TV Sankaranarayanan

Remembering musicians of the recent past
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shripathi_g
Posts: 356
Joined: 30 Mar 2005, 08:25

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by shripathi_g »

Really sad to hear this. He wasn't that old. I used to be a huge fan of his at one point in life. May he rest in peace. Condolences to his family.

hnbhagavan
Posts: 1655
Joined: 21 Jun 2008, 22:06

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by hnbhagavan »

I am a huge fan for his music.Especially Swara Singing is his strong forte.Listened to many live concerts.Big challenge for accompanists.

grsastrigal
Posts: 861
Joined: 27 Dec 2006, 10:52

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by grsastrigal »

It is very sad. Iam also a huge fan of TVS. I was of the period where TNS and TVS are the great artists and my Carnatic music listening pleasure was at the highest level listening to these great artists. Wherever I traveled due to job, I never failed to attend TVS whether in Bangalore and Anushakthi nagar in mumbai and of course in Chennai in MA morning hours. In bangalore, those days, the concert starts at 3.30 PM. Best time for weekend. Have a coffee and listen to his concert.
His humbleness and acknowledging applause with a smile, more than that legacy of great Shri MMI.
Rest in peace. His son, mahadevan has the techniques of his father's style. Hope he continues his legacy and take it to next generation.

shankarank
Posts: 4042
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by shankarank »

Condolences to the family. Will cherish all the great memories of Dec 31st Kalarasana, multiple years.

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by rajeshnat »

So sad to hear this news. The cremation is in Besant Nagar Crematorium in an hour from now. I am now going there to pay the homage to an extraordinary musician Padmabhushan TVS Sir who shaped my interest after santhanam.

vsn69
Posts: 152
Joined: 02 Oct 2017, 17:30

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by vsn69 »

it’s a very great shock. Went to his Velachery house where he had passed away. Heart attack was the cause.

SrinathK
Posts: 2477
Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by SrinathK »

An ageless voice has passed on suddenly and too soon! RIP The one and only TVS!

My first encounter with TVS was from a cassette of part of a concert he made in Ottawa in 1994 maybe. That had me hooked to him ever since. I heard him so many times over the last 20 years. Every music season I would want to hear him at least once. He was also my father's favourite vocalist.

In Shruti shuddam, power, agility, brighas and upper octave range TVS was incredible. Even a couple of years back before the pandemic and before I left Chennai, when I last had a chance to hear him live at BVB it was in absolutely peak form with not a trace of age on his range and agility. He must have been around 75 then. I do not know of anyone half his age who had that kind of throw and intensity. The yamuna kalyANi he sang that day is still in my ears, never heard such a difficult raga sung with such command.

He was a musician of immense vidwath, and we all knew that and wanted ever more even if almost all of us complained atleast once about getting to hear the same numbers too often. In all aspects of manodharma he was in his element. In ragas his alapanas were expansive, rich in phrasing and had a very unique flavour. His brighas ar not at all easy to attempt, mentally or physically. He had his own unique approach to swaras as well, where it would feel like he could improvise forever both short and long, and then he'd just instantly end it with a simple pattern. His viruttam singing was something else, he specialized in it.

I heard his tried and tested pieces many a time, and so would eagerly look for anything new coming from his repertoire because when it did, it would be a masterpiece and that concert would be extra special.

It feels shocking and untimely to hear of his sudden passing because my ears always thought he was ageless. 77 might be long for some, but I feel it was too short for him. With his parents living very long, I had felt he had another decade of music left in him, but that was not to be.

And as I keep seeing more and more names who pass on, I really wonder why I didn't get to meet them nearly as much when they were alive.
Last edited by SrinathK on 03 Sep 2022, 19:00, edited 2 times in total.

hnbhagavan
Posts: 1655
Joined: 21 Jun 2008, 22:06

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by hnbhagavan »

Excellent Voice control and TVS used to start like Madurai Mani Iyer invoking Ganapathi as the first song.I never heard him sing any Varnam.Swara Patterns were a great challenge to Violinists.Early in his career TVS was accompanied by Lalgudi or MSG.I have not seen TNK in the list.
Last i heard him live at Music Academy morning session for a packed auditorium.

Nick H
Posts: 9379
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by Nick H »

Very sad. Condolences to all.

RaghuPS
Posts: 11
Joined: 27 Aug 2020, 19:21

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by RaghuPS »

A great pitch-perfect voice has gone silent. Do not know how many times have I listened to his Durusuga and Shri Mathrubootham, what gambheeram when he takes off at Somasakhamnata...

Praying for eternal peace for you TVS Sir, in the company of your uncle !

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by rajeshnat »

Around 10 AM i opened the hindu to find the news. Then called suryaprakash and vishnuramprasad and got TVS sir home address. I just could not goto his new house bit far to reach on time , thank god both of them also conveyed the besant nagar cremation ground . There were limited just a small count of well wishers in the crematorium .

It is sad to indeed see a giant padmabushan vidwan of his stature to move on . I have heard anecdotes when say GNB passed away in trivandrum , similiarly shri TVS passing away without many not knowing the home address and hence there was bit limited attendance during last rites. Thats life.

The last time he sang which i put a review here in 2018 or so. I saw him last in 2019/2018 Jan 01st New Year where he had come to the T Nagar TTD temple . I dont know why this thought is coming repeatedly , since i saw him in crematorium - his colorful designer viruththams especially with different perumal names like Mukunda maadhava damodara tiruvikrama each name of the lord with such musical power and emote.... then he burst out with his colorful Sreeenivasa tiruvenkata - hamsanandi - PSivan Number. That was the thought i had in seeing him in person before his cremation.

Once in 1990s i heard the below RTP in person i think it was in indian fine arts or kalarasana - For me post the dear loss of Maharajapuram Santhanam in 1992 , only TVS and TNS filled the lacuna in significant part.

Let us hear his RTP in hamsanandi(nIdu mahima pogaDa nA taramA nithya kalyana rAmA)...unpretentious with such power and emote .

Also i recorded this RTP in a casette , i used to hear and rehear so many times with the casette tape finally getting entangled in that sanyo or philips casette player

As early as 1986, for my cousin sister marriage my eldest periappa arranged for TVS concert. I have met him in the marriage, but dont recollect what he sang then

Thru Shri TVS i got more liking and drive to hear the greatest musician of all eras - Ganakaladhara Madurai Mani Iyer (like for eg i got zapped say with krithi enta vendukO in saraswati manohari with TVS rendition then i make a decison to hunt the MMI rendition) .Shri TVS also has shaped his disciple Suryaprakash who has consistently lifted my CM antenna in the last 2 decades. Shri TVS son Sankara Mahadevan is singing very well , and once i heard his daughter Amrutha she was very good her throw resembled like her appa(one review of Amrutha is here).

All said the legacy of MMI-TVS school is very very important for CM to have the continual shine like say a Kohinoor diamond amidst other diamonds. MMI-TVS has a very low count of disciples, unlike other schools like say GNB or SSI

The Rtp "nIdu mahima pogaDa nA taramA nithya kalyana rAmA" has engaging alapana ,taanam , powerful pallavi neraval and of course the garland of swarakalpana- Hamsanandi +Desh(a swirl of ragaalapana and then a burst of BEsh Desh) + Shyama (same approach like Desh with alapanish swarakalpana) .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoRB91yjucg

Om Shanthi to Padmabhushan Tiruvalangadu Vembu Iyer Sankaranarayanan

Rajesh, Dated Sept 03,2022
Last edited by rajeshnat on 04 Sep 2022, 15:27, edited 3 times in total.

shankarank
Posts: 4042
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by shankarank »

hnbhagavan wrote: 03 Sep 2022, 14:16 Early in his career TVS was accompanied by Lalgudi or MSG.I have not seen TNK in the list.
There is a recording with SrI TNK on the violin that I had posted in his V&V thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxkP9e_dUdg

My closest personal meeting with him was at Dayton Ohio, Sri Rama temple. My mentor was well known to him as they were conversing post concert, he kind of checked out "who is this guy?"

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by arasi »

May his soul repose in peace. He is joining his father and inimitable uncle to make eternal music with them. Condolences to his family, one which is steeped in a rich musical tradition.

Starting with a Tulasivanam song followed by choice pieces from his uncle's repertoire, viruviruppu (liveliness) was an essential part of his concerts. He made a surprise appearance in the US early in his career, and yes Rajesh, here too we felt that he had come to fill in a void when CM was journeying into our distant land in a promising way. We could not miss a concert of his that easily. The energy, innate gift, MMI's stamp and a voice with abandon hooked us in. Those were days when we drove across to nearby states to make sure we heard his sonorous singing. We made sure we got tapes of all the concerts we missed. Thirty years or so ago, almost all our car journeys were taken with the joy of listening to his singing all the way.

Thematic concerts are an every day thing nowadays. In those early years, he gave an all Papanasam Sivan compositions concert in New Jersey. The family's pATAntaram of a huge amount of Sivan's kritis made it happen just like that.

I will cherish the day I visited the family in the late nineties in Chennai--their friendliness, seeing the whole family where the 'Gem' lived, meeting his parents, wife and young children.

Again, sincere condolences to the family...

vasanthakokilam
Posts: 10956
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:01

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by vasanthakokilam »

Very sad to hear. Condolences to family, disciples and fans

nadhasudha
Posts: 381
Joined: 22 May 2006, 06:40

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by nadhasudha »

A great musician who was a great human being as well. In the middle nineties, there was a concert of his in Detroit suburb. Due to ill health of his father, he had to delay his flight out of India and reached Detroit around 3 pm. His concert was to start at 6:30 pm. He and his team was picked up from the airport at around 3:30 pm. They were driven straight to host's home. After freshening up and having a light tiffin and some coffee, the team came just in time for the start of the concert. They gave a superb concert of close to 4 hours. The main was Kambhoji (Maragathavallim) and concert also had a Pallavi in Brindavana Saaranga. What an energy for him to come straight from a 24 hour plane journey from India and sing a concert for close to 4 hours! The auditorium erupted to its feet at the end of the concert amazed at the energy, enthusiasm and verve with which the concert was presented.

What a dedication to his craft! Through it all, he was sporting his trademark smile and encouraging his accompanists!

That Kambhoji and Brindavana Saaranga still ring in my ears!

A big loss to the world of carnatic music!

My heartfelt Condolences to his family, Sishyas and rasikas!

cienu
Posts: 2387
Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 11:40

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by cienu »

There was & there will be only one TVS .
Always full of energy, there was never a dull moment in his kutcheris. His passing away leaves a huge void in the field of Carnatic Music.
There was an interesting moment when Sri T V Sankaranarayanan met my Grandmother in 1998 to congratulate her on receiving the Bharat Ratna. While chatting with MSS Amma she suddenly said to him
“Papa, I think you should have been awarded the Sangitha Kalanidhi!”
TVS replied, “I did get it, Amma!” She asked him when, and he answered, “Just now! You gave it to me!”
This was also reported in an article by Vatsala Vedantam in the Deccan Herald (Kindly find the link below)
https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/in ... 72718.html

ram1999
Posts: 534
Joined: 26 Nov 2015, 17:20

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by ram1999 »

A Great Artist has moved on to sing in the presence of the Gods.
A musician who used to create magic on stage and bring in peace and tranquility to the listeners.
Some of his renditions which I have sat on hours and hours together and repeatedly listening for months while studying for the exams as a background music - it just used to release the tension. Some of the renditions were the Pallavi in Surya with MC and TKM (a chamber music recording at Sri Chari's residence - 1988), Chakkani Raja - AIR recording with MSA and PR, Thulasivanam kritis, Natakapriya and hindolam.
Truly a splendid musician always smiling and the team work with accompanists was outstanding - each one on stage trying to bring out the best..
His concerts accompanied by MSG and MC was special and magical.

Pasupathy
Posts: 7868
Joined: 26 Jan 2013, 19:01

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by Pasupathy »

A great loss indeed! I remember all the wondderful concerts he had given in Toronto.

Here is an interview he had given to Kalki magzine in 1984. ( a Tamil article : interviewed by Charukesi)

https://s-pasupathy.blogspot.com/2020/03/1486-219.html
(மறைந்த "சங்கீத கலாநிதி" டி.வி.சங்கரநாராயணன் நினைவில் ஒரு மீள்பதிவு.)
1486. சங்கீத சங்கதிகள் - 219
பேகடாவுக்கு மட்டுமே 75 டாலர்

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by arasi »

Pasupathy,
Thank you for bringing this lovely interview by Charukesi with TVS. The pictures are so nice too. It makes us mull over the riches the family has brought to CM. Yes, the culture of simplicity and affable ways of the uncle and nephew that he mentions is also noteworthy.
Hope the students of this great tradition continue in their footsteps and keep the torch of that music aflame..

ajit
Posts: 149
Joined: 06 Jul 2005, 02:42

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by ajit »

Sad indeed. I have very fond memories of listening to him between 1989-1993 all over Chennai. A couple of friends would go to concerts of Sri TVS accompanied by Sri MSG or Sri Mysore Nagraj wherever they happened in Chennai.

ajit

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by rajeshnat »

Two lovely write-ups of Padmabhushan TVS in The Hindu dated Sept09,2022
1. Suryaprakash on TVS
https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/ ... 865990.ece

2 .Balashankar on TVS
https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/ ... 865898.ece

rrkaushik
Posts: 17
Joined: 11 Oct 2006, 20:16

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by rrkaushik »

The passing of a musical legend

As I try to process the passing of Shri T.V. Sankaranarayanan (TVS), memories of a musician who has provided me so much joy and shaped my own music are flooding me this week. As a boy and teenager who trudged countless buses and trains in Bombay and Madras (sorry, way before Mumbai and Chennai!) traveling to his concerts, I was simply in awe of his music. During a particular period where I practically chased him all over the city, I remember his trademark smile at seeing me in the front row at the Music Academy mini auditorium as if to say “didn’t I just see you yesterday? And the day before? And the day before?” As a shy teenager, I never could pluck up the courage to ask a legendary figure like him to teach me and in retrospect, I regret it because I have no doubt that a man of his generosity would have said “Of course, come over tomorrow!”.

During his early career, he was unjustly branded as a partial clone of his illustrious uncle, the legendary Shri Madurai Mani Iyer (MMI) – an argument which I passionately refuted to anyone who claimed that in my presence. TVS was a unique and trailblazing musician in so many ways – just a few of my personal observations on analyzing his music over several decades; I’m sure we could add to this partial list easily.

1. Sruthi-shuddham: Let’s get this easy one out there first. This went way beyond mere superficial adherence to sruthi. TVS’s alignment during even the most complicated phrasing was simply superlative – a deep, elusive and spiritual connection with the tambura – probably MDR, MSS and MMI among a select group had this gift. There was a good reason why the entire crowd at a packed auditorium would audibly gasp when TVS hit that kaarvai at the Antara Gandhara!

2. Handling of “scalar” ragas: My coined word for this is “vectorization” – the ability to infuse ostensibly scale-based ragas with life. TVS’ detailed handling of ragas like Vijayanagari, Andolika, Ravichandrika, etc. was simply sublime and always left the listener with the impression that these ragas were rich with possibilities.

3. Clarity of aesthetics: This is harder to pinpoint but the closest I can come to explaining this aspect of TVS’ music is by example. Listening to TVS’ Kaapi alapana for example, the student gets a crystal-clear picture of TVS’s conception of where the raga resides and more importantly, where it does not. His musical conviction is unmistakable in the way he explores certain branches of the Kaapi tree but wastes no time in other areas.

4. Handling of Hindustani ragas and Hindustani phrasing: TVS’ sketches of Bageshri, Dvijavanthi and other Hindustani ragas both within the ragamalika section of his RTPs and in individual RTPs is nothing short of genius. He captures the essence of the Hindustani phrase but interprets it in a uniquely Carnatic flavor.

5. Kalpana-svarams: like Diego Maradona’s “hand of God” – TVS’ (and MMI’s) kalpana svarams had the touch of God in them. After endless cassette rewinds (anyone knows what those mean?) in a futile attempt to reproduce a fraction of his fluency, I settled down to simply being swept away by his genius. To pick just one example seems almost pointless but just to illustrate the point - aspiring musicians should listen to his kalpanasvarams in Saranga (say Entha Bhagyamu). To find simply infinite trajectories, alternately landing on the R in top octave and lower octave? Looks simple when TVS does it but outrageously difficult without sacrificing aesthetics!

6. Deceptive alapanas: Even his trademark shorter RTPs in Surya, Rageshri etc. are rich in detail. They only look simple because his execution and construction are so perfect. I’ve tried to analyze his approach even in say an 8 min alapana in two rounds – loses absolutely nothing in terms of completeness or aesthetics. His detailed alapanas in both gamaka-rich ragas like Thodi & Kalyani and scale-oriented ragas like Hamsanandi are filled with rich imagination and a deep musical intelligence.

7. Repertoire: TVS expanded much beyond Shri Madurai Mani Iyer’s already large database to include modern compositions and smaller pieces of various genres. Although he has sung more “mournful” ragas like Saveri and Mukhari, he seemed to share his uncle’s preference for more upbeat ragas (without R1 for example).
TVS’s legacy is under-appreciated today perhaps because so much of what he pioneered has seamlessly made it into the mainstream of Carnatic music today. His unassuming personality with no ego or airs about him had no component of the “self-promotion” that seems so prevalent today.

Personally, I owe Shri TVS a huge debt in terms of what I have learned about so many ragas and the aesthetics of Carnatic music. For all my decades engaging with Carnatic music, I cannot remember going too many weeks without listening to a TVS concert recording. So for me, his music has the “comfort food – thair shaadam” factor. Some personal anecdotes to share.

Once during my TVS-paittyam (mad) phase, I listened to a sublime morning concert at Sastri Hall (tenga-mooDi or free). He sang an expansive Dvijavanthi in a very relaxed mood and there were probably less than 20 people in the audience. After lingering at the concert hall for 15 minutes or so, when I left, I happened to stumble right into Shri TVS exiting a neighborhood restaurant! On recognizing a familiar face, that priceless grin broke out – “romba paShi. Konja Idli venumA irududhu.” (Was very hungry – wanted some Idlis.) I told him his concert was amazing. Grin again. “Morning raagam paaDalaan pAtten. Dhvijavanthi seriyA erindudA?” (Thought I would sing a morning raga. Hope the Dvijavanthi was ok?) I was simply flabbergasted that a legend like him would ask for the opinion of a young know-nothing like me! Just illustrates his humility and openness.

Around the mid-1980s, the three T’s (TVS, T.N. Seshagopalan, and T.V. Ramachandran) were among the masters of the era. Many of us music students and rasikas obviously rated one or another higher for personal reasons through the many inevitable and spirited backroom discussions. After one Music Academy concert, I happened to see these three giant maestros standing together in discussion and laughing at some joke or another. For me, it put all this petty one-upmanship in perspective when the musicians themselves so obviously held each other in high esteem. I have personally seen TVS attend and appreciate many concerts by other young musicians, so his open heartedness was always inspiring to me.

Finally, a sad anecdote. We had just arranged a TVS concert in my city (Nashville) as part of his 2019 tour. Before this concert, my wife and I traveled to Boston to attend the LearnQuest festival where Shri TVS performed. We met him after the concert, and I got his blessings after telling him that I have been a bhakta of his music for so many decades. I told him we were looking forward to hosting him at our house in Nashville during the following week. He was extremely happy both to meet us, and when we told him we would pick him up at Nashville airport. Fate ordained otherwise. He was taken ill just after that Boston concert and had to return to India. Later, I was taken aback to get a message via the concert organizer that TVS wanted to return to the U.S. to fill all the remaining venues that got cancelled. For an artiste of his stature to feel the responsibility of completing his prior concert commitments when this was clearly a health issue outside his control? True old school class! Of course, COVID intervened, and the return tour never materialized. I will forever regret that I was unable to meet one of my idols again.

I just read Shri Suryaprakash’s obituary in the Hindu and was again saddened by our loss. Especially to discover a common interest in P.G. Wodehouse and leg-spin bowling! Fortunately for rasikas, since TVS belongs mostly to the post-recording era, he leaves behind a rich treasure trove of music. TVS, like Shri Madurai Mani Iyer will always live in our hearts leaving behind devoted listeners like me all over the world.

R.I.P. – may the svaras roll in heaven.

Ram Kaushik
Rasika, musician & perpetual music student – Nashville, TN, USA

rajeshnat
Posts: 9906
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by rajeshnat »

Very well written Ram Kaushik, you have captured very nicely Shri TVS music . Keep writing more from Tennesee

rrkaushik
Posts: 17
Joined: 11 Oct 2006, 20:16

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by rrkaushik »

Thank you, Mr. (rajeshnat) - much appreciated, thank you.

rasikapriyan
Posts: 2
Joined: 18 Sep 2006, 14:53

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by rasikapriyan »

Wonderful tribute to the great musician and person, Sri TVS. Thank you Sri. Ram Kaushik.

grsastrigal
Posts: 861
Joined: 27 Dec 2006, 10:52

Re: TV Sankaranarayanan

Post by grsastrigal »

viewtopic.php?t=35495

Yesterday, I posted my reminiscence of Sri TVS mama. This is the 12th part of this my forum
Rajesh ji யின் விருப்பத்தை க் கூட பூர்த்தி செய்யாவிட்டால், நான் ரசிகாஸ். குரூப் ல் இருந்து பிரயோஜனம் இல்லை :)

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