Query:Theermanam or not

[KNV1955]

Should a mridangist end along with the song or add some colourful or clourless theermanam (ending phrase) for each song? Which one you feel is aesthetically better? Is there a tradition? Just want to know the opinion of Rasikas.

[Rsachi]

I feel it is a question of aesthetics. After a profound KVN rendition of Mokshamu Galada or Krishna Nee Begane, any percussion pattern at the end will destroy the mood. On the other hand, if there have been a lot of swaras with pyrotechnics, the teermanam adds to the mood of the song.

I feel Palghat Raghu and Mani Iyer were VERY good in this aspect.
Just my opinion.

[pattamaa]

there should be continuity till the end... so, it depend on what was sung, how was it sung, based on that mridangist can choose the ending / theermanam... as sachi says, it will be spoiler otherwise (as we see sometimes these days)

[KNV1955]

Sachi I found practically Raghu has ended with the song for KVN for almost all the songs.Just heard 1967 MA concert which if you remember we heard together in your house at Mandaveli once.Even if there is any extended playing (very rarely) it is a structured pattern anticipating well before the song ends. I find Anand his gifted grandson also follow this style. I heard him recently at Bharat Sangeet Utsav playing for Abhishek & Balamurali Jr.( He is brilliant). Almost all other Mridangists end up playing virtually a mini loud thani avartanam after the song is over & sometimes as much as 3 rounds of the same pattern. The audience seem to like it because there is a big round of applause after that. But I felt it takes away the impact of the song in most of the cases. I want to know if is there a tradition from the laya pundits. If yes what is that.

[arasi]

Yes, listening to the greats gives an idea to newbies and established artistes alike.

The playing may be suitable to the song or to the way it is sung. Yet, however good the final strokes turn out to be, they should be used sparingly.

Another way to see it is to watch some newbies play it (very well too) at the end of every song, and we know exactly that one flourish of a finish is enough (besides the tani)!

[Rsachi]

The best people to answer this question would be people like
Sri K S Kalidas
Sri Karaikudi Mani
Sri T V Sankaranarayanan
Sri O S Thyagarajan
Sri V Ramachandran....

KNV, the example of 1967 MA is precisely what I had in mind. Yes, moderation is key to this. That Anantha follows this is another sign of his right approach.
Without taking names, the opposite camp is represented by many big names of today. But I am not in agreement with them.
I am a layman.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

I feel Palghat Raghu and Mani Iyer were VERY good in this aspect.

I agree with you.

Percussionists of today tend to do 'mini tani-s' after each number irrespective of the 'weight' of the song which is a sure shot for an applause that pleases the main artist too immensely .

I am surprised to note that it has become customary to render mora and korvai / highly extended teermaanams at the end of Pancharatna kriti presentations! Tiruvaiyaru too is not spared.

In one instance a young percussionist brought the teermanam to arai idam for the eduppu of Endaro Mahanubhavulu! Fortunately the singers didn't resume the Pallavi!

[thanjavooran]

IMO theermanam is mainly based on the tempo of the Krithi handled. Let me recollect a reference here though not relevant. Years back at the Aradhana ,Thiruvaiyaru, PMI played for Annasamy bagavathar's Hari Katha. A B mentioned that he was a bhgyavan and it is very difficult to play for Harikatha as one to stop playing , the moment Krithi is stopped.
Thanjavooran
06 11 2015

[Nick H]

Percussionists of today tend to do 'mini tani-s' after each number irrespective of the 'weight' of the song which is a sure shot for an applause that pleases the main artist too immensely .

I know that you attend many more concerts than I do (and for more years too) but I do feel that this is an exaggeration. I would say that most mridangists finish along with the artist for most songs in most concerts. I would say that this is the standard, the "correct" thing to do. And that the "standard" duration is half an avarartanam --- with flexibility, but measured in aksharas, not in whole cycles!

There are always exceptions, and they are, as Rsachi says, governed by aesthetics. If it feels right, it is right. A rousing song may invite a rousing percussion full stop. A rousing concert may even invite an extended thiermanam at or after the close of mangalam. Of the many mangalams and their accompaniments that I have seen, one sticks in my mind: the thiermanam was extended, but not as a crescendo, but quite the opposite (I forget the word), gently tailing off to a gentle close. I thought it was a very beautiful way to finish. The mridangist was Madrimangalam Swaminathan.

The matter is actually quite often agreed, or one could say controlled, by the main artist. His or her glances may request a finish, or invite a continuation --- and sometimes one may see the mridangist adjust accordingly, either way, to do as asked. The main artist may impose his will on the accompaniments, but they should not impose their will on the main artist. Sometimes we do not see the glances, and "blame" the wrong person.

"Opinion" was requested! I do have a strong opinion that it is quite wrong to play extended thiermanums for all or most ---or even many--- of the songs in a concert. There may be some mridangists who feel that they are entitled to this "mini-thani" at each and every turn. I don't think so. On the other hand, sometimes the main artist will signal the mridangist to continue, sometimes for several cycles, for multiple songs. I can't blame the mridangist for that!

Flexibility is increased in situations where there will be no thani. On such an occasion, I think we can permit the mridanist a few avartanums plus mohara and a short korvais for one song. It is a thani of sorts: I call it a "CD Thani."

[KNV1955]

Nick I am happy you agree with my viewpoint about ending with the song. I don't know whether Vocalist instigated or otherwise, as high as in 80% of the cases the Mridangist plays an extended thani or Theermanam or korvai whatever you may like to call. The proof of this is available in the various webcasts of Raga Sudha Hall Concerts; Arkay Centre concerts; the on going Bharat Sangeeth Utsav Concerts. I don't want to name the percussionist. But I was prompted to write this thread after I got sick of the loud endings in one of the Bharat Sangeet Utsav Concerts here at Chennai. I am generally disappointed with the standard of Mridangists presently dominating the CM Scene. Be it embellishing the songs or playing for Nereval; Swaram. There are only extremes, too loud or too soft.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Another not so welcome practice is to play 'poruttam phrases' matching the anupallavi / charanam that follows. Even the anupallavi 'chanduru varuni' of Endaro Mahanubhavulu is a much sought after 'take off point' for percussionists to align poruttams ! There must be sort of restraint in this. 'Team work' among the percussionists is so common in this exercise!

[Nick H]

Does that mean when the thiermanum is based on the opening line of the anupallavi/charanam? I don't know the technical term.

Again, sometimes it works very nicely, but, somehow, if overdone it is... well, overdone! It proves that the mridangist knows the song, but hey, they are supposed to, and that they do should probably have been obvious in other ways already.

Nothing that the mridangist does should ever be overdone, and "effects" should be kept to a minimum. When distributed through a concert, and used sparingly, they can be pleasing. I used to notice, when first listening to my teacher play in concerts, that those what did he do there? moments were seldom, if ever, repeated for me to find out. A pich of salt enhances, but a handful ruins.

This is even true for dance mridangam, where the style (and the mridangist) are so much more up-front.

[Sivaramakrishnan]

Nick,
I was referring to the percussion interludes between the pallavi & anupallavi; anupallavi & charanam .

Yes, the percussionist must be knowing the song to present 'poruttam phrases'.

[vasanthakokilam]

Let us seek some guidance from the meaning of the word thIrmAnam.

In common parlance, it means decision, determination,conclusion,resolution, settlement etc.

When you decide or determine or resolve or settle something, the common thread among all those words is that things are coming to a conclusion. That is the key word. It can be a conclusion of a paragraph, a section or the whole thing.

Anything that unambiguously signals such a conclusion is a thIrmAnam.

So far so good.

In CM, thIrmAnam is played between P-AP and AP-C in addition to the end. The aesthetics of it demands that thIrmAnam is not just a fill-in but it is also a lead-in to the next section. The role it plays there is not captured by the word thIrmAnam.

For example, AP starts in the middle of the middle register and tends to go up in notes, dynamics etc. The mridangist has a lot of aesthetic options to choose from. One can take the 'matching option' where you lead the way with a not-so sedate thIrmAnam and the Vocalist will simply ride on that flow. It is quite exciting. Or for a contrast, the mridangist can really make it very sedate giving the Vocalist the opportunity to take the lead. That is a different type of excitement. Continous flow is good, contrast is also good. It all depends on the context. If the concert is not coming together well ( kaLai kattalai ), the mridangist can do wonders with some dynamic thIrmAnams. That is not the time to go the sedate route.

As an exercise, think about what the right lead-in for the P to AP transition for 'EnATi nOmu phalamO' ( bhairavi ). The pallavi settles down in a calm manner. The beautiful and dynamic beginning of anupallavi is quite catchy. The mridangist can do wonders there to adapt the two sections.

Similarly, charanam has a different kind of beginning. It is more or less level in the lower portion of the middle sthyai. How do you lead into that section with a thIrmAnam? Again, there are quite a few aesthetic choices available. In reality it is a P-C transition and it depends on how the Pallavi ends. Some pallavis end on the high and others on the low, not just in the notes but in the speed and dynamics. Mridangist needs to provide an adaptation between the two. Again, think of how one will bridge the P ending and C beginning of enAti nOmu in contrast to the P-AP transition.

Those are the things that distinguish a talented mridangist, a good mridangist and a great mridangist.

So the right word to use for thIrmAnam in those contexts is another suitable word that brings forth the meaning of 'adaptation'. Poruththam (matching, fitting etc) comes close to describing that aspect.

[munirao2001]

It is Sampradaya-following the great maestros or Convention- a pact/understanding between the artists. There are no written rules. In sampradaya, there were two schools. One school believed that giving the support on tala and kalapramanam while playing for kruthi, embellishment in niraval svaraprastara/kalpana and their creativity and skills showcasing in taniavartanam. Other school believed embellishment also for kruthi in addition to other aspects of manodharma sangeetam. The focus was on imagination and creativity on nadai and porutham for the kruthi and the main performer's manodharmam. Their vidwath was recognized in giving accompaniment higher over taniavartanam.

The need to attract and win the patronage for entertaining the listeners, rhythmic outlook has become centrality-be it kruthi, niraval, svaraprastara/kalpana apects. The temptation and compulsion for commanding the exhibition/expression of applause/instantaneous/premeditated appreciation has reached its high. Vocalist or Instrumentalist adopted the mridangam sollukattus and together, they succeed in creating the excitement. In the present times, the Vocalists and Instrumentalists focus is on imagination and creativity matching the skills of the mridangam accompanying artists. It is 'sahaavartanam' beginning to the end, in possible highest volume-decibels (In SSI's word, tambalam thattudal). This is the 'teermanam'.

Sri Mannarkoil Balajee, who follows sampradaya, will give us more light on this critical aspect, timely topic for discussion started by KNV1955 Sir and I thank him for it.

munirao2001

[Nick H]

Let us seek some guidance from the meaning of the word thIrmAnam.

In common parlance, it means decision, determination,conclusion,resolution, settlement etc. ...

How interesting! As is the rest of your analysis. Is there also an instructive etymology to the word mohara?

In practice, though, I don't think that the thiermanam is restricted by its literal definition. What do you think of the suggestion that it is not so much the thiermanam itself but (leaving aside, vital though they are, issues of eddupu) as the handling of the next beat that determines whether we have reached an end or a continuing. The simplest first-lessons thhermanams work in this way, as is demonstrated by the tekka lessons in the classroom, long before the mridangist reaches the stage.

[shankar vaidyanathan]

I also think that Mridangam should end with the vocal rendering, except where the main artist indicates continued play. I find that when the artists are an established "set" they have an intricate understanding of how and where it is going to end so they have the anticipation. The opposite seems to be true when they have not performed consistently together. Sometimes, I have felt where the main vocalist has ended quite abruptly wherein the Mridangist is maintaining the laya hence takes a half or full Avarthanam to complete.

I have a question for the Mridangists amongst us. I have felt that the theermanams at various places within a song have been played differently..."handled" differently may be technical term...as they sound differently...is this true or simply my imagination? Are these taught by the Guru? Is the technique different for Mridangam and Kanjira?

[shankarank]

In SSI's word, tambalam thattudal

That should get an Oscar these days! .

The GhatankAran
( SSI's ninda stuthi for Shri THV - alluding to the donation of all his royalty to Kanchi Mutt - that was in a speech - in this concert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZGLNlMTv_k in an intermission speech March 1st or 2nd, 1997 .)

produces more sound varieties than thousands of dollars worth of drums!.

Said who : Not me the jingoist. A spanish sailor turned Columbus Museum guide in Corpus Christi, TX. He did share a bit more things he knew about CM world that are interesting to reflect on - will do that elsewhere.

[shankarank]

I have a question for the Mridangists amongst us. I have felt that the theermanams at various places within a song have been played differently..."handled" differently may be technical term...as they sound differently...is this true or simply my imagination? Are these taught by the Guru? Is the technique different for Mridangam and Kanjira?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF8h9sAgmxE has interesting approaches in between the song, including the one long kArvai held by the vocalist in Anupallavi.. Mostly syncopated with the song itself!

[shankarank]

Here is another one by Shri KRM

http://www.sangeethamshare.org/rao_shar ... 01-TNS_TIS

Before the caraNam ( annamE varNam in Arabhi) , the tIrmAnam has an interesting modification of often used tIrmAnam from 1/4th. It is taken from samam instead. More gaps in phrasing. Something stalwarts always seem inclined to do.

[shankarank]

C.S Murugabhoopathy when accompanying SSI here: http://www.sangeethamshare.org/gvr/SSI_ ... SI_TNK_CSM is a minimalist when it comes to tIrmAnams.

Whereas here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61YXZGi2qpM with MDR he many times explodes with tIrmanams only. If MDR ever put tAlams audibly - credit goes to CSM here. Some people have to just sit next - they don't have to do anything - music pours.

In his late years here is the abhipraya mridangam: http://www.sangeethamshare.org/ramakris ... dali-1988/

Do you think whatever he plays there is ever taught to him by somebody?

P.S: Hear all these oldy tapes in the car - the road noise sort of cancels ( not technically) the hissing noise and cavity reasonance of the auto-chamber helps!

[shankar vaidyanathan]

Thank you, shankarank, for the pointers. I am a novice in the Laya/Tala. I will slowly listen through what you provided!