Rasikas and their expectations

[Viswambar Sethuraman]

As rasikas ,what do we expect in a carnatic music concert?
Do we expect an authentic traditional,aesthetic music ? Or are these traditional concerts kinda boring?
Do we expect a concert of unpredictability, innovations crossing boundaries?
Do we expect a circus concert with roller coaster rides all the time?
Or do we just need a concert packed with janaranjaka ragas,slow and melodious?

I understand ppl will argue that each of these variety of concerts hauls in its own group of rasikas.i agree absolutely.
When is a concert considered successful? Artists who say we sing for our 'aatma tripthi' and not bothered about the crowd are only being dishonest or too proud to admit the low attendance in their concerts.I believe am correct in saying that an artist's success very much depends on the attendance in their concerts.We all know artists who had packed concert halls in the past but now are struggling to host a crowd of quarter of the hall strength.Limelight is only for few years whichever field it is.so an artist's success hugely depends on the crowd in his / her concerts.The artists who are crowd pullers are sought after and paid in huge by the Sabhas.
So it is only right that the artists do everything in their might to be crowd pullers.,but to the extent of compromising on soulful old carnatic music to the immensely diluted so called carnatic music that we hear so much thses days?
Being an ardent fan of carnatic fan for more than forty years, i am writing this with so much grief and sympathy that We rasikas are responsible for the current downhill of carnatic music world.I do know that its a bold statement.But very frankly speaking,no musician can claim responsibility for this.An artist's goal in life would be to become popular and to contribute to the music world by nurturing the shishya parampara.As we know, the rasikas play the major role in making an artist popular,later more the popularity,more the crowd.thats how it works isnt it? Artists are diluting the essence of carnatic music, with objectionable swaying of raga lakshanams in alapanas ( no not raga bedam,..they were lost in their thoughts that they lost track of their raga in a concert..and i was surprised to see crowd applauding)and singing all time favourite ragas and songs to which the crowd applauded as soon as the keethanai was started.Have the rasikas lost their thirst for listening or learning old songs withmore solidarity yet stirring? The artists are just catering to their rasikas..I was painfully disheartened to see
the very low or complete scarcity of younger generations in most carnatic concerts last december.What is happening here is we as rasikas have failed miserably in nurturing a rasika- parampara.We have failed to infuse the love for carnatic music,or even the rasika bhavam in our next generations.I was there in Chennai when there were 5 hours long concerts immersed in solid slow bhairavi and fast kharaharapriya with intriguing kalpana swaras ,neraval and out-of-the-world tani avarthanams with crowd comprising different ages,with ordinary acoustics open hall concerts 25 yrs ago..That was indeed a golden period of both Artists and Rasikas.

[Nick H]

There are a very considerable number of us who attend "authentic traditional,aesthetic music" concerts. We may not fill the halls including standing room, but nor do we leave too many empty seats.

Furthermore, there are plenty of youngsters learning carnatic music, and quite a few coming to the concert platform and ensuring that there will be another generation to take over.

There will be another generation to take over on stage, but I do share one concern... why are they not in the audience? It is a small minority of young students and performers that one sees attending concerts.

[priyaram78]

To attract the youth into the carnatic music scene more concerts should be held, provided tickets are not that high. Educating newcomers about the raagam and composer of a kriti before every rendition will attract more listeners. With due respect to the trinities, it is now time to include more kritis composed by other composers too. I have attended so many concerts but have never heard musicians sing a composition of Sri Venkatakavi or Ambujam Krishna or of many other composers. Its time to bring some changes into the carnatic music scene, which has more performers than rasikas.

[munirao2001]

Vishwambar Sir
Performers are responsible for quality-Intent, Content and Delivery. Rasikas do not imagine first and demand change or new. Performer imagines and offers a variation or modification as his 'style'. Rasikas liking support and also make demands on other performers.
Conditioning of the mind with memories of beautiful experiences creates urge for recall pleasure of such experiences. It is not totally the quality of the performer(s) but of memory. Mind unwilling to enjoy the live, the present but focused on the past, past of memories.
To enjoy Classical music, a rasika must have a minimum theoretical and music appreciation knowledge. Majority of the rasikas do not take seriously learning the minimum knowledge for music appreciation. Rasikas also go by the 'herd' mentality in appreciation and support, in the sense that if more and more rasikas are attending and supporting a performer, the performer's music must be exceptionally good. Only 'popularity' appeals.
Rasikas have to be clear in their choice -1) Art music rich in manodharma with aesthetics; 2) Art music with equal emphasis on Sangita and Sahithya Bhava; 3) Music with primacy for Sahithya; 4) Art music with judicious balance of Svara and Laya madhurya; 5) Music with primacy for laya madhurya; 6) Music high on Devotional content.
In the pre modern cutcheri padhati, the concerts duration were 5-8 hours consisting of few compositions of prabhanda and raga alapana given major time. Modern cutcher padhati, the concert duration was planned for 3.5 to 4 hours. The concert plan emphasis shifted to more number of compositions with one major and one or two minor compositions or with RTP taking up a min.45 minutes. The concert plan was also to meet the requirement of both pandita and pamara, with tilt towards the pamara. With the advent of AIR, the concert duration has become 90 - 120 minutes. Rarely 90 minutes. Rasikas make exist from 45th minute to 60th minutes. Rasikas give total time only for popular performers. Life style changes and choices for entertainment becoming more and complex, Rasikas have to make clear choice. To expect the experience of 3.5 hours concert with 1.5 hours concert is not correct. Performers and Rasikas make a clear compromise.
With quality education, a career, comfortable life style, the present times performers taking full advantage of technology are mastering the aspects of music which was considered beyond reach or extremely difficult, with ease. Rasikas support to meritorious in terms of time and resources will ensure quality. Senior citizen rasikas and Middle age rasikas have to make the children appreciate the values in classical music listening and enrichment. Rasikas supporting the talented children to learn and succeed with comfortable living, recognition and reward the Classical music will reach the critical mass.
Rasikas also must be clear that Good-Bad-Indifferent-Poor-Ugly are part of the nature and present at any time. It is equally applicable in Art/Classical Music practice and rasikatva. Ideals of Indian Classical music is both Idealism and materialism , similar to religion. Chief goals for Indian Classical Music are `1) Pandita ranjakatva 2) Pamara ranjakatva 3) Pandita and Pamara ranjakatva, the best.
munirao2001

[Suvarnangi]

Munirao sir,in short ,what u mean is
1. Performers are responsible for their art
2. Rasikas need to be educated
3.Rasikas must encourage a 'rasika-parampara'
Correct me if am wrong sir

[Navaneedham]

Dear Viswambar ji,
I share yr concern too.I just realised how we rasikas have more responsibility in shaping the future of our carnatic music.Guess we must learn to put our feet down firmly for unorthodox music.May be the musicians can do lec dems more often ,especially in schools and colleges ,to spark interest and curiosity in carnatic music in youngsters.

[VK RAMAN]

Music is universal and international in its melody and rhythm and no matter what music one sings or listens, they will find joy, peace and harmony. Let us not tie music with our rigidity.

[rajeshnat]

.I was there in Chennai when there were 5 hours long concerts immersed in solid slow bhairavi and fast kharaharapriya with intriguing kalpana swaras ,neraval and out-of-the-world tani avarthanams with crowd comprising different ages,with ordinary acoustics open hall concerts 25 yrs ago..That was indeed a golden period of both Artists and Rasikas.

Sethuraman,
Usually all of us think golden period is 1940 to 60 especially when GNB-MMI-SSI ARI- MS amma - MLV - Flute Mali- TNR etal performed . WHen you say 25 years before -the year was 1989 madurai somu i think exprired that year, may I Know who else was giving 5 hr concerts then, please educate us . I thought 5 hour concert apart from few centers in may be kerala was simply not there.

I think per se the norm of 3 + hours concerts of 80's diluting to a default of 2 hours has killed lot of music surely in india. I am still in the dark as to who I should blame the artists , the sabha , the sponsors etc . We need to bring the atlanta, miami and tampa of today back to india,that is my wish and I am sure it is a miracle if it happens.

[munirao2001]

Suvarnangi

Yes, with important addition of 'consumer beware'-Rasikas demanding and supporting merit and excellence, not limited to popularity. All the stake holders to work for taking the Karnatik Music to the level of critical mass in music appreciation.

munirao2001

[munirao2001]

VKRaman
What is the level of acceptance and appreciation of KarnatiK Music, Globally, if your holistic statement is true? The statement to become true, listening experiences are to be given and promoted.

munirao2001

[venkatakailasam]

As a rasika, my expectations are slightly different...

We would expect artists to render new ragas ......

and also still unexplored compositions of Trinities as also from GKB,Venkata kavi, Ambhujam Krishna, MuthuThandavar and others..

I am sure that many rasikas are with me...in the expectations...

It is regrettable Some artists are not allowing even radio recordings …for sharing...

Carnatic music recording industry is in a total shambles..as RSachi pointed out elsewhere…

There are to be more online downloads available…Artists themselves can start selling their music online..at a reasonable price..

[munirao2001]

Venkatakailasam

Performers did take to offering rare and scale based ragas detailed handling. Great Maestros disturbed by this trend advised many talented Maestros to restore the balance and sense of proportion. Great Maestro Kalyanaraman is the typical example. Cutcheri paddhati is based on madhyama and prati madhyama ragas for rakthi.
In the present times, performers are offering what you desire. Many a times purists rasikas are yearning once again restoration of the balance and sense of proportion. Along with time tested major compositions for a detailed raaga alapana-thri sthayees, composition rendering with strict adherence to the patantara sudhatvam based on the bani, neraval showcasing the manodharma with style in sama and mel sthayee and svara prastara based on manodharma of both kalpita and kalpana in three kalams and nadais-vilamba, madhyama and turita, offering other vaggeyakaras meritorious compositions, different from trinity compositions in some aspects is the sampradaya.
Rasikas not investing time to familiarize with creative tools in Karnatik Music, guided by the popularity, pleased by the novelty, thrilled by the artificially induced power in acoustic assisted rendering, excited by the deafening volume assisted by the mikes and support systems and rhythm based, have become insensitive to melody and aesthetics, hall marks of Indian Classical Music. Visradhi and Vilambakalam have become part of history and archives.
Rasikas must expect quality in merits, demand rasanubhuti and intellectual satisfaction. Except in thematic concerts, rasikas should leave it to performers the offering and with total attention listen, alive creative beautiful happening moments, not in expectations of reveling only in recall pleasure, their likes and dislikes. Conditional support of rasikas has brought about the present trend and status. Let the performers have their rightful freedom in creativity. Witness maya, the wonder works of manodharma in Art music of one of the Greatest Music in the World-Karnatik Music. Beneficiaries are both the artist and the rasika. Enrichment of Tradition in continuum. Ensuring immortality of Karnatik Music, beyond doubt.


munirao2001

[venkatakailasam]

munirao2001ji...

When I read your postings, I am reminded of the Scotland born English literary figure Samuel Johnson...

who made lasting contributions to English literature.....

Only thing is that there is no Boswell to decipher ...now here...

I could not find a vocal Artist rendering
Gowlai – “Aganitamahimā
Thodi – “Jatādhara Shankara...both of venkatakavi
or GKB's compositions:
Harahara Siva Sankara in nattai
Maravamal eppadium in Sri
Maaya Jalangal in Ragamalika.. by Smt Ambhujam Krishna...
and many more such compositions..including many from Trinities..
When I say rare ragas, I mean for example Dwi Madhyama Panchama Varja ragas
or many unexplored Janya ragas.....
When an artist is able to render a RTP in a rare raga, then we can confidently say that he had achieved a mile stone in carnatic music..

[rajeshnat]

Venkatakailasam
As years roll by the number of compositions are going up , so it is quite a challenge for any one to sing all compositions .
In dwi madhyama raga , suryaprakash has sung a suryashri RTP.
Overall in the last 10 years for sure all musicians are indeed unearthing more and more rare compositions and with respect to RTP there has been a real thrust where musicians are indeed singing rare raga and lot of creative rtp. We only have one problem - that is short duration concerts where musicians are not able to express themselves- that is all .

[hnbhagavan]

Hello friends,

I usually go to a concert without expectations and i am open. Infact,I like to hear what the singer wants to give and I am totally opposed to listeners' requests.This totally disturbs the pattern of the performer.One incident for which I was a witness took place in Seshadripuram Bangalore in the early 60's.
Sri MDR was the performer.After the Tani,Listeners wanted him to sing Samajavaragamana.MDR replied that he needs two days of continuos concerts - one to sing what he wants and the other day to sing listeners's requests.He also mentioned he does not want to sing the song as a poetry and he needs time and space to sing.He also mentioned that memory does not cooperate always.
These days i find Rasikas disturbing performers whils doing an Alapana or neraval or tani disturbing listeners and performers.
In fact It would be a good idea to keep a seperate box away from dias to put in the requests and this can be given to performers after tani.

[munirao2001]

Venkatakailasam
In a discussion format of this forum, one can always seek clarity. Only suvarnanagi recently sought a clarification.

The Great vaggeyakaras compositions and selection of raagas establishes the place for raaga. It is a fact that scale based raga delineations is roller coaster rides, exciting, thrilling and a novelty. I have heard one prominent spokesperson at Bengaluru making a statement that when a performer sings a rare raga, he is moved and is in tears. In one of my meetings with Semmengudi mama this aspect came up. He said " unga andhra maanga oorukai romba ruchi dan, thottukka sari, atthaye saapittupaaren, ranam daane varum, manadukku varaade. Namba sangeetam, kalyana sappattallavo".
The exceptionally talented many young musicians we are very fortunate to have, they have the crossed the 'milestone' you have bench marked, with ease. But they are found wanting in handling the major janaka ragaas. Raagas with gamaka pushti are much more challenging. With anusvaram perfection only one can succeed.
I hope 'Bosewel' services are not required now.

munirao2001

[venkatakailasam]

" they have the crossed the 'milestone' you have bench marked, with ease"
Not to my knowledge...even though my knowledge is limited ..
I have come across only Suryaprakash has rendered a RTP in Dwi Madhyama Panchama Varja ragam Sooryashree
as Rajeshnat pointed out above...Suryaprakash was kind enough to share with me:

Listen here:

06-RTP-Sooryashree-RTP with sooryashree,soorya,mohanakalyAni
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/2bege93 ... lyAni7.mp3

To my knowledge, none else so far..If you have any Kindly, share..

As no composition of Dwi Madhyama Panchama Varja ragam seems to be available, the artists have to render only RTP in these ragas..I hope I am correct..

[munirao2001]

Venkatakailasam Sir

If a prominent patron like Nalli Kuppuswamy Sir and dedicated event manager comes forward to support a thematic concert on dvimadhyama ragas by young maestros like Chitraveena Ravikiran, Vijay siva, Sanjay Subramanyan, T.M.Krishna, Sowmya, Malladi Bros, Shashank, U.Srinivos to name few of them, it will prove and confirm my observation and statement. We have exceptionally talented young maestros with both lakshya and lakshana gnanam.

munirao2001

[venkatakailasam]

Their capacity is never in question...
Is it necessary to have thematic concert?
If there is inclination to render a second RTP of shorter duration in their concerts,
it will help...and may suffice...
It seems D pATTAMMAL has composed some songs in dvimadhyama ragas..

I could not get them.from her web site..

[munirao2001]

Venkatakailasam

We are in the times, even one RTP time to a performer is a rare opportunity. Why thematic concert? Success is better with good preparation of both the performers and the rasikas. Other alternatives are AIR/DD 'special' concerts and concerts in Dec music season with predetermined and announcement of special focus in AALAPANA, Kriti, NERAVAL and SVARA PRASTARA, handling as a second major composition.

munirao2001

[hnbhagavan]

Dear Sri munirao,

Post no:15

I expressed my views that one should leave it the performer on his choice for the concerts.i have mentioned an incident for which I was witness in one of Sri MDR's concerts.
perhaps my posting went unnoticed as there was no reference to it.Sri MDR very strictly adhered to his choice for the concerts.
A similar incident was reported in Malleswaram Sangeetha sabha,bangalore.An elderly gentleman passed a chit asking for a particular krithi.sri MDR read the chit before each Krithi and used to look at the gentleman with his smile.The rasika used to think that the next one which follows will be his choice.But MDR never took up the song requested.
I believe that one should leave the platform to the artists.
These days Rasikas walk out after 1 hour of concert start and it will be difficult to expect RTP given this scenario.

[munirao2001]

hnbraghavan
Presentation in art music is the prerogative of the performer. Performer takes to the platform for expressing his art music, whose values he cherishes and enjoys. His intent is to partake the pleasure. Performers with this ideal, would like to offer what they have chosen for the performance. Rarely they do accommodate the rasikas's request(s), because their values to adhere is to the Bani. All those other performers who have gained popularity and patronage of rasikas and those performers in pursuit of popularity, seize the opportunity to please the rasika(s) by entertaining the requests. These performers high values for 'style' in winning the appreciation of rasikas are of two categories-First kind making a judicious balance of what they want to and what is expected from them. Second kind will try their level best to understand the pulse of the rasikas, plan and strive to deliver the maximum satisfaction to the rasikas. This is the reality of modern cutcheri paddhati. Judgment on which suits more to the tradition should be based on the very goal of classical art music, excellence of the aesthetics, emotional and upliftment aspects.

munirao2001

[CRama]

Reg #19 of VK- singing multiple RTPs.
It really happened in Mudhra Music Festival IIRC, in 2009. The vidwan was TMK. It was a RTP Special concert. He commenced with a short pallavi Vathapi in Hamsadhwani and went on to sing four RTPs of various duration. It was a spellbound concert which only TMK can do. That was the time he has not invented his present concert format- ragam for one song, tanam, for another and pallavi in another ragam. IF Mudhra releases that concert as Commercial album or webcast that concert, it will be a treasure for music lovers.

Pallavi Durbar concerts are the best platform to listen to variety of pallavis in intricate talas by galaxy of musicians- from veterans like Suguna Purushothaman to young vidwans like Ramakrishnan Murthy. Last year Pallavi Durbar concerts were announced to be webcast by paalam. but that has not happened so far.

[rajeshnat]

Reg #19 of VK- singing multiple RTPs.
It really happened in Mudhra Music Festival IIRC, in 2009. The vidwan was TMK. It was a RTP Special concert. He commenced with a short pallavi Vathapi in Hamsadhwani and went on to sing four RTPs of various duration.

YOur post is there ,TMK sang three RTP not four. G ravikiran had clarified . It is one of the 4 hour concert that Mudhra organizes for only one artist in Dec season.

===== Posting relevant portion from Dec 2011 By Gravikiran=================================

Clarification:

Sri TM Krishna sang three pallavis in this concert.

1) RTP - Hamsadhwani - Khanda Triputa Trisra Nadai - "Vatapi Ganapathim Bhajeham"
2) RTP - Todi - Adi Talam Misra Nadai - "Tirupparangiri....."
3) RTP - Kapi - Shlokam Tanam - Pallavi - "Sri Parvati Parameswarau...."

- Ravi Kiran.

[vasanthakokilam]

By sheer coincidence I was thinking of such a multiple RTP concert a couple of days back. I did not even know TMK had done this before. My reason for thinking about that was different.

I was idly wondering about artists' ability to compose their own songs as a routine practice and sing them in concerts. In the ragamalika section of RTP, a good artist can sing the same words in different ragas quite well and extemporaneously so. So melody and rhythmic skills are already there but coming up with original lyrics is a different skill. Then my thought drifted to the possibility of some exceptionally and naturally talented artists who do not have a huge repertoire of compositions. They should be able to sing amazing RTPs. And that is what led me to think about a concert with multiple RTPs.

How does one gain raga knowledge without learning a lot of compositions in each raga? That is a good question and what is actually required is the natural skill to extract the plentiful raga nectar from the various compositions. That is a different skill from nailing hundreds of pre-composed pieces to the greatest level of detail in lyrics, melody and rhythm and remembering them day in and day out. Rasikas expect the artists to get every last detail memorized and not consult any written material.

Let us take a small detour and look for similar concepts in the field of writing. Though there is respect for talented people who can recite great past works with flair (say of thiruvalluvar, kAlidAsa or Shakespeare ) and interpret them in their own way, original authors who produce good works are given an equal or higher respectability by the society of admirers of the written word. Those authors, as part of their training would have read all the great authors of the past and drew inspirations from them but they need not be great at reciting them as is.

Assume there is such a genius CM artist who has imbibed all the raga rasa of great compositions but has not focused his/her time on preparing to sing thousands of per-composed pieces. They can be great RTP artists who can sing for 4 or 5 hours with multiple RTPs in different ragas. Or they can tune a few lines of great past works of other authors in superb melody and rhythm and sing them. Not exactly the same way every time but with variations to suit the context and their manodharmic internal state.

I highly doubt CM rasikas would throng to listen to such an artist however much of a genius the artist is. I will be very glad to be proven wrong.