Decoration in proportion

In Semmangudi's concerts, kalpanaswaras flow smoothly without marring the melody, observes V. SUBRAHMANIAM in the last part of the series, a tribute to his mentor who turns 93 on July 25.

DRAWING FREELY from the artiste's imagination and rendering kalpanaswara embellishments for compositions or Ragam Tanam Pallavi has become an established practice in concerts.

The aspect is unique to the Indian system of music more so to the Carnatic. An adaptation of this is now prevalent in the Hindustani styles and its inclusion is comparatively recent. Several patterns are woven in the relevant raga in the slow and fast tempos. In this aspect of music also Sri Semmangudi is a past master. His style is based on strict adherence to the Sarvalaghu-basic rhythm. The swaras that he renders in the slow tempo would abound in the bhava of the raga with all the nuances, gamakas and Anuswaras.

His fast tempo rendition of swaras would rush as the flow of the Ganga in Haridwar, the fastness in no way marring the melody of the bhava-laden raga packing the fast tempo swaras with speed, clarity, bhava and easy flow. Sri Semmangudi's kalpanaswaras would never leave the listener weary. His lengthy fast tempo swaras without even one elongated note (Deergha swara) is unparalleled and it would be no exaggeration to state that Semmangudi is the only maestro to achieve this.

In one of his concerts he rendered such fast tempo swaras for the pallavi in Sankarabharanam at a stretch for almost 4-1/2 minutes that the accompanying artistes were left stunned for a few seconds before picking up.

Semmangudi always feels that swara singing should not be a mere rhythmic exercise which will tend to rob the music of bhava.

The bhava aspect should never be subjugated to the rhythmic patterns. Mere arithmetic adherence to rhythmic patterns in swara renditions would end up as tight rope walking making the singer and the listener tense.

An appropriate remark was made by one senior violin maestro about Semmangudi's swara renditions. ``While singing the swara he is singing the raga in the rhythmic frame.'' The audience, generally, prefer to listen to keertanas (compositions), raga alapanas and then kalpanaswaras in this order.

In Semmangudi's concerts it can be observed that audiences are thrilled and impressed by the punch of the maestro's kalpanaswara renditions touched by their melodic bhava and rich content that they all look forward to them. Another important aspect of Semmangudi's swaraprasthara is the sense of proportion. The listener would never be left feeling that there has been an overdose of swaras.

Blessed with abundant and refined sangita jnana and kutchery craftsmanship par excellence the great maestro has been shining as a brilliant Sun in the firmament of Carnatic music for more than seven and a half decades.

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