Madhuradhwani-Sherthalai K N Ranganatha Sharma Vocal - 18th July

[shankarank]

https://youtu.be/Do9HPwrilkM?t=3432

Would be interested to know how many felt there were phrases of karaharapriya in this exposition.

[sankark]

Agmark bhairavi it was to me with nary a trace of KHP. Very good one from the Dr & co.

[HarishankarK]

Me also felt clearly that it is Bhairavi. There were a few phrases which by itself did go like KHP but at every turn he brought it correctly to give clear essence of Bhairavi

[sureshvv]

May be you meant this

https://youtu.be/0Ny2NY9uK8M?t=3256

[uday_shankar]

https://youtu.be/Do9HPwrilkM?t=3432Would be interested to know how many felt there were phrases of karaharapriya in this exposition.

That makes two of us.

It was nearly pristine Bhairavi until about 1:04:15. After than my experience began to unravel precisely because of the distinctly kharapriya usage of N2 D2 N2 S where both the N2's are plain. In Bhairavi we have to be cautious using plain N2, especially without kaarvai. The varnam starts with S,,R N,,D,, but that is with a kaarvai on that N2, which is a special usage in bhairavi. In all other occurrences, it is always better to play that second N2 gamakafied AND with kaarvai such as N2 D2 N2, N2,... etc..

Semmangudi in his profound enthusiasm, made this error too, but with much less repetition than Sherthala Sharma.

There are so many instances in the above video starting at 1:04:05 for the rest of the mel-sthayi alapana where various flavors of the Kharapriya plain N2 (or insufficiently gamakafied) occur that I lost a little enthusiasm for the otherwise wonderful singer. What tone, nice shruti, atmosphere, etc... Didn't listen beyond the alapana... some luster was restored (in my critical eye) as the alapana ended. I would still give it a good grade but for this fact.

The phrase at 1:04:05 (and its repeats) should never occur in Bhairavi.

And L Ramakrishnan should know better than repeating those phrases ditto..."e adichaan copy" is not good. It's almost like he reinforces the error by affirmation.

For a lesson on good accompaniment, listen to the incomparable maestro LGJ (Oh ... will there ever be another like that ever!), gently drag SSI from a dangerous foray into kharaharapriya-land back to bhairavi-land just on the strength of that gamakafied second N2. It is very important to keep giving sufficient gamaka to N2 to keep the flavor of bhairavi undiminished.

https://youtu.be/yQiEIk94Cv8?t=4m10s

I have posted the "guilty" section of SSI's neraval starting at 4:10, but I would recommend listening from a little earlier, to get into the mood and understand the overall structure. See how LGJ gently and immediately brings back the flavor of bhairavi, in the background, just by the strength of that second N2 being gamakafied. THAT is gnyanam. It is very subtle, and may pass you by unless you listen very carefully. The specific magic moment of LGJ's gamakafied N2 is at 4:17. If somebody knows the singer, they should share this SSI-LGJ clip for an unequivocal lesson on Bhairavi N2.

Needless to say, SSI is absolutely scintillating in spite of these "errors" and continues to be one of my all time favorites. Those were glory days for sure... SSI-LGJ...

[shankarank]

It was nearly pristine Bhairavi until about 1:04:15.

Agreed. Much at the start however, there is an element of doubt @ https://youtu.be/Do9HPwrilkM?t=3535 58:56 when he stalls on R2. GMGR phrase sounds like KHP. Then https://youtu.be/Do9HPwrilkM?t=3546 59:06 RGR is also KHP like. Followed by : https://youtu.be/Do9HPwrilkM?t=3553 RGMGR ( briga spelling??) is a classic KHP piDI. And there is KHP lingering until he gets out of that R2 nyAsa if you will.

[uday_shankar]

Much at the start however, there is an element of doubt @ https://youtu.be/Do9HPwrilkM?t=3535 58:56 when he stalls on R2. GMGR phrase sounds like KHP. Then https://youtu.be/Do9HPwrilkM?t=3546 59:06 RGR is also KHP like. Followed by : https://youtu.be/Do9HPwrilkM?t=3553 RGMGR ( briga spelling??) is a classic KHP piDI. And there is KHP lingering until he gets out of that R2 nyAsa if you will.

All true. Hence the description "nearly" pristine ! We have to choose our battles, and I kept it to the major ones...

I am fine with taking rAga swaroopa liberties in scales generated by some silly 18th century melakartha scheme but ancient melodies like Bhairavi/Kaushikam that percolated through the culture through a mysterious transmission deserve more careful handling. Bhairavi is the king of rAgas, the quintessence of Tamil music and Carnatic music.

At another level, everything is dynamic and changing... there's the Bhairavi/Manji thing... the world may disappear in a climate cataclysm... we shouldn't be caught arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic (i.e., nitpicking about N2) ...

[SrinathK]

Strictly, these 'Kharaharapriya' - esque phrases belong to Manji. Bhairavi sounds more like itself the more it uses D1 and does not use the D2 with a kaarvai of a plain N2. These 2 ragas have nearly fused into one over time, but it is not perfect and makes Bhairavi sound like a different raga as soon as you get to the upper octave. Virtually everyone can't resist the opportunity to start singing Manji after that, and it is quite difficult to avoid it as well.

In a strange twist, rAgas incorporating different ascending and descending scales like nATakurinji have done it more seamlessly than these 2 allied ragas.

In fact even the combination of S R2 needs to be used sparingly, never to supersede S G2 R2 altogether.

I remember Semmangudi telling that the D2 in Koluvaiyunnade's opening being used as a takeoff point for the N2. That means the phrase is more like P N, S (oscillation on the N) rather than P D N, S.

I am afraid that in our (rather unnecessary IMHO) attempt to fit rAgAs into melAs and freeze them into scales, we have lost certain fluid phrases that are possible at slower speeds. I mean P N, S in Bhairavi sounds strange to think logically, but it is totally possible and valid when the swaras melt a little into their underlying phrases. These are things that appear when a raga is explored at slower tempos, but not at faster tempos. Almost like quantum tunneling...

[uday_shankar]

Strictly, these 'Kharaharapriya' - esque phrases belong to Manji.

And so perhaps we're justified, if after a massive Bhairavi practice session, we boast to our friends "manji manji Bhairavi practice panninom"

[SrinathK]

Definitely manji manji bhairavi ya padarom!

[shankarank]

That the concept of rAgA is beyond even phrases ( used to identify them) is brought out by the fact of brOvavammA. I don't mention varugalAmO - as I will be biased with tone of its meaning and bhava. I don't understand brOvavamma except that it is addressed to AmbAL. So that removes a bit of bias.

Also SrI SyAma SaStri is not known for his artha gauravam as they say! I mean , for the so called musically discerning audience and practitioners he survives by the sheer force and import of his musical structure.

With that said, mAnji has a definite signature through the composition and it's gait and cannot be broken down as KHP prayOgam and bhairavi prayOgam.

In a thought experiment , if somebody were to attempt an Alapana of mAnji, all they would have done is reduction of syllabic diversity with all the syllables employed by SrI SyAma SAStri down to te-da-ri-na . AkARam, EkAram, OkAram , IkAram and ukAram are all there in plenty in the kriti.

So in effect you get less music and any attempt to sort of improvise and extrapolate, will end up bringing KHP or Bhairavi and destroy the form of mAnji.

It boils down to what all we consider as musically important. I'd say a bhairavi Alapana can use some of mAnji's flavor without any problems, but the above is clearly not that!

[jodha]

Watching Arunagirinathar in TV.the opening song 'aadaodivaa mayile' basically in bhairavi has many KHP phrases even huseni once.so it is impossible to sing bhairavi w/o khp.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

"An élongated' dhaivata in the avarohana differentiates Maanji from Bhairavi''.
This was the explanation given by a seasoned rasika several years ago. ''If you are not able to handle Maanji, sing in Bhairavi'', he added jokingly.