TNS @ VV Mohalla Mysore

[matterwaves]

TN Sheshagopalan Vocal
M Chandrashekaran Violin
KV Prasad Mridanga


Incomplete list

Srimahaganapathi -Gowla-- NS
Budhamashrayami -Natakuranji- RNS
O Jagadamba - Anandabhairavi-
kaadiruvenu naanu - Ranjani- (Heard from a friend that its an Ambujam Krishna Composition)
Giriraja Sutha - Shuddha Bangala - S
Maa Janaki- Kambodhi-- RNST

Listening to TNS after five years. He sounds so tired and aged.This great master has held the audience spell bound for so many years but today he had many lapses of shruti , his voice seems to have waged a non co operation movement. I'd like to believe he still is the best when his voice is good.

I'm not a gowla or Natakuranji fan and hence it was a slightly disappointing start.Ranjani had some flashes of brilliance. Kambodhi was ok. I had to leave after Kambodhi.

M Chandrashekaran--another great stalwart for decades.. He too sounded a bit rustic.
I was happy just to see these great men together on stage.

When I hear RK Srikantan, who at his ripe old age of 92 sings with an impeccable sruti, it probably is not right to stretch of your voice when it is malleable in interest of its longevity. Just a thought

[arasi]

Thanks, Matterwaves for your reviews from Mysore.
Yes, kAdiruvenu nAnu is an Ambujam Krishna song.

[mahavishnu]

Matterwaves, thank you. It is unfortunate that TNS had an off day (one of many in recent years).
I understand how much it hurts to listen to him when he is off-shruti, because when it all aligns well, the entire universe aligns with his music in return.

GirirAja sutA in the middle of the concert? Maybe it is a Mysore thing

[annamalai]

GirirAja sutA in the middle of the concert? Maybe it is a Mysore thing

TNS has sung a superb pallavi - Lambodhara Laghumira - Malahari in a concert with CS Murugabhoopathy mridangam. Madurai Mani Iyer has sung Mahaganapathim Vandhey (Thodi) right in the middle of the concert. KVN (Ariyakudi disciple) has sung Siddhi Vinayakam (Shanmugapriya) as the third or fourth piece in a concert. I am sure there are many more examples ....

One of my pet peeves is that rasikas.org - rasikathwam seems to be based on concert lists; one person attends the concert and posts the list and others seem to perceive the concert vicariously. A list does not make a good concert.

If I recall an incident, there was India Fine Arts concert, DKJ - VVS - Sivaraman - DKJ was about to finish the concert after the pallavi and some rasika requested for Mapala Velaci (Asaveri) and DKJ was a bit peeved that he said that may not be able to sing a big krithi at the end. But he sang anyway. So, if a rasika sees only the list on the web, it would seem odd !

[rshankar]

A small correction - it should be 'lambOdara lakumikara', and not 'laghumikara'

[Purist]

Singing multiple Vinayaka krithis (begining, centre or towards end) is quite common in concerts held during the Vinayaka Chaturthi
celebrations. The MMI concert referred(Mysore 1963) in particular had 3 --Vathapi, vallabha nayaka & Thodi Mahaganapathi.

[Tharangam]

The list is incomplete and so is the review, IMO. Let me complete the list before taking this further.

After Majanaki,
Gajavadhana- Sriranjani
RTP- saveri ( Bhavayami srivignarajam sada bajeham in kanta triputa, mukkaal eduppu)
Devaki Nandana
Virutham followed by
Thriuppugazh in Hamsanandhi.

It was an absolutely aesthetic concert from the great vidwan with a good alapana of Gowla. These ragas are seldom sung in concerts and very few artists have had the capacity to elaborate such ragas in the concert platform. I am saying this with my vast listening experience of both yesteryear aswell as todays’ vidwans and vidhushis. The breezy budhamasrayami was followed by a brilliant ranjani.

The kambhoji piece was astounding. But the icing on the cake was the saveri RTP. Sri T.N.Seshagopalan has been an adept in singing this raga like a colossus. When I say this many of the rasikas would be reminded of the saveri RTP recording of a Los Angeles concert. The RTP eventhough was a simple one for TNS’ standards, was rendered with great verve with ragamalika neraval,swaras and a ragamalikai kuraippu with a superb finish. Sri M.Chandrasekharan, the veteran violinist spontaneously declared on stage, who else other than TNS could sing like this!! amidst a nonstop ovation for sometime.

The short crisp thiruppugazh needs a special mention too

With respect to masterwaves review’, I have only this answer. Tastes differ and also it depends on what mood a rasika comes and listens to a concert. I never felt or heard any sruthi lapses whatsoever. Although I do agree that his voice is not the same as it used to be in his hey days,it is hard to believe that an artist who is 60 plus could give such a vivacious concert without compromising on classicism in a sustained manner for so many years in a row. I was lucky to chance upon this concert while at Mysore.


“When I hear RK Srikantan, who at his ripe old age of 92 sings with an impeccable sruti, it probably is not right to stretch of your voice when it is malleable in interest of its longevity. Just a thought”

Sri. R.K.Shrikantan has been singing the same ordinary music right from his younger days till this date. The fact that one is able to sing at 92 yrs is indeed a huge credit!

[Sreeni Rajarao]

Tharangam wrote : "Sri. R.K.Shrikantan has been singing the same ordinary music right from his younger days till this date. The fact that one is able to sing at 92 yrs is indeed a huge credit!"

Can you please share some "ordinary" music of Sri. Srikantan? I have been listening to Sri Srikantan's music for the last 40 years and I do not have any of his "ordinary" music in my collection or recollection.

[vasanthakokilam]

Tharangam, it is totally unnecessary to sully the reputation of the respected veteran Sri. R.K.Srikantan to make the point about TNS. And it will sidetrack this thread. Matterwaves mentioned Srikantan as an example of how to preserve the voice and it is sad that you have to bring down Srikantan for that. Silly.

[fduddy]

Tharangam, it is totally unnecessary to sully the reputation of the respected veteran Sri. R.K.Srikantan to make the point about TNS. And it will sidetrack this thread. Matterwaves mentioned Srikantan as an example of how to preserve the voice and it is sad that you have to bring down Srikantan for that. Silly.

My 2 cents, you could have asked the original poster not to draw comparison and stick only to the subject. Why the age and sruti comparison - unnecessary ! . This is what rakes controversy many a times here and these get ignored ....

[annamalai]

It is a a blessing to have a good voice. TNS has had problems since 1990s. He has also mentioned in an interview in Sruti magazine. He has mentioned that Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer (who apparently had a golden voice in the 1940s), had voice problems and rasikas used to mention that one has to listen to Viswanatha Iyer one hour after the concert start. MLV in the 1980s had voice problems - Varnam, Vatapi, Endaro, ... used to be almost a warmup and by Pallavi her voice would be in good in fine fettle.

To an extent, TNS's voice also takes a while to warm up. I remember a totally lackluster concert, TNS voice not co-operating for 2 hours, I and I felt he had given up and then launched into a slokam - Vande Mataram Ambikam Bagavathim, in Suratti (I was thinking ok, mangalam), suddenly TNS's voice opened up, the brigas flowing (from the middle of the bat !!) and to the surprise of all, TNS launched into a brilliant Surati Pallavi, a bhajan in Gamanasrama, ...

[vasanthakokilam]

fduddy, what makes me is why you feel a need to insert your opinion on every controversy.

[fduddy]

VK, no offence meant. Most of the controversie are due to the fact that something unconnected is being spoken / written in most of the threads. If that is avoided these issues will not arise. It was just a suggestion to you and to take it or not is your prerogative.

[vasanthakokilam]

Fair enough. A good advice to go by. But do not expect or ask the mods to baby sit each and every post.

[nyanasthan]

Superb concert by TNS what an amazing gowlai and bangala . I liked the way he rendered O Jagadamba with aesthetic fervour. THE magnificient RTP- saveri recieved enthusiastic response from the audience.Remarkable concert .....

[varsha]

Re : the barbs on RK Srikantan
Well, there are singers who get up to the stage and adjust the Lights to illuminate this great art , the Trinity and The really good post trinity Composers. The singer here is a means to reach the end defined by the list detailed above
Then there are singers who will turn the lights on themselves .On their own art . That list above becomes a means towards this end . All this started with GNB perhaps . So we have this Neo - Classical approach . This Guy GNB gave a complex to a whole generation of musicians who went beserk in trying out new images for themselves .
Some Went a in circles , like BMK .
Some go off uncontrolled occasionally , like a loose cannon .Like the artist mentioned . Scaling a peak now and wading past a puddle , next minute.
Talk of Sruthi lapses ? In Indian music . One must be joking . Like a mathematician having a momentary lapse with his multiplication tables .
Some others took vantage positions in the Academy , using it as a Fort rather than a place of worship . Walk around this place today and you will see personalities staring at you . Not the art .
With all these are happening , One guy ( not the only one - one must add ) sticks to solid values - for decades -when the world around him is crumbling and regenerating .
Folks who know their Mahabharatha well , will see that RKS is indeed the real Bheeshma Pithmaha . Not the other one who is usually called that .
Running RKS down will not bring devoted listeners to take up arms on his behalf .They are content in knowledge that RKS's legacy will continue long after others have been forgotten .
The Price to be paid by the lovers of solid clean good music , is that We have to live to regret to see all these insinuations which go unchallenged, while the Masters are still with us . And praise their contributions only , long after they have gone .
No wonder then Names like MDR , SK ,SB , Mali, pre 80 BMK , conjure up so many fascinating images . Is it not the same TRAGEDY with them too.
Poor RKS . What more does that Old Genius have to do / achieve .... to get a better deal in his own lifetime ?
I request the Poster to display THE SMALL list of same old songs that RKS seems to have sung over a long career , here .
For the records I have been hearing RKS since 1973 when he used to travel widely to remote places and set up / promote organisations in the service of CM
Man ! The same song twice even, is not the same, with the likes of RKS

[kedharam]

“This Guy GNB gave a complex to a whole generation of musicians who went beserk in trying out new images for themselves .
Some Went a in circles , like BMK .
Some go off uncontrolled occasionally , like a loose cannon .Like the artist mentioned “

Can’t believe i am reading this in this forum. Interesting observations to say the least.

[fduddy]

VK, hope you realize why I cautioned you. Digressions in thread unnecessarily read to bad mouthing. The original poster of this thread had no business to compare TNS's voice with RKS's. This led a retort by an avid tns fan, if I may say so (again not in good taste and i doubt if he has heard RKS to make a commnet like that, RKS is one of the best and respected artist, CM has ever seen).

Why can't they stick to the music that they heard and write about the artist (praising or critical)!!!!

I would suggest you to put some cautionary note on these grounds to avoid such squabbles. Again I am not asking you to baby sit (as you would call it).

[arasi]

A true pitAmahA he is, indeed. I have not walked out of a concert of RKS without feeling that he is the continuation of our rich CM tradition. A living, walking, singing repository of the richness of the music of the Trinity and more.
Having said that, I do want to add that music, like life, has room for other aspects of expression. Exploration is one. Exploration of delving into unknown territories. Scientists do not arrive at a perfect discovery without experimentation. Why is it frowned upon in the arts? I would rather, that my grandchildren stretch out their imagination to find something which was not taught to them, but was arrived at, purely by the power of their imagination. All I'm saying is that we need every kind of musician who is devoted to his art(no one is complete, being human, after all). It is with trial and error that we learn the art of living, each of us different, each bringing something to what we call living.
Every cuisine has its flavor and excellence. I don't have to put one down to appreciate what I like most. Who knows? I may find something which I never thought about, never tasted before, which may surprise me no end.
Bharathi's 'inda niRam SiRidenRum, idu ETRadenRum SollalAmO?" comes to mind. 'There's a cat in our house, it had kittens, one the color of ash, one black, one as white as milk, one the color of a snake...how can I say, this one looks ugly, and the other one is a beauty?', he continues.
We need the old and the new, the acme of perfection we find in RKS's sAdhanA and the restlessness for innovation in others which--if CM is their vision (not meaningless, away-from it experiments), they matter too, so that CM keeps its glory and gets added dimensions within its true boundaries.
Personalities come and go, musicians too. It's the ones who make a mark by their knowledge and devotion, like RKS, and also those who leave with us the treasures of their discovery that live on . We need them all, in all their different hues, for the well-being of CM.

[matterwaves]

I herewith request the moderators to delete my post

[mahesh3]

Matterwaves, I do not see any reason for you to have to remove your post. Tharangam also had a valid response, till his provocative closing line. As always, it's the moderator who ruins every thread on here by adding fuel to every tiny spark. In future, hopefully - for "contested threads" - there is a rule that the moderator's role is restricted to "locking". Matterwaves, nevertheless, please continue your reviews. They have been excellent.

[cienu]

I do not think it is right to point fingers at the moderators especially when it is obvious that # 7 was indeed provocative (the closing line as Mahesh3 says)
The intervention by the moderator in # 9 was apt and to the point.
In my opinion , the opening post and post no 7 ( & other posts too) can all be retained as appropriate interventions have been recorded by various members.
To be fair, I think the moderators have been doing a commendable job.
There are forums that are highly moderated but such an atmosphere could be stifling for the members of our Forum.
Possibly the reason why Srkris & co have kept interventions to the barest minimum.

[arasi]

We expect janitors to be ready at all times to sweep away anything which is unacceptable to us. If the unwanted happens to be something which we ourselves might have created, or is by someone else with views similar to ours on a particular topic, we feel free to criticize the moderators!
Yes, they also have a life to live, outside of the forum. We come in and go as we please. The park is ours to take a walk in, and we are free to do so at any time. I am here as a regular. The gates are always open, unlike in a park--where janitors are expected to guard the place twenty four hours of the day. And yes, they have their own lives to live besides.
But for them, I wonder if this will be a rasikA-friendly place. Once in a while, they too get carried away, and behave like one of us Oh, let's not forget that they are rasikAs too, not just the broom-wielding 'we are here only for maintenance and not participation' folks of a lowly order!

[kalyani_ragam]

We expect janitors to be ready at all times to sweep away anything which is unacceptable to us. If the unwanted happens to be something which we ourselves might have created, or is by someone else with views similar to ours on a particular topic, we feel free to criticize the moderators!
Yes, they also have a life to live, outside of the forum. We come in and go as we please. The park is ours to take a walk in, and we are free to do so at any time. I am here as a regular. The gates are always open, unlike in a park--where janitors are expected to guard the place twenty four hours of the day. And yes, they have their own lives to live besides.
But for them, I wonder if this will be a rasikA-friendly place. Once in a while, they too get carried away, and behave like one of us Oh, let's not forget that they are rasikAs too, not just the broom-wielding 'we are here only for maintenance and not participation' folks of a lowly order!

what is that you are trying to say ???
too much jilebi....

[arasi]

Kalyani_ragam,
When you are not sure about what I'm saying (I agree, I can be a bit vague at imes), how is it that you can come to the conclusion that it's too much 'jilEbi?' Guess what, I don't know what that expression means, though I must say, very clearly this time that it's one of my favorite sweets!

[vasanthakokilam]

Mahesh3, you definitely have the knack for distorting the facts so you can whine about the mods. Not an attractive quality!

[kalyani_ragam]

arasi,
A person holding public office cannot claim he is a normal human being and commit something wrong. They are expected to be squeaky clean.
Similiarly the mods here having assumed responsibility are expected to be neutral and not stir controversy (whether they like it or not)
This is perhaps a expectation gap - due to some unwanted remarks made time and again...

[Thalaivarda]

Poati erukkalaam aanal sandai yedharkku... paadi paathadha theriyum kashtam. vetti ya sanda podaadheenga.

[vasanthakokilam]

kalyani_ragam: Mods stirring controversy in this case? You have got to be kidding me! Cienu has summarized it properly, there is nothing more to it than that. Enough of this in this thread. Let us move on.

[kalyani_ragam]

kalyani_ragam: Mods stirring controversy in this case? You have got to be kidding me! Cienu has summarized it properly, there is nothing more to it than that. Enough of this in this thread. Let us move on.

Please read carefully. Did I say ... in this case. This was an explanation to member Arasi who had tried justifying ...
LETS MOVE ON!!

[rajsanthanam]

Mine too