak for themselves. I have always found his music to be a spiritual journey where he never fails to deliver. One can only wonder at his sheer genius, be it a complex pallavi, be it an intricate korvai, be it a viruttam or even the mangalam, Shri TNS takes so much care to embellish each phrase with utmost Bhaavam, inspite of reveling in mathematical wizardry. Moreover, He has been a source of great inspiration for many like me.
History has repeatedly shown us that geniuses like Galelio, Da Vinci etc. were least understood during their own time because it takes half their genius to even understand what they are attempting. The same is the case with Shri TNS. Even if we cannot celebrate his genius, let us at least not nit-pick... this mahavidwan certainly deserves much more...
- (TNS)bhaktha

Sathej · Post by **Sathej** » 21 Dec 2007, 23:04

//when tns fans can raise him upto god level everytime even when he opens for yawning ,that too without sruthi//
Such comments are definitely not warranted. TNS fans are not a bunch of ignorant fools. Firstly, in my opinion, the word 'fans' itself is not too suitable. Rasikas might be a better word. As Bhaktha has pointed out, a person like TNS needs nobody to come to his defence. His achievements over the years and praises from senior musicians speak for themselves. There is no question of guts involved. Of course, Shruthi lapses occur. But inspite of that, his unsurpassed Vidwat (atleast among most present day artistes) makes his concerts one among the very best. I am stopping with this, as I feel any more justification of TNS' ability is simply not required.
Sathej

i_srinivasan · Post by **i_srinivasan** » 21 Dec 2007, 23:15

balu wrote:when tns fans can raise him upto god level everytime even when he opens for yawning ,that too without sruthi what is wrong in calling spade a spade.harimau iam with you.for too long this crap is goingon.atleast you had the guts to say the emperor is without clothes .keep it up.

Boluuu, "Thanks" for enlightening everyone on what a "spade" means. Its so enriching that I'm waiting for your definition of an "Ace"??

Never knew a "spade" is recognised and decorated with Padma Bhushan and Sangeetha Kalanidhi amongst numerous other awards!!! It's absolutely fine if you(or anyone else) don't like an artiste and fail to appreciate his(or her) music but to make such a sweeping statement is taking it a step too far. Any criticial review backed by decent reasoning(non-existent so far) would lend credibility to such criticism!!!

I don't think your comments(sheer ignorance) or horrimou's "review"(which is nothing but slander) serve any constructive purpose!

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 22 Dec 2007, 00:02

Folks let us calm down here. As I've said above, as a fan Harimau's post caused me some pain. As a student of music, I'd say he is way off the mark. Moreover as Saroja madam says, it seems as if he went to the concert with acid in his pen.

There's biting sarcasm, sure, but slander is a strong word. The comments are exaggerated but as far as I can see they are all about his music. No matter how much we dislike it, we must respect an opposing viewpoint. Nobody here claims to be a vidwan (except for the vidwans themselves of course!) and Harimau's comments need not be be given any more weight than that of a layman. Harimau's general opinion about TNS' music is also known and I am sure rasikas will read the review after factoring this i.

To the extent we in turn disagree with/rubbish the review, it is fine but I don't see a role for the moderator as of now. A squeaky clean forum where everyone praises all artistes is in nobody's interest. The only avoidable part was the tirade against a certain sect, where a fine line is being treaded. Hopefully Hairamu will manage to keep on its right side.

Saroja madam thanks for your excellent coverage with which I largely agree. Sorry to have hurt you by stating that I enjoyed reading Harimau's review. I enjoy sarcasm - sometimes even at my own expense although I agree that there are limits to everything. Apologies once again.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 22 Dec 2007, 02:03

Vijay: Nicely said. That is quite a mature attitude to take.

I don't see a role for the moderator as of now

Right. The situation where the mods may step in is when there is consistent and intentional slander of a particular artist from a rasika who seems to have an axe to grind against the artist. That is not the case here. Other cases are comments/rant against an artist's background or community or religion which does not have any bearing on the review of the concert.

Regarding the critique of the review ( and not a review of the reviewer ), that is fair game as well.

sarojaRamanujam · Post by **sarojaRamanujam** » 22 Dec 2007, 07:02

Harimou has showed his acid tongue again in my review about TNS Krishna"s concert . I have no other alternative than to say goodbye to rasikas.org if no action is going to be taken by the moderator regarding this kind of comments. I do not want to expose TNS or TNSKrishna to such sarcasm in future by my reviews.

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 22 Dec 2007, 11:59

This thread has been closed with a request to all reviewers to avoid slander and personal attacks, whether it be against musicians or others.

There is a big difference between criticism and personal attacks. This time I am merely closing the thread, but it wont be like this always. Thanks for your understanding.