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Music & Dance
An appeal for quality
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The proliferation of sabhas and musicians raises disturbing questions that beg answers.
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SANGEETHA GNANAMU bhakti vina... sang Tyagaraja. One of the exclusive features of Carnatic music is that it is pre-dominantly devotional in nature and philosophical in orientation. A glance at its parental origin reveals that its source is the Sama Veda. Over several centuries, Carnatic music, as it was christened after the 12th century, evolved into a magnificent music tradition. In the 19th century the fabled `Trinity' gave a concrete form to the theoretical concept of the 72 melas. They also handled innumerable janya (offspring) ragas with amazing brilliance. The art and science of Carnatic music reached the pinnacle of its glory. The trinity were not mere composers. They were path breakers. The post-trinity era was significant in more ways than one. It was the era of `Pioneer musicians.' Public performances on platforms became very popular. Sabhas were formed. Musicians shifted their focus to the cities. In 1927, a music festival took place at the Congress session in Madras and that officially marked the beginning of the now famous Music Academy.
In the present day scene, music Sabhas have burgeoned and the The number of performances churned out is staggering. number of music and dance performances during the peak season was a mind-boggling 1,414 within a span of 25 days. The question is, has Carnatic music become so popular that an avalanche of performances is necessary? The answer is a resounding NO. It is a well-known fact that most artistes, barring a few stars, sing to empty halls. The number of musicians has also multiplied manifold. So, does it mean that they are better cerebrally equipped than their predecessors or that Carnatic music itself is not all that difficult an art as it is made out to be by some?
The answers to these are many and varied. Topping the list is that the Gurukula education has disappeared for all practical purposes. The atmosphere was concentrated with music irrespective of the fact of whether there was direct education or not. The pupil had no other distraction. Again the teacher accepted nothing short of perfection. The result was that the art shone.
However today, the teaching and learning methods have changed. Under pressure from parents or because of other considerations, teachers teach songs at a fairly rapid pace. Excessively eager students, goaded by over-enthusiastic parents, are happy to accept lessons from the modern guru — the tape recorder. They are also furnished with a written notation of the song. Besides, the aspirants source and use all the available avenues for learning. Thus they amass a number of compositions within a short span of time. The result is that there is widespread knowledge lacking in depth. Music becomes one of many other activities including hectic study schedules. There is little or no time for sadhakam. Even this is understandable considering the stringent conditions under which they operate. However, what is not understandable or acceptable is the eagerness of both the student and more so his/her parents to put him or her on the concert platform. Over the years, the presentation of music has also undergone change. A few decades ago, artistes adopted individualistic approaches to handling of ragas and other aspects of manodharma sangita. Varieties of interpretations created different banis. Rasikas sitting through even a series of concerts were entertained with a delectable fare of Madurai Mani bani,, Semmangudi Bani, Ariyakudi Bani, Lalgudi Bani and so on. The musical nuances that they produced left a lasting impression on the listener. They carried home memories of great concerts. Today, with the exception of a few bright musicians from both the generations, most of them offer a routine fair with hardly any significant individual variations. T. V. Subba Rao, the musicologist wrote in one of his articles that the seven lamps of Sangita constituted srutisuddha, (strict adherence to Sruti), rasa-pradhana (stress on the emotional aspect), sampradayika (traditional), sahityasuddha (fidelity to lyrics), gamaka alankara sobhita (replete with subtle graces) and anandamaya (inspirational). How many of the performances, barring a few staged during the season, can be said to have these qualities? This does not mean that the Gurukula training was the best. It amounts to the fact that teacher and disciple should spend quality time together. The student should also learn from one teacher so that he imbibes the bani. And another pillar of Carnatic music is Sruti. Tradition has always given much importance to aural participation. Hardly anything was transcribed in the written script. This is not to say that, the system did not suffer from its disadvantages but the point to be carefully noted here is that today people sing looking at a notebook or unabashedly carry sheaves of music notes on to the stage. If a performer refers to written material, it follows that not enough practice has gone into the exercise. It would be apt to cite an anecdote here. Once, a passer-by heard Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar singing a devarnama in his house. The song entranced him and he stepped into the master's house to enquire why Ramanuja Iyengar never rendered this song on the concert platform. The musician replied that he had not yet perfected the piece and that a composition needed to be sung at least a hundred times before being presented on stage! Carnatic music is not only a magnificent art but also a science. An approach to this kind of a subject requires patience, perseverance and above all dedication. The glory of a Sankarabharanam, the pensiveness of a Bhairavi or the majestic gait of an Atana cannot be perceived by a superficial approach by even the most gifted. It is not uncommon today to listen to musical recitals that are dull, dry and devoid of any emotion. For, to give a little, one must first have plenty. A lackadaisical and flippant attitude adopted for short term gains, may even benefit the artiste in a material sense but certainly causes the art untold damage. An uninitiated listener who listens to such a performance, even out of curiosity, may shy away from the art itself.
The damage to this art is caused by one more factor and that is excess of music performances. Classical music is best appreciated when listened to in a relaxed frame of mind and in optimum quantities.
But what about the artistes themselves? Irrespective of the capability of the artist can he/she deliver quality music when performing in a different platform every day, or very often as it happens, even twice in a day? It is logical to think that any creative artiste needs a lull, a silence, a period of inactivity for fresh ideas to emerge. Repeated performances only breed staleness. I do think that every artiste owes it to himself and to the listeners to deliver, if not inspired music at least good music. To this end, the organisers should also pay artistes of calibre handsomely so that accepting fewer concerts become economically viable. It must be remembered that honouring artistes and their arts speak highly about the nation.
LAKSHMI DEVNATH
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