Tillana variations - a thing?

Classical Dance forms & related music
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Umesh
Posts: 361
Joined: 04 Jun 2006, 12:59

Tillana variations - a thing?

Post by Umesh »

Hoping someone can shed some light on this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5yHbGnQ0DA

In the recording above (from apparently a BN performance in Boulder in '77), MLV sings the famous Dhandayuthapani hindolam (more accurately, ragamalika) tillana... except the pallavi is completely different from what we traditionally hear. Other portions are unchanged, including the delightful ragamalika segment. Why? Is this a variation implemented by the composer himself to suit another version of the choreography? I believe I've seen other examples of this happening, but can't recall any specific instances right now.

Lakshman
Posts: 14019
Joined: 10 Feb 2010, 18:52

Re: Tillana variations - a thing?

Post by Lakshman »

I had never heard this variation in the pallavi and that too by MLV. In the book it is dhIm tAnanana dhIm dhIm etc.

Umesh
Posts: 361
Joined: 04 Jun 2006, 12:59

Re: Tillana variations - a thing?

Post by Umesh »

That's why I was surprised, too. MLV has sung the traditional version in other dance concerts and on a commercial recording as well. Hoping someone has some insight.

Lakshman
Posts: 14019
Joined: 10 Feb 2010, 18:52

Re: Tillana variations - a thing?

Post by Lakshman »

The mystery is solved. MLV simply took the pallavi line from a different hindOLa tillAna by Dandayaudapani PIllai and added the anupallavi and carana from the traditional one that she had popularized. The lyrics of both tillAnAs are given below.

dhIm dhIm nAdhiru. rAgA: hindOLa. Adi tALA. Composer: K.N.Dandayudapani Pillai.

P: dhIm dhIm nAdhiru tAni tom dhirutAni dhirutAnitta dhIm dhIm tattadhIm tattatOm dhirana
A: nAdhiru dhirudhiru todhiru dhirudhiru nAdhiru tomdhiru tArEtAni tillAna dhrutAni dhImta dhrutAni
tattittaLAngu tom dhittaLAngu tom taLAngu tom dhIm dhIm takatiku tadingiNa tom
dhIm dhIm takatiku tadingiNa tOm dhIm dhIm takatiku tadingiNatom
C: ADum kalaiyil ati mOham koNDu manam vADinEn unait-tEDinEn dinamum
nADiDum aDiyavar tuyar tanai tIrttiDum naTEsanE shivakAmi nEsanE
tAm taritajham tajhamta gA ma ga dhIm taNa jhaNu sa ga dha ma takiTa
jhaNaku jhaNakutaka dha ma dha sa ni dha ma ga takaNu kiNakutaka *ni sa ga ma dhA
taritaNa jhaNu sa* sa* ni dha ma ga tatidhimi sa* ga* sa* ni sa* takiTa ga ma dha ni sA
takunda sa* ga* sa* ma* ma* dhItLAm tLAngiNatom tLAm tLAngiNatom tLAngiNatom tadingiNatom


dhIm tAnanana dhIm. rAgA: hindOLa Adi tALA. Composer: K.N.Dandayudapani Pillai.

P: dhIm tAnanana dhIm dhIm dhIm dhiranA tillAna tajham jham tanadhirana
A: nAdhiri kiTatom tarikiTatom tomtari kiTatom tarikiTatOm
nAdhirikiTatom tomtarikiTatom nAdhiru tomdhiru dhru dhru tani (x2)
tattit-taLangu dhit-taLangu taLangu takatiku
tadingiNatom dhIm dhIm takatiku tadhikiTatOm dhIm dhIm takatiku tadhikiTatOm
C: tALa mELa jati yODu ADum ennai ALa vArum jagadIshA unadu
tAL paNindu kalaiyoDu vAzha varam tArum tillai parameshA (dinamum)
(rAgA: mOhana)
tAm takiTa jham ri sa dha pa taNam takiTa dhim ga ri ga dhimitA sa* dha ri
(rAgA: vasantA)
tajEku tajhaNuta ni ni dha ma ga ma ni taNEku taNakujham sa ga ma ga ma dha ni
(rAgA: kAnaDA)
dhIm tarita tom ga ma pa rI ri sa tatakuNAku dhA ni gA* ma* ri* ri* sa*
(rAgA: kalyani)
takukum takiTa ni ri dhA dhitom nam ma gA ni dha ma tadingiNatom ri ga ma pa dha ni

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Tillana variations - a thing?

Post by rshankar »

Umesh it may all boil down to an issue of memory! Thankfully, I think the grafting looked organic because they’re both set in Adi tALam...and from my extremely limited knowledge, the caraNa sAhityam starts on saman, right?

Umesh
Posts: 361
Joined: 04 Jun 2006, 12:59

Re: Tillana variations - a thing?

Post by Umesh »

Thank you, Lakshman! I don't think I've heard the other KNDP tillana, so I couldn't connect the two. Do you know of any shareable recordings of the first one you could point me to (need not be for dance)?
rshankar wrote: 28 Aug 2018, 04:20 Umesh it may all boil down to an issue of memory! Thankfully, I think the grafting looked organic because they’re both set in Adi tALam...and from my extremely limited knowledge, the caraNa sAhityam starts on saman, right?
Oof, I hope not. I would be horrified if the singer started rattling off a pallavi vastly different to the one I've choreographed! Also, I think the substitution works not only because of Adi but some critical nuances. For example, the dhIm dhIm sequence from the end of the anupallavi leading back into the pallavi. This is a feature of both these tillanas and, IMO, one of the most charming aspects of some (particularly Lalgudi) tillanas.

And you are correct; at least in the second tillana, it is sama eduppu.

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