Songs that have passed the test of Time

THE DEPTHS of tradition confer on a musician the capacity for cultured expressiveness. The contribution of such an artiste, either by way of performances or by his own compositions, adds to the collective musical heritage. It is then that Carnatic music gains its specific perspective. When this objective is kept in view a sensitive vidwan would realise that technique alone does not make aesthetic music. Inspiration has to come from within and not just from brain-pricking.

Refinement of Carnatic music culture cannot be precisely defined. To the extent an artiste has a true insight into this aspect, his artistic tendency can be discerned in his motivation, when expression is conditioned by what he feels music is to him. He would turn his attention not to the spectacular, but would hold on to the sublime. Self-expression would be directed to subserving artistic values. A good musician has to set high standards for himself by which he has to rate his performance. The continuing indifference to quality music is one of the paradoxes today when opportunities are plenty for the vidwan community. What is carnatic music if it cannot can confer sowkhyam?

The question is what leads a votary of music to the status of cultured expressiveness. Musical intuition is a gift, but its development to the higher sensitive realms needs uncompromising discipline, which is broadly termed as sampradaya or tradition. A simple, charming presentation of songs and ragas is a greater challenge to a musician than alapanas and interpretative adventurism in a heroic mould.

In recent times there has been a sumptuous crop of composers, whose work is an attempted replica of Sri Thyagaraja's sentiments and song structure. It is from the saint composer's kritis that post-Thyagaraja vaggeyakaras to this day have drawn their inspiration. Many contemporary vaggeyakaras' songs are included in the music performances, but Time selects the best out of them to survive.

The International Foundation for Carnatic music released a book containing the compositions of Thanjavur Sankara Iyer, who is rated as a living class vaggeyakara. Many of his songs, even as early as five decades ago, have captured the attention of performing musicians and thereby have gained the status of time- tested songs. Speakers at the function focussed on the fact that, a traditionalist to the marrow, his compositions are a class apart. As in the field of performers striving to be in public eye, contemporary compositions are so numerous catching the fancy of artistes that even the Trinity is often sidelined. But if Thanjavur Sankara Iyer's songs have held the field along with the Trinity, it speaks of their value.

At the end of the function, Sankara Iyer himself gave a concert accompanied by M. S. Anantharaman on the violin and K.V. Prasad on the mridangam. With two voice supports from Vijayalakshmi Rajaram and V. Sankar he rendered ``Panchamaatanga'' (Malahari), ``Telisi Rama'' (Poornachandrika). ``Appa Rama Bhakti'' (Pantuvarali) ``Makelata'' (Ravichandrika) ``Santamuleka'' (Sama) ``Sogasujooda'' (Kannadagowla) and ``Nambinavarku'' (Sankarabharanam) in quick succession with minimal swarams. It was as if Sankara Iyer wanted to stress that as musical awareness deepens all irrelevances and superficialities are dropped and only the intrinsic nature of music remains.

The violin and mridangam support was understandably tender and gentle.

Interpretative scholarship seemed to be the driving force in the recital of Kasturirangan for Nadopasana leading to unseemly lengthening of alapanas and laboured movement of sancharas.

Nearly 45 minutes even at the beginning of the concert was taken up by the delineation of Shanmukhapriya. The length of an alapana is not a certificate for musical sensitivity. The very extravagance here and later in Begada laid a heavy burden on Kasturirangan to cater to his lavish exposition. The kirtanas were ``Bhavasagaram karai-era'' in Shanmukhapriya, ``Nera- Nammiti'' (Durbar) ``Sankari-neeve'' (Begada). He has a good sense of the features of a raga, but does not seem to value brevity. Sriramkumar on the violin reflected in good measure the vocalist's predilection for over-reaching manodharma. Palghat Suresh (mridangam) with heightened ability energetically padded the songs.

Worthy disciples

Sruti Laya Kendra on Surajananda Jayanti introduced two disciples of Karaikudi Mani - R. Venkatesh and A. Venkatesan - making them accompany O.S. Thiagarajan and Rajkumar Bharati respectively. The vocalists tailored their exposition to draw out the talent of the two young mridangists, who played with confidence and ability to do the guru proud. Tekas, pharaus, melodic combination of the toppi and right side, a deft mix of fast beats and cross patterns enlivened the recital. Thiagarajan sang the kriti ``Rangam, Sri Rangam'' in the seven-beat chapu to enthuse R. Venkatesh who responded with alacrity.

Rajkumar Bharati, even at the beginning sang a new Hamsadwani kriti in a teasing swara gait which was absorbed with confidence by A. Venkatesan. The way the two young mridangists acquitted themselves should have gladdened the heart of Karaikudi Mani, who moving among the large audience, exuded the pleasures of a guru.

- SVK

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Entertainment
Previous : Unswerving loyalty to tradition
Next     : Wholesome patanthara