TNS at Bharathi Kala Manram, Toronto May15, 2011 - Song list

[kunthalavarali]

Madurai Sri T N Seshagopalan gave a vocal concert under the auspices of Bharathi Kala Manram.
TNS was accompanied by Sri Jaishankar Balan on the Violin and Sri Vinod Seetharaman on the Mrudangam.

Although it was a thematic concert on Syama Sastri’s Meenakshi navarathnamalika TNS included few other compositions. The following is the full list:
1. Lambodhara – Malahari - Rupakam - PD
2. Eka dantham – Bilahari – Adi – MD
3. Devi Mina netri - Sankarabharanam - Adi
4. Marivere - Anandabhairavi - Misra Chapu
5. Devi nidu padasarasamu – Kambodhi - Adi
6. Nanubrova Lalita - Misra chapu
7. Mayamma - Ahiri - Adi
8. Rave parvatharajakumari - Kalyani - Adi
9. Minalochana Brova – Dhanyasi - Misra chapu
10. RTP - Bagesri – Pallavi line: Somasundara priye vama bagesri raja mathanagi (Kanda jathi thruputa); Swaragamalikai: Natai, Gowlai, Arabhi, Varali, Valaji, Bahudhari, Darbar, Reethigowla, Desh, Khamas, Kalyanavasantham, Kunthalavarali, Kedaram, Bhoopalam, Kapi and Surati. This was followed by a Tani.
11. Viruttam – Ragamalikai: the ragas sung were in the reverse order viz., Bagesri, Dhanyasi, Kalyani, Ahiri…ending with Sankarabharanam.
12. Sarojadalanetri - Sankarabharanam — Adi
13. Viruttam – Ragamalikai: Kiravani, Yamunakalyani, Ranjani and Sri.
TNS gave a brief and beautiful discourse at the beginning which included a short biography of SS and the significance of the Meenakshi Navarathnamalika. He also announced that this being the 250the birth anniversary of Syama Sastri (b 1762) the Toronto concert sets the start of his paying homage to the great saint composer. The Navarathnamalika compositions were preceeded by viruttam in the corresponding raga.
Corrections are most welcome please.

[mahavishnu]

Kuntalavarali: Thanks for your report and songlist.

It was an unbelievably superb performance by Sri TNS. Each viruttam was from the "Meenakshi Pancharatnam" from Adi Shankara, starting with "Udyath bhanu sahasra koti sadrusam", with each passage ending in "Meenakshmi pranathosmi santhathamaham, karunya vara nithim". He dexterously squeezed out the karunya bhavam in each of these ragams as he presented the word "karunyam" in each viruttam. This was to represent the way in which Shyama Sastry interacted with the goddess, a child pleading to his mother for support.

He sang no solfage-based alapanais at all, other than these beautifully detailed viruttams, save the Bagesree that he sang for the RTP. And kunatalavarali, the missing ragam between Reethigowla and Khamas in the pallavi was Desh.

TNS's voice was just perfect yesterday, especially in the upper octaves. It was almost like the magical young Seshu of the 70s, the way he nonchalantly touched the upper nishadam.

The degree of "classicism" in the concert was especially noteworthy. The lightest treatment was for Saroja Dala Netri, which served as the last piece. You can just imagine the standard of the others. The concert lasted four hours +. You can imagine what elaborate treatments of Sankarabharanam, Anandabhairavi, Kambodhi, Ahiri and Kalyani, all in the same concert can do.

The brief highlights that TNS gave for each composition (in addition to the discourse about SS) were most erudite. You could get a sense of his vast knowledge and appreciation of the history of music through these snippets. This is the stuff that distinguishes the professional from the amateur. I am not one for hyperbole, but I would say this was not just a spectacular concert but an education. Sri Jayashankar Balan and Sri Vinodh Seetharaman should consider this as a "bhAgyam" to have accompanied TNS on a day like this. Both of them supported Sri TNS admirably. Well done, both of you. Accompanying the titan on his day of flow is not easy!

Oh, and did I mention the concert was amazing?

[rshankar]

WOW! What an amazing concert itmust have been!

Please correct me if I am wrong, but of the 9 pieces the Sri SS is supposed to have composed on mInAkshi, only 8 have been found so far...

[mahavishnu]

Ravi, you are absolutely right. However, the status of the kalyani kriti "rAve parvatarAjakumari" as part of the nine is not determined historically or accepted universally. Basic googling tells me that others like Smt Vidya Shankar, vainika and sister of Nobel laureate Chandrasekar, have classified this song under the nine ratnams. Nevertheless, it is a brilliant kriti.

And the reason he sang "Ekandantam" in bilahari was because it refers to "hAlasya kshetra vEgavati tatavihAram" thus referring to the shrine at Madurai.

[rshankar]

And the reason he sang "Ekandantam" in bilahari was because it refers to "hAlasya kshetra vEgavati tatavihAram" thus referring to the shrine at Madurai.

The song of Sri Kavi Kunjara Bharati that Sri Sanjay sang at the MMU of Jaya TV 2010 was also composed on this vinAyaka - he is 'siddhi vinAyaka' - he not only removes obstacles, but gaurantees fulfilment or accomplishment!

[arasi]

Thank you, kuntalavaraLi and Mahavishnu for bringing us details about the titan's concert. Good to know he is in such great form. His Cleveland rAmAyaNa harikathA/concert was excellent, his voice in such fine form. May he delight audiences in other cities too in our part of the world!

[kunthalavarali]

Thanks mahavishnu,

I have added "desh" at the appropriate place. You have done a great job with your review. We were under a spell at the end of the great concert. TNS's excursions in the upper octave was astonishing to the say the least. I thought he even touched athi thara sthayi sadjamam in Kambodhi and as you say his concert did bring memories of TNS in the 70s and 80s. I went back and listened to the other great concert of his where he sang Kharaharapriya for a little over 2 hours!

It is said that only 7 of the 9 compositions are now available. Where do you find it mentioned that SS did compose 9?

[mahavishnu]

kunthalavarAli: It is fabled that SS actually composed 9, hence "navaratnamAlika". Although only 7 are confirmed to be in existence. As mentioned earlier, the kalyAni kriti's status with the rest is not resolved.

Where were you sitting? It would be nice to meet you at the next event. I usually sit right up front but behind the row of eager-beaver students who keep very diligent tAlam. Many of them were stumped just trying to keep up with the outpour of swarams; it was like tackling an exam featuring fourth order delay-differential equations yesterday.

And yes, his reach in the higher octaves was incredible. I thought I heard the ati tArastAyi shadjam as well, but then thought I must have imagined it! And every brigha he tried, just clicked and took him where he wanted it to go. Folks, our TNS is back in action!

And all of today, I too have been listening to an old recording of him singing KalyAni followed by kamalambAm bhajarE with Murugabhoopathy on the mridangam. I can't seem to think of anything else but his haunting music.

[rajeshnat]

5. Devi nidu padasarasamu – Kambodhi - Adi

This kAmbOdhi is a very very different kAmbOdhi . I have heard him sing once , I was wondering then if it is really kAmbOdhi then. I guess Madurai Shri TNS must have been in full form as the songs were all based on madurai.

[Sindhuja]

Wow, I thought (based on what I hear from some people) that he was way past his heyday. I've been craving to listen to him- it's been ages. This seems to have been a fantastic concert.

[vasanthakokilam]

Thanks kunthalavarali and Mahavishnu for writing about the concert. Looks like a grand event.

"Rave parvatharajakumari" by TNS is one of my favorite Kalyani songs and renditions. (btw, it is in Mishra Jampa)

[Abhishek]

Kunthalavarali and Ramesh, thanks for the brilliant reviews!

Wow, that was a remarkable concert. As Ramesh said, Sri TNS's voice was in full form during the concert, especially in the higher notes. I have always loved Shyama Sastri's meenakshi navaratnamAlikA; hearing Sri TNS render these gems was beyond a treat for me. My pick of the concert was dEvI mIna nEtri, especially the viruttam preceding it.

I was delighted when he said, "to go to a kutcheri and not hear a pallavi is like going to a temple and coming back with nothing on your forehead." Tanam in bhAgEsri was remarkably well done, both by Sri TNS and Sri Jaishankar Balan. With a variety of rAgamAlikA swarams at the end, Sri TNS ended the pallavi on a high note.
Kunthalavarali, he also sang kathanakuthoohalam right before kEdAram.

The accompanists, as Ramesh mentioned, were in great form as well! I have always enjoyed Sri Vinod Seetharaman's playing, hope to hear him more often. Sri Jaishankar Balan's playing was filled with melody as usual.

Overall, I absolutely loved this concert. Sri TNS's concert at Bharati Kala Manram last year during the Tyagaraja Festival was another splendid one. Looks like he really loves Toronto; every concert of his here is just incredible!

[kunthalavarali]

Abhishek,
Yes you are right. I have it in my notes bur forgot to type.

[Neeraja veni]

Thanks Kunthalavarali and Maha Vishnu - for your review of this seemingly awesome concert. I consider every composition by syama sastri a sparkling Ratnam and this navaratnamalika appears to be gems among glorious gems. Malahari, Bilahari, Ananda bhairavi, dhanyasi, ahiri and so on.. Such an enviable ragam list. And Bageshwari RTP that too.
It is heartening to read in other threads that Sri TNS is in full form during his current US tour.
I hope Sri TNS repeats this at Chennai during season and treats his rasikas with these SS gems.

[mahavishnu]

Neeraja veni: Nice to hear from you after a while!
Yes, it is really amazing that TNS has got his mojo back! From what I have seen and heard, he has given amazing performances in Toronto, Philadelphia, Chicago and Cleveland.

I sincerely hope he continues this form into the December season and beyond. I also hope he makes a permanent adjustment to the A-sharp shruti he sings at here. His vocal range seems to come out best at this lower shruti.