Pallavi Singing- Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow - Prof TRS

[semmu86]

Pallavi Singing - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow-

Prof.TRS at the Indian Fine arts Society - German Hall; 31.12.2010
-----------------------------
TRS sir gave an insightful speech about the role "Pallavi" had in the yesteryear concerts, how it is placed in today's scenario and what the future holds for it.

He generally classified "yesterday" as the period before and during Vidwans like Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan, Konerirajapuram Vaidyanatha Iyer, Kanchipuram Naina Pillai etc... He classified "today" as the golden period of Vidwans like GNB, Alathur Bros, Lalgudi Jayaraman (He was humble not to include his name, but i would include TRS sir right on top of that list) etc... Few points which i managed to jot down from his speech....

----------Yesterday----------

1. Pallavi singing was used more as a weapon to threaten the accompanists than as a tool to derive aesthetic pleasure.
2. Concerts those days went for 5-6 hours out of which 4 hours will be occupied for one RTP.
3. Pallavis used to be sung in 4-kalai, 8-kalai and 16-kalai, which are almost extinct in today's scenario.
4. He made a rather powerful statement, when he says, that the "So-called" pallavi vidwans of yesteryears didn't have any substance.
5. He also demonstrated how they made a simple "paRimaLa RangapathE" pallavi sound a complicated one and got name for themselves.
6. Yesteryear vidwans and people had a general notion that pallavis like "paRimaLa RangapathE", "mA madhura mEENakSHi" etc... were all complicated, and that when TRS sir went up to them and shared, these pallavis are all the one and the same structure wise, but just with different sAhityam and different ragas, he was remonstrated for the same... He said, as the yesteryear musicians were not educated, they didn't have that flexibility to think and accept this.
7. He told that people were so conservative those days, that they didn't even accept that "4+3" can't be modified and sung as "3+4".
8. He also told that pallavi's construction was not given much importance in that period and the pallavis were all relatively less intelligently constructed and less complex.
9. He told that it was left to vidwans like Alathur Bros, Lalgudi Jayaraman etc.. to change all that.

--------------Today-------------

1. He classifies "Today" as the period of muscians who are mostly retired (Lalgudi, TRS, and also their immediate previous generation like Alathur bros, GNB etc.....)
2. Here he talks about the main features about pallavi like "It should have a landing on the beat"; arudhi kArvai and more importantly, there should be a theme behind the construction of any pallavi.
3. Today is the period, where the concerts are in the "Pallavi Also" stage. Previously it was "Only Palavi", then it was completely "No Pallavi" for sometime.
4. Here he demonstrates 3 to 4 scintillating pallavis, which he said are technically far more superior and intelligenyly structured than "paRimaLa RangapathE", "mA madhura mEENakSHi" etc..
5. He also told about the numerous wonderful pallavis, which Lalgudi Jayaraman had played in his solo concerts and how that he had went to LGJ's house after those concerts and jotted them down.
6. He also sang few pallavis which he had composed like "gOpuchayathi pallavi", "shrOthOvAhayathi pallavi"; a pallavi where 3 speeds come at a time etc... all of which were wonderful.
6. He also dismissed notions about RTP's not to be sung in certain ragas and thalas.
7. He finally concluded by saying that going by the trend existing today, Pallavis have a good future....

-------------Few Shrtcomings----------

1. He should have had a senior student demonstrating the pallavis with violin and mrudangam accompaniment. He himself chose to sing the same and it was unable for me to note down the pallavi's structure.
2. The next time he gives a similar lecdem, more time should be allotted and i feel, it should be planned well, as this looks to me as an impromptu speech.

[PUNARVASU]

shrOtOvahayati, I think

[semmu86]

Yes.. Sorry for the typo..Corrected accordingly.

[rajeshnat]

Tx semmu86 for the writeup, your review very much illustrates the personality of jAmbhavAn TRS Sir. He applies his own judgement in overstating the understated , understating the overstated which is always wonderful. I wish I was there

Can you squeeze your memory to let me know the pallavis that he has mentioned below

Here he demonstrates 3 to 4 scintillating pallavis, which he said are technically far more superior and intelligenyly structured than "paRimaLa RangapathE", "mA madhura mEENakSHi" etc..

[KSJaishankar]

a pallavi where 3 speeds come at a time etc...

I have heard TRS sir sing a pallavi that goes ... Dasharatha Tanayunu Maravaku Manasa | Dinamu Kshanamu. Adi tala - 2 kalai, 1/4 edam atheetha eduppu. "Dasharatha" in 1 kalam, "Tanayuni" in 2 speed & "Maravaku" in 3 speed.

[semmu86]

Rajesh, the pallavi which Sri.KSJ mentions is one among them... KSJ sir, thanks for mentioning the pallavi. I forgot the "dhinamu kShaNamu" part, hence didn't mention it here... The pallavi goes like this

dha,sha,ra,tha, (8 aksharam - sung in 1st speed)
ta na yu nu (4 aksharam - sung in 2nd speed)
ma ra va ku (2 aksharam - sung in 3rd speed)
ma,,na,,
sa,,,,, (arudhi kArvai)
dhi na mu,
ksha, na, mu
(dha)

As it is an atheetha eduppu, the "dha" in "dhasharatha" starts at 1/4 edam in the last veechu before samam.....

I will try to post in sometime 1 or 2 pallavis which he sang citing that he had learnt them after listening to them in Lalgudi Jayaraman's solo concerts 25-30 years back.... Since he himself sang, i found it very difficult to note the pallavi's structure as age has caught up with him and he struggled a bit to sing, as this was why i had mentioned that he should have had a disciple singing them.... I will anyway try to put up the sAhityam though.......

[Nick H]

Fascinating. Many thanks.

[bilahari]

Thank you for the report, Arvind.

I am curious about point 7 in the yesteryear pallavi portion. Why would 4+3 be preferable to 3+4? I don't really see the point. Am I missing something?

TRS seems to be very candid - I admire that.

[rshankar]

Yes..Sri TRS seems to be quite clear about calling a spade a spade - wasn't there a PhD student of his who was the center of some controversy a couple of years ago that stemmed from another such true statement that had been swept under the rugs by the powers that be who were not happy to see it out in the open?

[rajeshnat]

Semmu86
The title says also tomorrow , but the only reference to tomorrow is the last point
" 7. He finally concluded by saying that going by the trend existing today, Pallavis have a good future...."

Did he suggest anything new that he wanted to try , but could not try?
or Was he very objective in just letting tomorrow to reveal by itself?
or Is it that he lost all his time in today and yesterday?
or Did you forget to right about tomorrow due to margazhi fatigue?

[semmu86]

@ Bilahari - He implied that yesteryear people were so conservative, that they didn't even think of changing what ever was taught to them and opposed any variations in the same, even to the extent of opposing that for e.g, a pattern of "4+3" should not be modified and sung as "3+4". He cited an example here - It seems GNB had once sung "paRimaLa RangapathE" in Bhairavi as opposed to kAmbhOdi in which the pallavi was sung for years together. GNB it seems after the concert was flooded with criticism for deviating from sampRadAyam, by chaning the raga of the pallavi.

@ Rajesh - He didnt say much about tomorrow, as most of the speech was centered on yesterday and today. He however told that his mission in life was to "Propagate Pallavi without tears" to the accompanists and help achieve/regain its pride of place in the concerts in future, and to elevate the aesthetic appeal of "Pallavis". This was all he said for am sure that i have not missed anything, atleast in the "tomorrow" segment, for there was not much of a speech there...

[pvs]

Just an observation...

Along GNB's 'Parimala Rangapathe' lines, I have heard a recording of DKP singing 'Endaro Mahanubhavulu...' as a pallavi in Kambodhi. Stunning fit, to say the least.

as an aside... Parimala Rangapthe in Kambodhi totally belong's to MMI !! What a felicity...

[pattamaa]

Prof TRS explained on an annectode when he was conducting pallavi workshop - a 10 day program, teaching pallavi one per day. Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer called for him, and when TRS went, he asked "you are gifting pallavi like anything, while we found very hard to learn them!!", and explained how his guru (forgot the name) tought him pallavi. When MVI was doing gurukulavasam, he already was performing in concerts. MVI's father wanted MVI to sing RTP in his concerts, and asked MVI to tell his guru to teach him pallavi. As in those days, MVI is scared to ask his guru to teach him pallavi or any specific songs. So, MVI's father went to guru and told him - please teach pallavi to my son. Guru agreed. Guru asked MVI about his birth star, and then fixed a good day - 3 weeks later, and asked him to finish sandhyavandanam etc that morning, and come. He also told him he will charge Rs. 50 for teaching the pallavi. While MVI was going, he called him few times, and kept changing / postponing the dates due to some context or other. When MVI told his father about his experience with guru, his father told him with Rs. 50, entire family can survive for one month, and why to spend that money to learn one pallavi. Thus, MVI couldn't learn pallavi from his guru.

[sureshvv]

3. Pallavis used to be sung in 4-kalai, 8-kalai and 16-kalai, which are almost extinct in today's scenario.

Gayathri Girish sang an amazing 4-kalai pallavi with some splendid sahityam for her Lathangi RTP at the Music Academy. "almost extinct" may be the right moniker and I did not hear this anywhere else this season. She also sang a superb Misra nadai pallavi at Mylapore Fine Arts in Shanmugapriya, which is somewhat less extinct.

Adi tala chatusra nadai pallavis seem to be ruling the roost these days!

[srikant1987]

Adi tala chatusra nadai pallavis seem to be ruling the roost these days!

This is an exaggeration, at least for vocal music concerts. And of course, vocal music concerts are ruling the roost in CM (especially in Chennai) these days.

[sureshvv]

Adi tala chatusra nadai pallavis seem to be ruling the roost these days!

This is an exaggeration, at least for vocal music concerts.

You add a qualifier of your own and then dismiss my observation as an exaggeration. Nice Trick!

And of course, vocal music concerts are ruling the roost in CM (especially in Chennai) these days.

Agreed! For some definition of "ruling the roost".

[bilahari]

I was actually curious that Prof. TRS thinks pallavis have a good future. Move over the tala - I'm starting to feel that RTPs themselves are becoming endangered.

[sureshvv]

Agree. The 1.5/2 hour concert does not allow for this. In fact, manodharmic sangeetham itself may become a small portion of the concert.

[KSJaishankar]

I think the danger to pallavi singing is much more from audience tastes, than concert duration. As I had noted in a different thread, Malladi brothers practically had to beg the audience to allow them to sing a pallavi at a concert in Bangalore in November. They finally did sing one, but the audience response was really bad (atleast to start with).

Also, why can't a 1.5 hour concert have an RTP for 25-30 minutes? I remember the MA first slot (juniors) used to be a 1.5 hr slot, with an RTP included. There is still time to fit a main kriti for another 25-30 mins (or two almost equally long pieces of 15 mins each, maybe one with a more detailed alapana, and one with more detailed Neraval / Swarams), with a 10 min tani tagged to either of them. Still leaves close to 30 mins for a couple of early pieces and a couple of closing items.

[rajeshnat]

Also, why can't a 1.5 hour concert have an RTP for 25-30 minutes? I remember the MA first slot (juniors) used to be a 1.5 hr slot, with an RTP included.

KSJ
I never knew that in the past ,even for 1.5 hour slot , there was RTP insisted.That is nice to hear .It will certainly also serve as a good round of elimination. Can you squeeze your memory to let me know in which years these happened, I am curious there.

[srikant1987]

DISCLAIMER: Drastic comments

I think the real point in a pallavi is just the trikAlam, anulOmam and the like. tAnam, neraval, long AlApanai and swarams can be done for krtis. rAgamAlika is another thing only pallavis can take but I'm not fond of it -- besides, rAgamAlika kritis and tukkadas are always there.

[bilahari]

Ragamaliga swaras can be appended to krithis as well. MMI used to sing them for inta sowkhya maninnE, for instance. In vocal concerts, the frequency of tAnam for krithis is about equal to that of ragamaliga swaras for krithis (perhaps the former is slightly higher).

I agree that the only unique thing about an RTP is the trikAlam, anulOmam, and pratilOmam.

I think my predominant complaint is the decline of good tAnam singing in today's concerts. Even when RTPs are presented, mere lip service is done for tAnam.

[KSJaishankar]

I think the real point in a pallavi is just the trikAlam, anulOmam and the like. tAnam, neraval, long AlApanai and swarams can be done for krtis.

Drastic comment disclaimer noted, , but I don't think that is the only point. Most of the RTPs I have heard of ARI, SSI, GNB, MMI et al do not feature these embellishments. Prof TRS, being such an authority on pallavis, makes the statement in a previous lec-dem on Pallavis that trikalam singing is "undergraduate stuff... any average student of music can do trikalam". The real mettle of a musician in pallavi singing according to him is in the rendition of effective neraval.

I do agree on the decline of tanam singing though. I find it to be the most majestic form of kalpana sangeetham.

Rajesh ... I attended the season at the MA in 1991. I remember that most (if not all) the 1.5 hr concerts (Balaji Shankar, Sanjay, Priya Sisters were ones I attended for sure) featured RTPs.

[srikant1987]

Bilahari,

Yes! I think they should make the custom of tAnam-for-main krti prevelant among veena concerts universal -- or at least extend it to vocal and string-instrument concerts.

Ragamalika for krtis -- I wouldn't like that! It will go far, far away from the bhAvam of the krti and the rAgam. Maybe the tAnam before the krti can feature it, though, but even that's not very nice.

[bilahari]

The ragamaliga stuff in general seems to distract from the main raga chosen. The worst part is that singers these days seem to view it almost as a necessary part of RTP. I can't remember the last live concert I attended without ragamaliga in the RTP.

I don't mean to sound excessively harsh about present day RTP singing. Indeed, a lot of musicians are great at rendering pallavis even today - I have not attended a single concert of Sanjay's without an elaborate RTP, for example. Of course, Neyveli reigns supreme in my books when it comes to tAnam singing.

Perhaps the decline of elaborate ragamaliga slOkams and vruttams has resulted in replacing a good part of the pallavi with ragamaliga in order to maintain equilibrium? Just putting it out there...

[Nick H]

DISCLAIMER: Drastic comments

I think the real point in a pallavi is just the trikAlam, anulOmam and the like. tAnam, neraval, long AlApanai and swarams can be done for krtis. rAgamAlika is another thing only pallavis can take but I'm not fond of it -- besides, rAgamAlika kritis and tukkadas are always there.

Drastic Reply

But that (although musical beauty can and should be there) is just maths and showing off ability at calculation. "Hey, I can sing this at three speeds! No hands!" Big deal, can we now have some expressive improvisation, please?

A short RTP isn't worth the bother. It should be a relaxed affair, limited by creativity and not by time constraints.

[rajumds]

There is recording of Sri TRS lecdem on RTP. The comments were more or less the same. In fact he demonstrated a pallavi with just 1,2,3,4 . It may be available in sangeethapriya collection.

[Sathej]

DISCLAIMER: Drastic comments

I think the real point in a pallavi is just the trikAlam, anulOmam and the like. tAnam, neraval, long AlApanai and swarams can be done for krtis. rAgamAlika is another thing only pallavis can take but I'm not fond of it -- besides, rAgamAlika kritis and tukkadas are always there.

Well, I have heard several musicians speak a lot on the subtle differences in Neraval singing for a Pallavi as opposed to a Krithi. And yes, I agree with KSJaishankar - have also heard the likes of Prof TRS, Smt R Vedavalli, Shri TNS and so on remark that extensive Neraval singing in a Pallavi is quite a stern test..

Sathej

[vasanthakokilam]

A short RTP isn't worth the bother. It should be a relaxed affair, limited by creativity and not by time constraints.

Nice sentiment!!
Nick, You are really an old timer..as in pre-1900. I hear that they used to have 4 or 5 hour concerts, major portion of which is just one RTP.

I am in agreement about these ragamalika swaras. They are nice and pleasant sounding but they are so out of place in an RTP. They are not sung with the same rhythmic structure as the pallavi line...if they do something like that, that will be something. In that spirit, ragamalika thanam is much more interesting.