Carnati Music - Evolution since Trinity

[Shyamala Rangarajan]

I often wonder how the great composers of Carnatic Music, say, the Musical Trinity, would have fared in the current scenario. They used Music as a tool for expressing Bhakthi and their ultimate aim was to achieve salvation. The worldly goodies, name and fame were not in their thoughts at all. The many hair splitting musical exercises (eg application of mathematical calculations while rendering pallavis and kalpana swaras, display of vidwath in aspects like grahabedham) that have become an integral part of present day concerts and competitions (eg Carnatic Music Idol) and considered strengths by the current crop of artists and rasikas, were perhaps not in vogue during the times of the Musical Trinity and other composers. Then, the Musical Trinity, if they are in the concert circuit now, perhaps would be no match for a TM Krishna or a Sudha Raghunathan, in attracting Rasikas !! ( Imagine Shakespeare being found inadequate for handling a course in English literature !!!) Does it mean that Carnatic Music has evolved since the days of the Trinity and is more advanced now and the current generation of artists is superior to them? I am interested to get the views of the Rasika community in this forum.

[venkatakailasam]

Evolution starts from a base. They ( including the composers earlier to them ) provided the base on which the structures are raised.

venkatakailasam

[sureshvv]

Does it mean that Carnatic Music has evolved since the days of the Trinity and is more advanced now and the current generation of artists is superior to them?

For what definition of "advanced" and "superior"?

[vasanthakokilam]

This quote is applicable here: "If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants." - Sir. Isaac Newton

[ShrutiLaya]

Then, the Musical Trinity, if they are in the concert circuit now, perhaps would be no match for a TM Krishna or a Sudha Raghunathan, in attracting Rasikas !!

And this is like saying that if Newton were here now, even high school kids would know more than him. Perhaps true technically, but so what? If someone with the genuis of a Newton or a Thyagaraja were born now, who knows how much further they would have seen standing on the shoulders of all the later giants?

- Sreenadh

[rajeshnat]

May be if Sadguru ThyagarAja is here as of now , he would happily download AnnamAcharya and Sonti VenkataramaNayyA , because he may not have had the drive of composing such beautiful numbers.

[vasanthakokilam]

Rajesh, you open the door for some good humor.. Imagine T, MD and SS at the Lecture Dems at Music Academy and engaging in debates on sampUrnNa vs asampUrNa meLAs and allied ragas

[Pratyaksham Bala]

With everyone in the Music Academy accustomed to the polished version of T's image (thanks to S.Rajam), no one will recognise him. He may even have difficulty in proving his identity!

[vasanthakokilam]

PB, yes. there is a person who stands in the middle of the aisle close to the second row from the front. HIs jobs is to allow only VIPs and musicians to sit in the first two rows. T would have a problem passing that gate! Imagine what that conversation would be like

[venkatakailasam]

Hundreds of images of trinities are sprayed all over and if we are still not able to recognize ,

it reflects on our capacity to comprehend .

AND, that will be a sad day for CM

venkatakailasam

[Nick H]

Hundreds of images...

images is the point. Not photographs, not paintings. Imagine that one of the gods knocks on your door, but, instead of the image popularly known everywhere from comic books to temple sculpture, you are confronted by a man in a suit.

I'm sure that S Rajam's images are closer to the reality than scriptural metamorphosis --- but, if even you or I, today, go to the portrait painter and commission him, it is unlikely that the result will be photographic accuracy

[Pratyaksham Bala]

I have ten different portraits of 'Sri Tyagaraja' -- none of them painted from real life. And each one is distinctly different from the others!

[venkatakailasam]

"In the case of Saint Thyagaraja, the old drawings available at that time (before 1940) showed a weak, melancholic person with his chest bones protruding and having a rather sickly countenance. Shri S Rajam felt offended by the old portraits; and was hurt the saint was shown in a poor light causing injustice to his genius. Shri S Rajam strongly felt that the portrait should aptly project the character and greatness of the person, his achievements, his genius and his mellow glowing sattvic nature; and not just his physical resemblance"

Here is Joyful Tyagaraja!!

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/article101181.ece

venkatakailasam

[vgovindan]

Prof. P. Sambamoorthy narrates a story that sheds some light about Tyagaraja's prowess as a performer. When Tyagaraja visited Madras on his way to Tirupati, he stayed at the house of Kovur Sundara Mudaliar, a musical patron. Madras, at that time, was on its way to becoming a musical center. For six evenings in succession, Tyagaraja sang the raga Devagandhari elaborately following it up with one of his compositions in the raga. This incident testifies to the creative ability or manodharma of Tyagaraja, the musician.

http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?216734

Though I am not qualified in Music, IMHO, most of the inspired kRtis of SrI tyAgarAja were born during his delving into rAgas at length while performing before his 'rasika SirOmaNi' - Lord rAma. This is, IMO, nAdOpAsana. Also, IMO, what is termed as 'manOdharma', is part of 'nAdOpAsana' where, musician can reach the depth from which nAda arises - 'mUlAdhAraja nAdameruguTE mudamagu mOkshamurA' - 'parA-paSyantI-madhyamA-vaikharI rUpA' - lalitA sahasra nAma.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

.
Picture of Sri Tyagabrahmam -- printed in 1910.
http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dyna ... _5626f.jpg
.

[ganeshkant]

Shyamala,

With ref to your quote about Shakespeare.

I once watched an interview of SSI in DD,Kerala long back.SSI was replying in Malayalam at his level best.
He quoted the following incident.
When he was approached for the Principal's post in Maharaja's music college,SSI told them that he doen't know how to teach theory and the reply from Maharaja was "Pl.let us have the pride of having Semmangudi SAmi as our principal.Nothing else matters."