Write up on the concert of TNS on 22-4-2008 at Asthika samajam, Venus colony, Alwarpet.

TNS was accompanied by MChandrasekaran on the violin, Mannrgudi Esvaran on Mridangam and TVVasan on ghatam- a  renowned group of accompanists.

TNS started the concert with the Thyagarajakrthi ‘Nithya roopa’ in raga  durbar, with a brief alapana  and beautiful svara, to which MC replied fittingly, followed by  another one of Tyagaraja, ‘brochevarevare,’ in Sriranjani raga, with delighful svara.

The next was from the  Ramanataka of Arunachalakavi, ‘parabrahmasvaroopame,’ which TNS sang in raga Goulibandhu after a masterful alapana of the raga. The charanam of the krthi was sung in  madhyamakala.  This was followed by alapana of the raga Suryakantham in detail, the krthi being ‘muddhu momu’ of  Thyagaraja for which TNS sang brief but fantastic  svara at ‘dhanapathi sakhudaku,’  and the participation of Esvaran and TVVasan was wonderful.

Next was a picturesque presentation of the ramanatakakrithi ‘raamanukkumaanan mudi.’  The rasikas saw Kaikeyi chiding Manthara in ‘paamarame unakku ennadi pEcchE, ’  the meaning of ‘paamaram’ being brought out beautifully by music alone and in the phrase ‘unakkennadi pEcchE  we could see the scorn of Kaikeyi for Manthara’s words.  In the next line ‘pazam  nazuvi ppaalil vizundhaarpOl aaccE,’ the visual effect of the fruit slipping and falling in the milk could be appreciated  only by those who have seen TNS singing the line.. In the charanam, ‘ parasuraaman garvam theerthhavandi’ was also a good portrayal of  Bhargavarama , with casual body language and bhava in  Rama  subduing his pride. In singing ‘naalu pEril mootthavandi,’ besides the bhava in mootthavan by modulation of voice, TNS combined the phrase ‘naalupEril’ with the previous one ‘paataam katta Ettravandi’ implying that Rama was naalupEril pattam katta Etravan, showing his ingenuity in synchronizing meaning with music.

The next was ‘Ksheerasaagarasayana’ of Thyagaraja  in raga Devagandhaari and the main piece that followed was ‘Ethaavunaraa,’ of Thyagaraja in raga  Kalyani .After an elaborate and scintillating kalyani  the neraval svara was sung at ‘seethaagouri.’ It was fabulous with full support from the accompanists  and drew applause.

After the wonderful thani  by Esvaran and Vasan , TNS sang a short sloka and the verses from Kamban describing the arrival of Sita and Rama to the wedding  hall and the sloka describing the panigrahna of Sita by Rama, ‘iyamseethaa mamasutthaa,’ which was followed by the Thyagaraja Utsavasamprdhaayakrthi ‘vadhanadhyuthijitha soma,’ in Panthuvarali in madhyamasruti, in which Thyagaraja has sung sOpaane to rama and Seetha as amangalasaasana.

To those who were aware of the impending harikatha on Valmikiramayana of TNS at Hamsadvani for the next five days this programme seemed to be a precursor of what was to follow because there was a portrayal of almost the whole Ramayana in this concert  ending with the mangalasasana of Thyagaraja which was the mangalasaana for the forthcoming harikatha as well.