First the song list:
1. Ninnu kori (varnam), Kaanada, Adi
2. Maruvakudhaya mohananga napai, Mohanam, Adi, s @ pallavi line
3. Chakravaham, Etula brotuvo teliya, Misra chapu, Thyagaraja, ns @ patti ko retthi bakshintu
4. Velum mayilume, sucharitra, rupaka, Koteeswara Iyer
5. Bhairavi, Aaro ivar aaro, adi, Arunachala kavi, ns @ chandra bimba
6. Mukthi alikkum thiru, kurinji, GKB
7. Maalasai kopam, jonpuri, adi, tiruppugazh
Personal observations:
1. Refreshing change from the more common ata tala varnam drew the audience into the concert right away.
2. A mini-marathon swara prasthara in mohanam showcasing some fine breath control left audience breathless before they broke out into a spontaneous applause.
3. The chakravaham alapana was tailored to kriti that followed and did not try to be exhaustive. Kept the audience guessing (between sowrashtram) initially which I enjoy immensely but is known to drive some other rasikas nuts
4. Armed with the insight provided by Vijay Siva's lec-dem at Jaya TV Margazhi festival, the neraval was even more interesting than otherwise. Also left me marveling at VS's mnemonic technique of coupling lyrics with spiritual concepts which seals both in the mind hermetically. Skipped the sabha lunch
5. Velum mailumey was a slow languorous affair that brought out the vivadhi beauty and a longing to hear a detailed alapana of this raga.
6. Bhairavi was handled very nicely. Would have preferred another less banal kriti here. But it seems to be the unspoken rule to stick to hackneyed kritis for the main.
7. Although M.S.Ananthakrishnan is highly talented, he needs to curb his enthusiasm so as to not hijack the thought process of the main artiste. Occasionally he tries to lead rather than support.
8. Kumbakonam Swaminathan was brilliant in his support. Had to look up the book to identify him, but his accompaniment was both brisk and soothing.
9. Prasanna sings with a great deal of passion and dedication irrespective of location or slot and this will allow him to go far in his career and musical journey.