Yes! I had been to Trichy last weekend for attending TMK’s concerts! :D A leisurely visit to Srirangam temple that was pending for a long time now and the two concerts of TMK made the weekend an unforgettable one! :)

TMK’s Concert at Sadguru Sri Tyagabrahma Aradhanai Mahotsavam, Srirangam on 13th Feb, 2010

The concert was at 7 pm. My train (Vaigai Express) reached Trichy at 5:50 pm. So I just had enough time to dash off to the concert venue straight from the station! The concert was at gOrada mUlai (hope I have got it right!) in vaDakku chittirai vIdI (North Chittirai Street).

A very wide road through which only very few vehicles passed by, people sitting on tinnais outside their houses, a stage in a corner of the road and mats and chairs laid out in front of the stage – I loved the peaceful atmosphere that prevailed there. Many people were listening to the concert sitting on a tinnai outside their house. Wouldn’t that be a nice experience? :)

As with most of TMK’s concerts, this one too started late.

Accompanists:
V.V.S.Murari – Violin
Umayalpuram Mali – Mridangam
Alathur Rajaganesh - Khanjira

List of songs:
1. tanavAri – bEgaDA – Adi – swarams at tanavAri
2. sanAtana parama – phalamanjari – Adi - AlApana; swarams at sanAtana
3. mOkSamu galadA – sAramati – Adi - AlApana
4. nannu brOvumani – kalyANi – misra cApu – short AlApana; neraval at adrija vinutuDu bhadragirIsuDu
5. mAru balka – Sri ranjani – Adi – AlApana; neraval & swarams at dAri nerigi
tani Avartanam

The opening bEgaDA song was good. I was listening to the rAgam phalamanjari for the first time and I liked it so much that I felt the phalamanjari alone had made my trip really worth it! Following the phalamanjari piece was a moving sAramati AlApana and an equally moving mOkSamu galadA. It reminded me of the very moving elaborate mOkSamu galadA that TMK had sung in a concert in 2006.

After mOkSamu galadA, TMK wanted to know if he should sing only Tyagaraja’s songs and the reply he got was that he can sing songs of only those composers who were before Tyagaraja! So the next song was a composition of Bhadrachala Ramadas. The kalyANi AlApanA, though short, was full of awesome brigas. I liked the kalyANi neraval, except for some upper octave parts. There was a noticeable slip in some sangati in the kalyANi song after the neraval. The main piece, mAru balkA, was brilliant! I had to leave midway through the tani Avartanam. :(

I liked Mali’s & Rajaganesh’s playing. But I didn’t like Murari’s playing.

TMK’s Concert at BHEL (Tyagraja Utsavam) on 14th Feb, 2010

This concert was in a temple in BHEL Township. I liked the place where this concert was held too.

This concert too started late. In fact, the concert was to start at 7 pm and TMK came to the venue only at 7:10 pm.

Accompanists:
V.V.S.Murari – Violin
Salem Srinivasan - Mridangam
Krishna? – Ghatam

List of songs:
1. valaci (navarAgamAlikA varnam) – Adi - swarams at padasa in all the 9 ragams!
2. nenaruncarA – simhavAhini – Adi – neraval at tyAgarAja pAla suguNa SIla
3. tillai cidambaram – pUrvi kalyANi – misra cApu - AlApanai
4. bAlakriSNam bhAvayAmi – gOpikAvasantam – Adi
5. dinamaNi vamsa – harikAmbhOji – Adi - AlApana; neraval & swarams at nirvikAra guNa
tani Avartanam
6. enna tavam - kApi – Adi - 1min AlApanai
7. pullagi (viruttam) – nATTai,…

This was yet another great concert! I didn’t like Murari’s playing in this concert too.

The concert started with one of my favourite varnams, valaci. The kalpanA swarams in the end, especially the final continuous round of swarams in all the 9 rAgams with seamless transition from one rAgam to another, were awesome! I hadn’t heard nenaruncarA and bAlakriSNam bhAvayAmi before and loved both the songs. The simhavAhini neraval was awesome! enna tavam was sung in classic TMK style – slow-paced and bhava-soaked. I had to unfortunately leave when the viruttam was in progress since I had to catch my bus to Madras. But, yeah, what a weekend it was! :)