Pancha Nadai Korvais

[chitravina ravikiran]

Hello Rasikas,

I thought I'd share information regarding this excellent rhythmic concept. Korvais are generally in two are more parts but Pancha Nadai (or gati) korvais are normally in 5 distinct parts, representing each of the 5 gatis.

Colourful but demanding and challenging at the same time, these are fairly rare in concerts, though we do have increasing instances of late, thanks to artistes such as Shri Umayalpuram Sivaraman, Shri T H Subhashchandran and others.

Melody artistes rarely venture into this during kalpana swaras (though they render pallavis showcasing pancha jaatis). When I was around five or six, I was taught a fantastic method to render Viriboni in Pancha jati (in Khanda Ekam) by legendary mrdangist, Palghat Ramachandra Iyer. I promptly rendered this in my next concert at Trichy Fine Arts where I was blessed by Alathoor Srinivasa Iyer and several other musicians who attended the recital. Several years later, I devised a method to render Adi tala varnams in Pancha Gati too.

Against this backdrop, my father and guru, Shri Chitravina Narasimhan's 5 special pancha nadai korvais is significant for several reasons.

1. Each korvai has an underlying theme of chaturashram, tishram, mishram, khandam or sankeernam, in each section. In other words, the first korvai will be in chaturashra swaroopam in each of its 5 parts, the next will be in a theme of tishram in each part and so forth.

2. Within several of these parts, Shri Narasimhan has embedded other interesting features such as srotovaha/gopucha/mrdanga or other yati patterns.

3. These are excellent practice tools for students of middle/advanced levels as well as grist in the mill for artistes, who can of course modify the same concept to suit concert-style patterns.

4. Such korvais - in general - enhance not only one's tala abilities but also demand a high level of fundamental sense of kalapramana (tempo).

Acharyanet.com recently persuaded my father to allow these to be recorded and made available to students across the world and an appetiser has been put up by them in You Tube. I have demonstrated these with a few of my students.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH3kNDo1 ... e=youtu.be

Ms Sowmya Acharya needs to be commended specially for her initiative in putting up such priceless material.

[vasanthakokilam]

Thanks Sri. Ravikiran for the explanation and the link. Very educational and informative. Thanks

[mahavishnu]

Sri Ravikiran: Very nicely presented and explained. Especially how the sankirnam breaks down in the korvai (when giving an illusion of tisram in some parts). Would it be possible to present a Korvai with swarams to demonstrate this in the context of melody?

I remember L Shankar having composed a pancha nadai pallavi a couple of decades ago, that had some elements of this.

[cienu]

Thank you for the wonderful demonstration with your students. Very interesting exercises.

[Nick H]

Fascinating. I know that if I witnessed this in a concert I would have no clue what was going on --- but the musical quality is intact, regardless of understanding or lack of it

[chitravina ravikiran]

Would it be possible to present a Korvai with swarams to demonstrate this in the context of melody?

Actually, these - in their current patterns - are more suited for pure rhythm exposition. I have followed the concept and created a few different ones for melodic expositions.

For eg in Adi tala 2 or 1 kalai, in a raga such as Pantuvarali, this will work for a melo-rhythmic presentation:

GR,SND N,,,, RS,NDP D,,,, SN,DPM (Chaturashra)

GMPDP M,, MPDND P,, PDNSR (Tishram)

G,,, R,,, S,,, N,,, D,,, - R , S , N, D, P, - DPMGR (Khandam)

SR,G,M,P D, - RG,M,P,D N, - PD,N,S,R (Mishram)

G,R,, R,S,, S,N,, - G,R,S,, R,S,N,, S,N,D,, - G,R,S,N,D R,S,N,D,P G,M,P,D,N (Sankeernam)

It would be more apt to employ such korvais only once in a while if the raga and tempo allow it without sacrificing the emotive appeal!

[thanjavooran]

Ravikiran Avl,
Only today I could be able to view the wonderful link. Thank you very much for the interesting, educational and informative demo. With blessings,
Thanjavooran
25 10 2012

[mahavishnu]

Sri Ravikiran: And special thanks for taking the time to make and notate the korvai in Pantuvarali.
I tried it out (in private). All I have to say is, hats off to you geniuses and professionals!

[arunk]

To understand this better, i notated it using the carnatic music notation typesetter. Posting it for others who may benefit from it (and I hope I got it right!):




PS: It seems to get chopped off in preview mode (perhaps too wide), here is full link: http://arunk.freepgs.com/tmp/panchanadai_korvai.png

PPS: If you make your browser screen very wide, it seems to show in full.

Arun

[vasanthakokilam]

Thanks Arun. Very clear even at a cursory glance. Thanks Ravikiran for sharing that with us.

I have a feeling that those beats that start off with a comma ( a kArvai of the sequence that started on the previous beat ) add the 'weighty stuff' to the rhythmic composition building up the tension and then providing the eventual relief when everything falls into place on beat boundary. ( Incidentally, they are the ones that trip up the amateurish tala keepers like me, especially in such non-chathrasra sections. I have also noticed that during those sections, thankfully, the tala keeping noise from the audience is at much lower decibel level providing the much needed relief. )

[GNB_LGJ_PR]

To understand this better, i notated it using the carnatic music notation typesetter. Posting it for others who may benefit from it (and I hope I got it right!):

Dear arunk,
I am not sure who to thank "carnatic music notation typesetter" or YOU. I finally decided to thank the CREATOR of "carnatic music notation typesetter"
I could not decipher it before your reply on this topic.

Also a BIG "Thank You" to Ravikiran for sharing such a wonderful concept with an example.

Thanks a ton!!!

[arunk]

GNB_LGJ_PR,

Thank you very much.

Arun

[asangeetha]

I was not aware of the Carnatic Music notation typesetter till now, just went through the manual. So much effort has been put into this, I can only imagine. Truly useful. Thanks a million.

Sowmya

[arunk]

Thanks!

Arun