Madurai TN Seshagopalan @ Ramakrishna Mission Home

[Sathej]

Shri Madurai TN Seshagopalan - Vocal
Shri Nagai Sriram - Violin
Shri MS Varadan - Mrudangam

Date : October 9, 2010
Venue : Ramakrishna Mission Home, Mylapore

1) Sami Ninne - Shri Ragam Adi Tala Varnam
2) Saraseeruhasana - Nattai - NS
3) Neeve Nannu Brovavalenamma - Durbar - A
4) Charanam Vijayasaraswathi - Vijayasaraswathi - A
5) Akhilandeshwari - Dwijavanthi
6) Mayamma - Ahiri
7) Kamalambam Bhajare - Kalyani preceded by a detailed verse from ambAnavamaNimAlA - AST
8 ) Mangalam

The concert started a bit late with the Shri Ragam Varnam, with TNS settling down. The Nattai Krithi was sung well but he came into his own during the Neraval and Swarams. Next up was a Durbar Krithi that I haven't heard before, a composition of Walajapet Venkataramana Bhagavathar, I guess. Was a short one.

The next piece was one of the picks of the concert to me. The Vijayasaraswathi Alapanai (he clearly outlined the Ragam in the very few phrases first up - quite difficult to establish I guess atleast for such a Ragam). The Alapanai was very detailed for 10+ minutes and his Manodharmam was astonishing at several places. Nowhere did it even sound remotely like Simmendramadhyamam or any of those close-lurking Ragams. Has to be said it takes someone like TNS to elaborate such a Ragam for so long with varied patterns. The Krithi was rendered well. The Dwijavanthi and Ahiri - am personally biased towards these Ragams and so was pleased with the choices.

The choice for main was very predictable, the day being the second day of Navarathri.The Kalyani Alapanai was mentionably long - more than 20 minutes and exhausted almost everything. TNS then sang a detailed verse that I later gathered (from looking up some sources online) was the Amba Nava Mani Mala attributed to Kalidasa. It started as 'vANIM jita sukhadANIM alikula veNIM' and had several explicit references to things like the Navavaranam and seemed to be a linguistic marvel with strong poetic features like jagadambAm - kadambAm and so on.. This was quite a long verse (and well, he did not refer to any notes ! ). The Krithi was leisurely sung.

And then came the strangeness in the concert. Towards the end of the Krithi, TNS seemed to be in a rush and skipped Neraval and first Kalam Swarams and wound up quickly with a few rounds of second speed Swarams and the Tani was rather short as well. And soon after ended abruptly with the Mangalam. It seemed quite odd to end the way it did ! Well, but with TNS, I guess, one has to expect these things with facets like proportion/planning not the prime of things. He could possibly sing any given list and make it look a decent concert. Maybe one just needs to sit back and take in what is on offer that day !

The violinist's responses were wonderful throughout and his repartees during the vocalist's KalyaniAlapanai in particular were nice. The percussionist gave good support all along and the short Thani was good as well.

Overall a concert that personally was satisfying for its list and delivery inspite of the oddity towards the end. Dwijavanthi, Ahiri and the Vijayasaraswathi made it a nice day for me..

Sathej

[ragam-talam]

Sounds like it was a great concert.
TNS tends to include a Muthiah Bhagavathar kriti in his concerts. The Vijayasaraswathi kriti by HMB is a masterpiece.

The Darbar kriti is by Walajapet Venkataramana Bhagavatar.

[nyanasthan]

superb concert, extraordinary alapanas of vijayasaraswathi and kalyani. Usually tns renders a ragamalika virutham or a bhajan in the end, i think he concluded abruptly due to time constraint. The Niraval at the unique place 'saraswathi' in sarasiruhasana priya was awesome.

[sivapriya]

I saw the paper last afternoon and decide to attend the concert, as usually the Vivekananda College auditorium presents a lot of warmth with the dedicated Swamis and the students all indulgent in service.

The Kolu kept by the boys of the mission, ( traditionally referred to as "ladies function"), and the swami porappadu around CIT colony is such a beautiful thing to see.

That TNS was enjoying the concert, was evident, with the neraval at Saraswati and the swaras that followed. The Darbar raga was chaste and the full essence was portrayed wonderfully. The song was a rather unheard of piece, short and crisp describing Goddess Minakshi (Neeve nannu brovavale) , a composition of Walajapet Venkataramana Bhagavathar in Khanda Chapu tala.

VaNeem jita Shuka PaaNeem, alikula VeNeem, bhavaambhudi Droneem, was a lovely string of choicest words by Kalidasa, was sung in a lucid manner by TNS, in chaste phrases of Kalyani , with no addtional frills on the raga, with an emphasis on the poetry of the great Kavi. It had the words, Kamalamba, Navaavarnaam, thus fittingly leading upto Kamalaambam Bhajare.

I had to leave immediately after the song , but I seem to have got most of it by then. The nice verkadalai sundal ,very lovingly handed by the boys of the Ramakrishna Mission home added to the full effect of a chaste and honest Navaratri celebration !!

To [quote Sathej ] : "he could be possibly given a list ...... maybe one just needs to sit back and take in what is on offer that day!"

I guess that is what pure creative expression and good involved listening is all about, especially while listening to stalwarts!

Keep your mind open, go along the flow of music, not driven and dictated by other imposed parameters .

[arasi]

Would have enjoyed such a concert, no doubt, the ambience and all.
Your last line says it all, at least to me, what being a rasikA is all about....

[NiveditaShivraj]

Can someone please [update][/update]upload the raga alapanai of Vijayasaraswathi & the Krithi Charanam Vijayasaraswathi rendered at this concert for those of us out here in the US to listen to? Would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

[sivapriya]

There is a copyrighted commercial cd by Saregama on HMB krithis rendered by TNS available. Vijayasaraswati features in that.