TN.Seshagopalan at BVB On 8 Dec.

[CRama]

Sangeetha Kalanidhi Shri.TN.Seshagopalan presented a concert in Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan on 8 Dec. He was accompanied by S.D.sridhar on the violin and R. Ramesh on the Mridangam. I forgot to write the name of Mridangam Vidwan. The list of songs:

1. Varnam- Sree
2. Sree Kanthimathim- Hemavathi or Desi simharavam
3. Ardhanareeswaram- Kumudakriya
4. Marugelara- Jayanthasree
5. Karthikeya Gangeya- Thodi
6. Sree Subramanyaya Namasthe- Kambodi
7. RTP- Jyothiswaroopini and Nayaki- Khanda Triputa.
8. Virutham- Kandanai kandakadambanai - Kedaragowla, Saveri, Hindolam, Sindubhairavi and Maund.
9. Thirupugazh.

The concert started at 6.45 P.M with a spright Sree Ragam Varnam. It was rendered in an unusual manner. The tala was put at 2 Kalai and the song was rendered at 1 Kalai- so each line had to be sung twice to complete the tala cycle. The charanam line and ettugada swaras all were sung in this manner. Earlier also once I had seen TNS and Hyderabad Bros sing the varnam in this manner. TNS was in great form duing this concert. There was no problem with his voice or sruti. Without spending time on smaller kritis, TNS straight went to the next - ragam alapana in Hemavathi-- in his usual style with akaras and long karvais and presenting the entire gamut of the ragam for 7 minutes. SDS played the alapana for 3 minutes. The song was rendered with full bhavam and neraval at Suka sownakaadi and swaras in two kalas followed. Ragam alapana of Kumudakriya followed. This was presented for about 10 minutes with all details showing the thick and thin shades of the ragam and the Dikshithar kriti Ardhanareeswaram was presented sans any swarams. I have earlier also seen that in Mylapore, he presents one song of Ambal and one of Siva unfailingly. To give a pep to the concert, Marugelara was taken and ornamented with sufficient dose of swaras in the second kalam. The swara had very nice patterns built around dha. The full hall of rasikas also exhibited their happiness and appreciation liberally.

This concert stood tall specifically for the selection of songs for a concert on the day of Karthigai and Thiruvannamalai deepam. Next came the masterpiece of Papanasam Sivan- Karthikeya Gangeya in Thodi which was presented in its purity- without any ornamentation of ragam or swara. It was a very detailed and leisurely presentation. Close on the heels of this song on Subramanya, the magnum opus of Deekshitar on Subramanya - Sree Subramanyaya Namasthe in Kambodi followed. In fact, while coming for the concert, I was expecting Karthikeya Gangeya or Sree Subramanyaya Namasthe as the main song. I got both the songs. The ragam was well rendered for about 12 minutes with lot of nagaswara pidis and travelling the three octaves with ease. Neraval at the usual lines - Vasavadi and swaras at Vasavadi, sakala deva, and bhoosuradi were rendered with lot of kanakku with the excellent support of Ramesh and Ghatom vidwan. The thani was very good but it was short - for 7 minutes to give room for the RTP to follow. Quite unexpectedly- at about 8.45 PM, TNS started the alapana of Jyothiswaroopini. I was hearing this ragam alapana for the first time but I could get it in the first stroke. That is his greatness. There will not be any ambiguity when he presents any rare ragam. The first stroke itself will give you the swaroopam of the ragam. Even Kumudakriya was also like that. I am feeling short of words to describe the alapana of this ragam as well as Nayaki which followed. We have heard his Nayaki many times and one can imagine how he would have sung Nayaki. Then thanam in both the ragams followed alternatively. The thanam was exquisite- His voice was so melodious that in the higher octave it sounded like I am hearing thanam in the veena. The Pallavi was presented in Khanda Thriputa tala. The pallavi lines were Mangalajyothiswaroopini Arunachalanayakiye - most appropriately coined for the Karthigai day and Thiruvannamalai deepam. The pallavi was sung alternatively in both the ragams and neraval and swaras were presented which was very scholarly. He glided from one ragam to another with consummate ease without any tinge of the earlier ragam. While doing neraval some times, he made the neraval in Jyothiswaroopini and ended the pallavi line in Nayaki. Swaras in two kalas and elaborate koraippu - about 20 avartanas in both the ragams were sung. In fact he came to the eduppu once after all the koraippu and again went on to koraippu. To the discerning rasikas there was enough to take home by way of learning. The pallavi ended at about 9.35 PM. By this time, the hall was about 50%. An unimaginable crowd at that time. The audience showered applause many times. I started to leave but his virutham in Kedaragowla made me to sit again.

Sendanai kandanai sengottu veppanai-Kedaragowla
Senjudar vel venthanai Senthamizh nool virithonai-Saveri
Vilangun valli kaanthanai Kandhakadambanai-Hindolam
Kaarmayil vahananai-Sindubhairavi
Saandunaipodum maravaathavarku oru thaazhvillaye-Maund

The slokam was rendered excellently. Ragam Saveri was sung for about 5 minutes hovering around one small line containing three words -Senthamizh nool virithonai. That was enough for a big song like Sree Rajagopala. All the ragams were sung in good detail. The violin return for the slokam was very good. After the slokam Thirupugazh followed and I left concert at 10.05 PM.

The violin in this concert provided minimum support. That too, for a vidwan in the stature of TNS, it was a bare minimum support The long experience of S.D Sreedhar did not reflect in his playing. There were screeching sound of the violin at times. But I have seen TNS over the years present wonderful concerts despite such violinists. He is capable of taking the concert to the highest level even with an ordinary violinist. All TNS fans will agree to this. I have got many such recordings.

Vidwan Ramesh, a disciple of Karaikudi Mani provided excellent Mridangam support throughout the concert. He very closely followed TNS during the swarams and neravals and provided very nice patterns. The thani, eventhough short was very enjoyable. The Ghatam artist also complimented very well.

An excellent concert that will linger in my mind for many days.

gr sastrigal wrote;
But, TNS has to realise the "point of no return" or "point of return", He should also know when to stop. Overdose of swarAs is always killing.

TNS is in the field for many decades and we all know his style. We need not educate him on point of return and how to stop and when to stop. If it was a point of no return people would have left at 8.30 PM as they normally do. We also need not compare Santhanam and TNS.

[nyanasthan]

wow! wonderful review crama. It was a great concert indeed! I entered when he was rendering kumudhakriya alapana. As you have mentioned, he is an outstanding musician who gives the swaroopam of the ragam in the initial phrase itself. I consider TNS as the only vidwan after GNB who showcases the raga swaroopam instantly . I have heard many live concert of sri GNB where he use to establish the identity of the raga-s like malavi chenjukamboji in the first phrase itself
TNS's Dwi raga RTP was amazing and most of the audience remained till the end of the concert and gave him a standing ovation!

[ganeshkant]

A good review of a great concert.Any other musician would have stumbled on successive pradhimathyamam raga essays.But not TNS.

[vasanthakokilam]

ganeshkant, I am curious why you think successive M2 raga essays are harder than successive M1 raga essays.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Good review.

Any recording of the concert available?

[rathipriyac]

Awesome review for an awesome concert. I too wished the violin accompaniment was better. The screeches were awful especially during Marugelara. But Sri TNS went on like nothing was wrong. I was complaining that vocalists were skipping viruthams/shlokams and RTPs or sang really short RTPs in these 2 hour concerts and Shri TNS fulfilled all my wishes that day!! Attending Shri TNS's concert was like having (good) kalyana saapadu after a long spell of eating in regular restaurants!!

[CRama]

rathipriyac well said. After that concert, I was also feeling that I had a grand kalyana saappadu.