Why Varnam First?

[Rsachi]

Why Varnam First?
The name of Ariyakudi is as much contentious these days in Carnatic music as that of Mahatma Gandhi in the body politik. Ariyakudi has been maligned for the iron fetters of Paddhati and making it mandatory for Varnam to be performed in the beginning.

These are my thoughts as I emerge from the bathroom.

1. Varnam is a taut, well constructed kalpita sangita which brings together raga and tala and tempo and grammar in a wonderful manner. This is a masterpiece of constructed Carnatic music. All musicians agree that kalpita sangita is the foundation for mastery of our music and learning the masterly compositions well is a key to competency. That's why Varnam is taught first before keertanas.

2. Varnam means colour. It has the resplendent colours of Carnatic music. Similarly it is the centrepiece in Bharatanatyam.

3. Madhyama kala is the strong point in Varnams.
Incidentally the most popular concert style of the past 60 years emphasises Madhyama kala. It is also not an accident that Ariyakudi came from the Patnam school which specialises in Madhyama kala.

4. Again Patnam was a prolific composer of Varnams. He taught the Begada at tala Varnam to Vasudevachar and told him that he had been taught everything there was to know about Begada.

5. Rather than a warm-up, the Varnam is a test for the ensemble of main artiste, accompaniment, tambura and everything else including mike and lighting to be ramped up quickly for the success of the concert.

6. The audience settles down quickly during a Varnam and knows the tenor of the concert ahead.

7. With no complicated sahityam and niraval etc., the Varnam addresses the core values of music alone and helps the artiste to tune in.

8. If an artiste is not warmed up to deliver, the Varnam is indeed a wake up or warm up for him or her. It is like the pummel horse in gymnastics. You have to get a lot right in one go.
Viva la Varnam as a bright start to a concert!

[hnbhagavan]

Good points by Sachi.I look forward to Varnam first in each concert and i blame myself whenever i am late and varnam is already over.the varnam has all the elements of a concert Raga,Bhava and Tala.A good rendition of varnam is a sure stepping stone for a good concert.

[venkatakailasam]

Shri. RSachi..I think you are coming round to ShriTMK'S views..

He wrote in a message to me..
" i have used the varnam as the main item. many varnams contain the essence of the raga. varnam is magnificent compositional form like krithi, padam etc and deserves to be showcased too i believe and not used only to warm up voices."

[Rsachi]

No sir. Varnam is NOT similar to a kriti or Padam.
These three are similar just like we can say the cow, elephant and tiger are all similar as they are mammals and have four legs.

[harimau]

No sir. Varnam is NOT similar to a kriti or Padam.
These three are similar just like we can say the cow, elephant and tiger are all similar as they are mammals and have four legs.

Growl, growl (in agreement).

[SrinathK]

The beauty of varnams is their incredible scope of interpretations. Instead of just asking why varnam first, it would also serve well to expand all the roles that a varnam can play in Carnatic music and dance.

1) It could be presented as the opening, sub main or main and within each there are an incredible number of ways in which they can be sung or played -- sung in different speeds in different nadais (totally there are 13 different speeds possible in the 5 nadais !) and even as a filler when sung as simply as possible. This is only sparingly done in a few krithis (e.g. Sri Subramanyaya Namaste).

2) They are the central main composition in dance repertory, so it isn't at all that the concept of varnam as a main number is a new thing.

3) A good varnam opening sets the energy level of the concert to follow and can make for an electric or raga bhaava filled start. As an opener, a good varnam isn't that different from experiencing a Sehwag or a Sachin open in full form. . Only a pancharatna krithi can (by virtue of it's content) compete with a varnam in this aspect. Any other opening (a thillana or javali) requires great competence on the part of the artist to set a good opening aesthetic.

4) Varnams can technically explore all the ragas and talas in various kalais -- though the gamut of ragas and talas has not yet been explored in entirety, so there is still plenty of room for expansion in this form.

5) The Parur school for one can play varnam in almost 30 different ways of interpretation in a huge variety of technical and musical styles bringing out virtually everything that can be done on the instrument. So they have great scope in instrumental music. Admit it, CM unlike other instrumental music systems can still do more to develop an instrumental repertoire (though there has been significant efforts, say, melharmony for e.g., among the older forms, only varnams give enough scope for (some) instruments to show their own unique capabilities).

6) Then there's the Lalgudi school, which apart from revealing new dimensions in ragas with exceptional phrasing, has done a great service by expanding the lyrical content of varnams to explore other bhaavas and coming up with some really original, lyrically rich varnams in several languages. (Point is, and also as pointed out by Prof. TRS, that most varnams blatantly copy each others lyrics, seem to have a rather small vocabulary of words and all the old ones stuck to Telugu and the theme of the love torn heroine hankering for Vishnu). Now I haven't heard TRS' or BMK's varnams yet, but to sum up, the rasa aspects and lyrical aspects of varnams have only expanded with composers like LGJ.

7) We learn ragas and swara from varnams to say the least.

8) Really complex ones like HMB's "Mohananga Murali Dayakara" (Mohanam) or "Maate Malayadhvaja" (Khamas) add jathis and shruti bhedam too to the mix.

9) Varnams also have full scope for neraval and kalpanaswarams, especially neraval as they are not so lyrically dense and are open to a huge number of neraval lines. Plus the added challenge of neravals in many other talas (again it is just beginning to expand into these possibilities).

10) Did I forget to mention the scope of tani avartanams in several talas and eduppu possibilities (again I don't know if it is in the grammar of varnams, but they haven't explored their eduppu possibilites like krithis have)

10) Ragam Tanam Varnams are as weighty as you can ever get in CM. A varnam can almost reach the impact of a small concerto as it can at least have 2 movements (the 1st half and the 2nd half being sung in different tempos). An RTV is definitely on par with any major concerto.

11) Ragamalika and talamalika varnams haven't yet been fully explored. With my ears also used to hearing several concertos in WCM, I don't think the full range of speed variations possible in varnams has also been fully explored. (Chowdiah rendered different parts of a pallavi, anupallavi or chittaswaram in 3 different speeds that still fit in the tala).

12) Varnams explore variations of singing swaras in ways that are not found in any other composition -- long arithmetic calculated kampita gamaka heavy ones, repeating patterns, moto perpetuo (no gaps), even korvais possibly (again I don't know how far korvais have been used in varnams).

13) Varnams are breeding grounds for vocal exercises in many syllables to develop tone, voice control, breath control, gamakas, strengthen the resonators and a great area to learn tanam.

Summing up, we can say that there isn't a composition form THIS versatile with this much scope for expansion and this many ways of interpretation. However this form may evolve, varnam as an opener isn't something that will lose it's flavour at any time. The attitude of seeing a varnam as a way to warm up the voice has reasons -- a) it actually does warm up the voice (and the brain) and b) might have been due to time constraints and travel issues back in the day, that the musician probably sometimes only got the chance to warm up on the stage -- but in present time, seeing it ONLY as a warm up exercise isn't serving it justice. The International standard is to be warmed up before coming on to stage and I can tell about violinists who warmed up for almost an hour before the start of the concert. Varnam as an opening item has to be seen in light of it's aesthetic and musical worth and the impact on the concert overall.

Also a new trend in audiences is that with modern technology and increasing awareness of the history and evolution of the art form, audiences and musicians are opening up to exploring new dimensions to varnams and this is good for the variety, since the full scope of CM a such is far too big for just one person or one style or even a few thousand musicians of varied styles to explore in a lifetime.

[Nick H]

Why varnum first? well, why not? Is it a big deal? No: why should it be?

Is it necessary to "warm up?" For the artist, why should it be? They are professionals, and practice/performance is their job. For the audience? Possibly. And we have made it our habit. I found it a little hard to plunge straight into the deep end (very deep) at the recent dhrupad veena performance --- but those accustomed to that music would not have done. It's a matter of what one is used to.

[ganesh_mourthy]

I am certainly of the opinion that if a musician considers something as a warming up , he should do it just before the precise start of the concert, for which , there should be a dividing line for you to know when the concert starts.

To use the term " warm up " for varnam, by itself, is wrong, if it is being understood that way. If TMK wants to ornate Varnam and accord it with a special status , that is a different story.
The only problem is, he wants to get polemic on it , instead of just going ahead quietly with his musical odyssey , which might get accepted or washed off in the due course of time , which is what we call as "time tested".

If an invention is extraordinary , it will definitely draw attention , slowly but surely , be it concert system, teaching system, learning system, style or anything for that matter. But the agitation sometimes kills the process and being polemic is one of it. Basically you are shunning the existing patronage and vise versa ,which by itself, NEGATES THE IDEA AND TRUE INTEREST TO REACH OUT TO ALL.

My statement is , the extraordinary quietly wins, IF IT IS TRULY EXEMPLARY.

Coming back to the point, phew , what was I talking about ? ....

Ok here...

Like in games as in Tennis ( which once upon a time I used to represent my state , those were the days ... Never liked to chit chat on Music ... those are for the old timers... and now I am here )

In games like tennis, you can very well come to the ground where you play , the spectators are still there, and you can do the warm up , hit the ball on net, no problem, walk casually and remove your jumpers ( not in India where you have not to wear one at all) , do a couple more rally , walk to your coach, if you had one, for some tips (or to ask who will sponsor for the canteen food ) , gulp water or juice, and the picker boys are not there yet , you casually do different strokes without minding the in and outs of the ball ,net or points , check the mobile and put that in silent mode, and actually that is warm up. AND THEN THE GAME STARTS.

Now, that is not how Varnam is. You cannot check your Sa Pa Sa after a couple of line, gulp water, cannot try a alapana here and there within lines, take a mobile and say " we are just "VARNAMING UP" and cannot talk once the concert starts.

In fact, Varnam has a clear framework than a Kirthana and musicians sing it diligently so far , though some use the word "Warm Up" without understanding the concept of warm up. So , why does TMK harp on that misnomer is strange, instead of going ahead with his experiments.

Varnam seems a perfect start which has clear cut , disciplined , musical expression.

[Nick H]

"Varnaming up"

Nicely reasoned and nicely put!

[SrinathK]

Kutcherikku makkal varnam (varanum) !

Hence we need it to ask the audience to come to the concert... and in the case of some, they won't unless invited at the start

[HarishankarK]

Yes warming up with a varnam sounds like - there is no issue if during varnam singing there are mistakes, sruthi lapses etc etc. That should not be the case. Varnams are very beautiful compositions and should not be compromised with or merely treated as warming up items. And Varnams do have the qualification to be treated as sub-main or main items also. Nothing wrong with that. It's all in our mindset.
And tradition prescribes invocation to Lord Ganesha before starting anything and that is all not followed by all artistes. No issues with that also.

[KNV1955]

You can learn a kriti in 2 classes. It usually takes a little longer 3 to 4 classes to learn a Ata Tala Varnam because of the intricacies in Varnam. But in Music Academy half the performers in 11.45 & 1.30 & several senior artists didn't sing varnam. Academy should insist upon 11.45 & 1.30 performers to sing a varnam. Otherwise Varnam as a concert item will vanish in 10 years.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Why not we render Geetham-s in concerts?

[SrinathK]

TNS started off with Sri Gananatha on one occasion. And then we have to mention Dikshitar's western note keerthanams (I've heard them as ending thukkadas, interestingly courtesy of TMK, lyrically sweet, but I have never heard them as an opener). But why? Geethams really don't explore gamakas or raga and their intent overall is different. I still remember having learnt geetams in vocal well enough that I could play them all in one day on the violin and we moved over to varnams immediately. But on the flip side, where else do you encounter the original rupaka talam and tisra triputa again till you come to the RTP?

The opening number should be something that makes the artiste's intent clear for that concert. So we may find them the day we want the hall full of kids.

[VK RAMAN]

Why not we render Geetham-s in concerts?

Judging artists based on Varnam and their capability - they will not warm up without varNam.

[sureshvv]

Why not we render Geetham-s in concerts?

TMK used to do that too some time back. That was the first indication that something was not quite right in the state of Denmark

[sureshvv]

TNS started off with Sri Gananatha on one occasion.

I remember him doing that as part of mike testing and then segued on to the Dikshitar malahari kriti. The faces of the kids in the audience all lit up at once

[Rsachi]

SURESH,
A real story from friends in Detroit. Here was this NRI kid avidly learning CM. When grandma offered to take him to a Carnatic concert, his joy knew no bounds. After a regular Varnam- to RTP-to mangalam concert, grandma asked the kid how he had enjoyed his first CM concert and how he liked the vocalist. The kid replies, with a tone of reservation, " he was alright, grandma, but then he doesn't know Sri Gananatha, because he never sang it."

[munirao2001]

RSachi Sir,
Varnam was kalpana of the original creativity of the composer. It is kalpita sangitam, if the artist performs as a practiced composition. It becomes 're creativity' with subtle kalpana of the artists when they achieve the sense of mind of the original creativity and perform with the flame of the original shining in its resplendence.
As already observed, it was never meant as a warm up composition but given this interpretation wrongly by the practitioner. Raaga bhaavam, tala and laya, svarajathi and chitta svarams, rarely with apt saahithya bhaavam of the varnams is enabler for the artists to go deeply in to manodharmam. There was also a practice of the raga of varnam being the ragam and composition chosen for the detailed handling- given the identity as 'main'.
With the duration of the performance time getting shrunk, the unfortunate trend of using the varnam without the seriousness and respect it deserved has resulted. To meet the expectation of varnam to be performed, for the sake treatment is in practice. It is to be welcomed that with this attempt and change, the artists and the rasikas become much more serious and respect this important aspect of Karnatic Music.

munirao2001

[Rsachi]

I would like to thank Sri V'Kailasam for this post and the initiative in sharing the TMK Viriboni rendition in RTP (after his permission ):
http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic. ... 75#p275541

TMK sings the varnam in his usual highly competent way, including a rare swara pattern and related sahitya after charanam. He launches into elaborate improvisations half way ( 19:00) in the 38+ minute pallavi=Viriboni rendition.

It is amply clear to me after this listening that:
1. Viriboni is a masterly work in Bhairavi (just like the SS Swarajathi) and stands in its own right as MUCH MORE THAN A routine varnam. It is also a challenging first item for any vocalist.
2. TMK is a great musician.
3. Varnam in the standard format (which is therefore not in the Viriboni class) should be sung first, for all the reasons we have discussed here.
4. There are exceptional renditions of varnams like Viriboni which can become RTP class with musicians like TMK or Abhishek or Sanjay.
5. There are also exceptional musicians like KVN and MDR who routinely sang Viriboni as a brilliant start to their concerts. I have enjoyed Abhishek himself begin many concerts with Viriboni.

[rshankar]

Isn't viriboni sung in an abbreviated format traditionally - i.e., aren't there parts called prabandam (?) that are not typically sung?

[kvchellappa]

MS amma's concert album with viribhoni as the opening piece and bhairavi sung as main (e nati nomu) is unforgettable. As a lay rasilka, I feel she has done full justice to the varnam even as an opening piece and elaborated on bhairavi later. It appears to me that in this combination, she has treated the raga, varnam and kalpana in a fully satisfying way. So, even Viribhoni as an opener is thrilling.
As to the argument put forth earlier that varnam has lost its place because of singing it first, I wonder whether singing a varnam in every concert as a starter keeps it as a more vibrant adjunct in the concert platform or singing it sometimes in the non-concert platform does more justice to it.

[Rsachi]

KVC
great thoughts.
Yes I can imagine MSS doing full justice. Wasn't that her USP?
about singing a varnam in the same raga and later doing the main piece- this is a format I have observed in Sri KVN also.

[ganesh_mourthy]

Though a bit tangential from the subject, would like to know how many would like to learn a varnam with same enthusiasm as learning a krithi, especially after you get into the swing of singing with notations. I find it extremely hard especially until I place the sahithyam in place with the notation. It is more of ahaara and just a letter somewhere fits in a swaram here and there. I quickly progress with the ahaara of the complete varnam, sing it notation, play that in instrument, but the sahithya gets really hard for memory .

I find it the same with people who learnt along with me. This does not mean that I dont enjoy learning varnam at all. I like to sing as many times after learning and like to listen too as much. But , the learning part takes a longer time than krithis. So, do you enjoy learning varnams as much as you sing them?

[Rsachi]

Sir,
I think a Varnam has to be learnt by listening and repeating in the presence of the teacher. It builds up the akaara and laya control.
There must be a reason why they place varnam where they do in the syllabus
Notation and learning from script is perhaps a lesser option in CM?

[VK RAMAN]

Did Tyagaraja or Purandaradasa sing or compose varnams?

[ganesh_mourthy]

Yes , the antiquity of varnam is something we don't know enough. Seems recent.

[VK RAMAN]

If yes, did they title the song as Varnam?

[shankar vaidyanathan]

I have been reading this thread with interest and have benefited from the scholarly opinions.

Placing the Varnam first seem to suggest an invocation or prayer perspective at the start of a concert.

As the student progresses through carnatic learning, Varnam seem to be the transition point where preparation for professional performance begins in earnest. I am of the opinion that learning more Varnams gives better comprehension of raga delineation, and, laya patterns.

Best,
Shankar Vaidyanathan.

[rshankar]

Placing the Varnam first seem to suggest an invocation or prayer perspective at the start of a concert.

Unless the prayer was to the local landlord/king, I am not sure of this conclusion given the profusion of 'adi nI pai marulu konnadi rA'-type varNam lyrics.

[VK RAMAN]

Most of the audiences are Lords having lost their land

[venkatakailasam]

deleted

[thenpaanan]

First of all, regarding the "warming up" charge, I don't think even the old timers would agree that they needed any warm up. Professional pride and what not. B. Rajam Iyer once told me that singing a varnam at the start is purely an aesthetic thing. Ariyakusdi would often signal his RTP ragam -- he sang the varnam in that ragam. Of course Shri Rajam Iyer was in praise of everything Ariyakudi and the paddhati was no exception. If at all warming up was needed he said, it was for the audience, especially in settling down an audience (in an open air setting, say) that is restless and needs its attention united. This, to my mind, means that it is not the varnam that is important -- any brisk and well-recognized kriti would do. And if the audience is already settled in (to the extent that it ever does during a concert) such as in a sabha setting, this argument is moot.

In my own experience the varnam is useful for a different reason. The one difference I find between varnams and kritis is that most musicians sing/play a varnam the same way. For kritis, even well-worn ones such as a vaataapi gaNapatim can show considerable variance from one musician to the next due to the latitude allowed by the tradition. I have found that a varnam is a good way to achieve rapport with the accompanists. I assume that the violinist and mridangist can play the varnam without having to guess how the singer (me) is going to sing it. Again one might argue that one needs this artifact only when faced with an unfamiliar accompanist and one would be right. Most groups on tour in the US don't perform a varnam to start off, perhaps because they are already familiar with each other's styles.

If for instance the group can practice a piece in the green room (or at home) before coming on stage they would not need this throwaway piece as a starter and get right into the "serious" stuff.

Which begs the question? Are Carnatic musicians the only ones who need to warm up on stage? What about other forms -- Hindustani, film, pop music? How do those performers cope?

-Thenpaanan

[arasi]

Thenpanan,
Spot on, your point about the starter being a familiar one to all on stage and so, will make a good start for the vocalist, bringing the accompanists in without starting with a kriti.

By custom or by its very nature, a varNam also gives the audience a comfortable feeling of settling down to a performance, its musical structure appealing to us. I would leave the words out of the ones which are anything but an invocation Even with those, we are more absorbed in the music than with words.

A viribONi more or less signals a substantial concert and we look forward to what is in store for us.

[KNV1955]

The one difference I find between varnams and kritis is that most musicians sing/play a varnam the same way. -Thenpaanan

Not really. I have seen lot of difference in the way Viriboni varnam is handled by different vocalists having learnt couple of varnams myself. To some extend Varnam in Ata Talam in two speeds is quite tough to sing. Is that the reason some avoid singing Varnam.

[msakella]

As I have already mentioned somewhere else in these posts and also as our brother-member, srinathK, already indicated in one of the above posts Varnas are played in 30 kinds in MSG’s technique of Violin-play. Being the follower of MSG’s techniques for much of my life and also being very fortunate enough to accompany him once in his Violin-solo-performance at Hyderabad I was also able to play very few of those varieties.

But, in my serious observations in teaching the different finger-techniques to the Violin-aspirants, I have found that still there is another finger-technique of the Great Violin Maestro Late Lalgudi G. Jayaraman. This could only be identified in his Violin play while playing the Varna-Sharanagatavatsale-Kadanakutuhalam-Adi. Unless the Violinist adjusts his fingerings accordingly to bring out the continuity of sound he/she will be compelled to play only the cut notes of this Varna like all the other Violinsts generally do. Only keeping this in my view I have played all the 9 select Varnas on Violin, videoed, cut them division-wise to be helpful to the learning of the aspirants and uploaded them to ‘youtube’.

To tell the fact, this only opened my eyes in making the Varna crucial in the logical process of learning of the aspirant. If the learning of the different oscillations of notes is very strictly made logical making the learning of Varnas crucial and if the process of learning is also made very strictly logical any aspirant certainly becomes able to render even the intricate Svarakalpana even before learning the first Kriti. We have very strictly been following this method here in our institute, Swarabhangima and all the 80+ kids are able to do the same very easily, very quickly and very efficiently.

Thus, apart from all other things, for an efficient, honest and reliable teacher the teaching of Varna truly stands crucial. Many of our musicians will not appreciate me if I write that I cannot call him/her a music-teacher if he/she goes on teaching beyond Varnas to the aspirant. But, this is possible only if the process of teaching/learning is very strictly made logical. To our music-teachers, who have been mainly used to live on various illogicalities and irrationalities, it is not that easy to find or follow these logicalities. amsharma