TELECAST- Melaragamalika Rendition by R.Vedavalli - PODHIGAI

[sivapriya]

Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan, born in Vaiyacheri Tanjore, is the author of the grand masterpiece "Melaragamalika" , a wonderfully stringed garland of compositions in each of the 72 mela ragas, as systematised by Govindacharya. These compositions are in praise of Lord Pranatharthi Hara and His Consort Dharmasamvardhini.

DD PODHIGAI, as you all know has been telecasting a programme on the 72 mela scheme on Fridays ( 5.30 p.m. IST) with repeat telecasts on Mondays ( 9 a.m. IST), wherein five musicians including Smt. R .Vedavalli have been presenting the various raga facets with details and songs pertaining to the specific raga, including the specific composition in that raga from the Melaragamaika of Maha Vaidyantha Sivan

This series comes to a close on Friday the 12th of March , 2010, with the last two (71 and 72) in the the Mela series, presented by R.Vedavalli.

Thereafter during the subsequent three Fridays, to follow , viz. the 19th (March), 26th (March) and 2nd (April), DD PODHIGAI , will Telecast a complete rendition of the entire 72 Melaragamalika composition of Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan, in its original format, by Smt. R.Vedavalli, herself. These telecasts will be at 5.30 p.m. IST

The repeat of these will be done as follows : on 15th ( March , last 2 Melas).
On 22nd ( March) and 29th (March) and 5th (April) , the repeat telecast of the entire composition of 72 Melaragamalika will be done. These telecast will be at 9 a.m. IST.

A Rare Opportunity for the music fraternity to hear and archive the rendition of the entire Melaragamalika, in its original format, by none other than the musical legend Sangita Kalanidhi Smt. R.Vedavalli.

[mohan]

From http://www.carnaticcorner.com/articles/mvsivan.html

In the palace of Sakaram Saheb of Tanjore, there was an ancient marathi manuscript in 72 mela ragamalika composed by the court poet Venkata Rao. The Raja desired that this should be sung. Pattinam Subramanya Aiyar and Namakkal Narasimha Iyengar tried it but in vain. Maha Vaidyanathan set it to music in a week's time and sang it before the Raja. The Raja was very pleased and gave large presents. But Vaidyanathan was not pleased with himself. The whole composition in Sakaram's Court was a mere nara-stuthi. So he reached Thiruvayaru and in the temple precints composed the 72 melaragamalika in praise of the presiding deity, Pranatharthiharan.

These 72 ragas were divided into twelve chakras with six ragas in each. It begins in Sri Ragam with the opeining words "pranatharthi hara prabo purare". It is set to adi talam. It begins with Kanakangi and ends with Rasikapriya. Ramaswami Sivan added chitta swarams to this piece. After singing the first mela ragam, the swara amaippu of the second mela raga would follow, and in this fashion the entire swarams were made.

The 72 melaragamalika, the pride of Carnatic music, and the longest single composition, ranking along with Muthuswami Dikshitar's 108 ragatalamalika, is an achievement without parallel in the sphere of musicial composition. This is his magnum opus and has both a lakshna and lakshaya value.