Scope in a composition for manodharma and neraval

[kvchellappa]

I have a doubt. Cannot a musician bring his manodharma of a raga in any piece, be it varnam, kriti, thillana or javali? Cannot neraval be done in a line from any composition (provided it has meaning by itself)?

[ramamantra]

I find you promoting tmk in some form or the other...

[SrinathK]

Yes, if you have the skill for it. The problem is that most people don't accept that.

[munirao2001]

KVC Sir,

Karnataka Sangeeta, is fine art form with well defined lakshya and lakshana. Practitioner has to conform to its theory and practice.
Sense of mind in imagination and creativity, achieving skills to recreate, afresh the original creativity and also create, original, anew is the practice based on the lakshana of art form. Raga alaapana, is the highest form, its scope, potential and possibilities for individual and collective manodharma.
Vaggeyakara in his kruthi composes with raga bhavam, in his creativity, subjective and abstract form transcending to objective form. Raga bhavam aesthetic is vyakthi, individual, establishing akruthi, substance and form. Practitioner with righteousness of patantara sudhatvam, in total appreciation, reverence, recreates akruthi of kruthi, sahithya and raga bhavams in rendering in line with the aesthetic of vaggeyakara. Establishing sahridaya with the vaggeyakara, creates, anew, raga bhavam sanchari in sangati ornamentation, adding chittaswaram, change in kalapramanam, as variations and extensions of the vaggeyakara hridaya, intent and content.
Niraval is another akruti, form of manodharma sangeeta. Niraval has to be done on a pada of kruthi, a very significant part of a line before the ankita or pada with ankita line, arudi. Performer has to show case his vidwath in establishing the potentialities and possibilities of aesthetic of matu and dhatu. Performer can not take any line for Niraval.

Pallavi is yet another akruti, form of manodharma sangeeta, either as a part of Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi or independent, own composition or a pallavi already established by great maestros or a pallavi of his bani. Pallavi offers a higher scope for the practitioner over Niraval, conditioned form.

munirao2001

[kvchellappa]

I am interested to know what special skill is required, conceding that I lack the skill to know it. I am not interested in the audience resistance. If A can do it, can B also do it, or is it something only A can do?
If a singer can take a line from an Abhogi kriti and sing a pallavi in KHP, why can't something like that be done from a line from a varnam or thillana, etc.? What is so special about it? Is it a new musical idea or some special creativity?
I am genuinely trying to understand. I am interested in neither promoting nor decrying anybody. As for TMK I will not tire of saying that I admire his musical genius, which was showcased long before his whatever he calls it now.

[KSJaishankar]

A reasonably common Pallavi line is "Tamarasadala Nethru, Tyagarajuni Mitru", usually sung in Bhairavi. The original line is from the chararam of Amma Ravamma in Kalyani; where it is usually the line picked up for neraval also.

Here is an extract from an old article by M V Ramanna and V N Muthukumar on Unusual Pallavi themes

"There are also several pallavis composed in praise of an individual. Our first example is a pallavi sung by D. K. Pattammal, at the Tyagaraja Aradhana in Tiruvaiyaru. The lyrics of the pallavi are the first line of Tyagaraja’s famous pancharatna kriti in Sriraga, entaro mahanubhavulu, anthariki vandanamu (There are several great people and I bow to them all). It is worth noting that Pattammal, who is often described as a musician with great fidelity to tradition (whatever that should mean), sings it in the raga Kambodhi and not in Sriraga. [9] V. Sethuramiah and Palakkad Mani Iyer accompany Pattammal in this recording."

The link to the full article is here - http://www.parrikar.org/carnatic/unusua ... vi-themes/

[Rsachi]

I agree with Sri Munirao.

Any pallavi line can be chosen to showcase the musical content and technical prowess. It is all niraval then. The raga of that pallavi line can be different from the raga of the kriti from which the words have been lifted. No issue there.

When it comes to a kriti and niraval on a line there, there are other boundary conditions:
the line used for niraval should not be truncated to lose the full meaning of the line
the line should allow ample scope for raga and laya improvisations
the words should help in those two aspects (arudi etc)

A musician attempts niraval only after reaching proficiency in presenting the kriti and then being able to improvise the mood in a valued-adding manner. Should not be a mechanical exercise.

This aspect of manodharma is an advanced capability.

Kalpana Swaras are less demanding I think. I feel most musicians mug up the swaras these days.

[Aditto]

To answer your question, let us all keep music aside for sometime.

We are all brought up with some conditioning right from our childhood for different things. Let us call them manners or etiquette. If some one behaves out of this boundary, how do we react? We might not crib at all or we will crib about how things are done.

If Sowrastram offers enough scope for improvisation, one can sing neraval for Nee Naama Rupamulaku Nitya Jaya Mangalam. But is this how we are taught or handled down? NO !!

Let me talk about my thoughts on TMK and his music and the never ending discussions which start whenever his concert is reviewed in rasikas.

Let us consider a lunch or dinner invite with nicely prepared items. We have an order of eating which we were taught by our elders. Will we eat curd first and items in some random order. It must be noted that each of the items is good but the overall effect will not be same for all people if food is served like that.

In the same fashion, if TMK can render or renders the songs by applying his manodharma extensively in the Ariyakudi's concert paddati or one of the existing paddatis, we might not be discussing this extensively about TMK.

Regards,
Aditya.

[kvchellappa]

TMK has said that music should not be compared to food. I am only trying to find out what extra vidwat is involved in doing neraval with a thillana etc., what musical merit is in it, which is additional to the usual fare.

[Rsachi]

TMK guide to Niraval for a Tillana:
1. Sing the tillana at a speed comparable to Bhairavi swarajathi
2. Tantalisingly pause between Pallavi, Anupallavi and Charanam
3. Take any line and sing it 7 times.
4. Imagine it is a prayer to your favourite deity
5. Do niraval
6. Do swaras
7. After the applause dies down, say you don't care for applause.
8. Sing the abhogi varnam or Vatapi.

[harimau]

TMK guide to Niraval for a Tillana:
1. Sing the tillana at a speed comparable to Bhairavi swarajathi
2. Tantalisingly pause between Pallavi, Anupallavi and Charanam
3. Take any line and sing it 7 times.
4. Imagine it is a prayer to your favourite deity
5. Do niraval
6. Do swaras
7. After the applause dies down, say you don't care for applause.
8. Sing the abhogi varnam or Vatapi.

4a. Tell the audience that if he had sung about Coca-Cola instead of a god, his music would still have prevailed and should be accepted by the audience.

[harimau]

I have a doubt. Cannot a musician bring his manodharma of a raga in any piece, be it varnam, kriti, thillana or javali? Cannot neraval be done in a line from any composition (provided it has meaning by itself)?

Since you missed this program by staying in Bengaluru, you can get your answer by watching this webcast:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccxrv89NtDk

[Aditto]

Thank you for sharing this.

[kvchellappa]

Thanks to Parivadini, I watched and enjoyed the event. The person I adore next to MS is Dr.RV.

[SrinathK]

@harimau, It would have been nice if this was the reasoning behind Point 4.a. : "sarvam brahmamayam rE rE" (Sadashiva Brahmendra). But no...

[harimau]

@harimau, It would have been nice if this was the reasoning behind Point 4.a. : "sarvam brahmamayam rE rE" (Sadashiva Brahmendra). But no...

We don't need to give ideas to TMK but "Sarvam Cok-ku Mayam" maybe making its debut on the concert circuit!

[kvchellappa]

Good line. If 'C(h)okku' (mAyam) goes, Brahman will manifest!

[SrinathK]

After which there shall be a pallavi or a krithi warning about the dangers of Coke and a krithi on how junk food turned us into the world's heart disease and diabetes capital. There shall be a moving neraval on that line as the audience weeps remembering how they trashed their bodies and their health in their younger days.

After bhakti and patriotism, coca cola and pizza shall then bring "art music" back down to the level of socio-political causes.

[kvchellappa]

These light interludes regale the mind much as the ones on music inform.