TMK at SRLKM BGS Feb. 5, 2013 Spring Festival

[Rsachi]

Happy overflowing crowds at BGS caught a happy TMK concert with a first of sorts - excellent mike arrangements! TMK got into the zone rather quickly and took us on a typical Krishna trip and did not even allow the organisers to make the customary courtesy speech.
1. Todi swarajathi of Shyama Shastry sung at a grand tempo.
2. Sri Ramam - Narayana Gowla, MD, rendered again at a majestic tempo.
3. Sanatana - Phalamanjari T, again a languorous laya.
4. PuTiNa's Kannada poem from SiSirAmOda - a wonderful prayer to some sylvan goddess in pristine Kalyani, the audience thoroughly enjoyed it, scrambling their brains to catch the words and meaning and guess the poet's name (I guessed right )
5. A 4 raga essay, Vagadhishwari, Gangeyabhushani,Nata/Ananda Bhairavi (sorry was too fleeting for my catching it), Kapi, -an essay which had a bigger contribution by an inspired RKSK
6. Sri Matrubhutam - Kannada - MD - rendered in a wonderful madhyama kala, piece de resistance with mridangam and violin adding much lustre.
7. impromptu Tani in audience choice tala - Khanda Dhruva 2 kalai, where Arun Prakash and Guru Prasanna did a good/brave job.
8. Arabhi tana and Chala Kalludu - T - TMK was at his best from this point on.
9. Baro Krishnayya - superb rendering, would have earned praise from MLV
10. rAmAya rAmabhadrAya SlOka in Sankarabharanam, Sahana, Kambhoji, Kannada Gowla - Sogasujuda Tarama T
11. Krishna Nee Begane
12. Nenjikku - Sindhu Bhairavi - Bharatiyar
13. Nee Nama Rupamulaku

Lovely musicians, overflowing doting audience, usual excellent bajji coffee counter, (atypical BGS) great acoustics, LOTs of happy moments throughout, (even for that BGS functionary sighted in the audience, who had written that one-sided letter to Sruti on the months-earlier mike fiasco.)

I do think TMK+RKSK+ArunPrakash+GuruPrasanna can be considered one of the all-time great Carnatic ensembles.
I would say to them, 'nee nama-rupalumaku nityam jaya mangalam'.

[badari]

5 - it was more a kIravAni than nATa.. experts may correct me if Im wrong

[Rsachi]

Badari, You could be right...I also thought of Kiravani. Of course I meant Natabhairavi

[Ramam]

It was Kiravani, it was a swara akshara modification running thru the pack of 4 ragas (Kiravani to Kaapi was expected though). Interesting that Violinist and Percussion were given an equal status in terms showcasing their individual talents.

[braindrain]

5 - it was more a kIravAni than nATa.. experts may correct me if Im wrong

It was indeed Keeravani.

Personally, first half was more sedate and appealing as a concert than the second part. May be I am a victim of the 'conditioning'. However, if you look at them as individual pieces, they were very good.

[vs_manjunath]

It was indeed Keeravani

True,it was Keeravani only.

[Thalaivarda]

(atypical BGS) great acoustics

yes, TMK will always get that from here on after the last incident there.

[squims]

Couldn't attend this concert. While I love TMK's music taken as individual pieces, his concerts on the whole in the past year have left me a bit unsatisfied. Of course, TMK is of the opinion that carnatic music is only to be showcased as an art, and isn't meant to be performed for enjoyment by an audience, so audience satisfaction would hardly matter to him I guess!
From the list, I have a feeling that this one would have left me feeling the same way. Would have loved to listen to the thani though!