Laya viSranti is ignored in any commentary. In spite of rehearsing umpteen times, in spite of composers intent whatever, in spite of Bhakti or Bhavam , that the music delivered on a particular day can produce nuances on the time axis , is not even considered.
All this Bhakti Bhavam is very special property of eco systems that reared them. Depends on what all inputs went into it. That people across the country in some fashion of their own can connect to MSS's Music obviously first had to do with lot of entry criteria like voice quality, tonal quality , all getting the highest marks.
Plus it has to do with the thing we hate to hear these days - the under current called Indian culture - based on Sanskriti - Bhakti Bhavam being one of them. This Bhakti Bhavam can manifest differently from symptomatic point of view between regions, but still there is a common under current that feeds all of it!
Now we even want critics to use Bhavam and aesthetics of emotion to be used in critique! If MSS became popular, and thousands throng what was the need for any criticism. Shouldn't the critics rather focus on the less popular musicians considered creative in their books - who are tiring it out??
But then even , with all said about her music vs. the music of her "creative" male counterparts, a cursory observation of her female successors reveals ( and many of them had appealing voices for their times) , the weakness in layam! A Murthy mama accompaniment will destroy their music, if a destructive testing were to be conducted! All of them had saukaryam (pliable/accommodating) accompanists!
That we classify creativity into certain forms like neraval and kalpana svaram , but ignore the "musical" , "artful" , "structural" sans "emotion" creativity in compositions in their rhythmic placement of syllables and how they are negotiated by a singer reflects the paucity of even innate understanding of the art!
But then, that she could not pour out melody with abandon as she did in her young age, is made into a huge creativity issue.
If you want the metaphysical - there is the Chandas the meter that is basis of sound , that even precedes the svaras. If you want scientific there is the post "Brief History of time in music" of mine - that analyzes the structural ordering and overlay of various components!
No we won't believe what we experience and discern , we'd rather look for termite infested manuscripts to glean "original" composer intent - mozart style!
What we need is an Indian definition of Truth and Indian method of truth construction - not all these intellectual mumbo jumbo based on some material facts!
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