Whispering gallery of the Vidwathsabai

Academy Utterances- Conference & differences therein – Balaveenai

This years Music Academy’s Vidwath sabai morning conference session commenced on 16^th December at the Kasturi Srinivasan Hall. The Sangeetha Kalanidhi Elect Sri T.N.Seshagopalan presides and as usual Dr; V.V.Srivasta conducts the conference. This year is expected to be livelier.

For, one cannot come out of the Lecdom even if it is boring (this is not the actual case) as one would certainly desire to wait for TNS comments. TNS is not only a good concert singer but he also makes it evident that he is a powerful speaker having the potential to comment, pass remarks, exhibit how otherwise it could be by singing and throwing out the net for thought provoking.

He is not only humorous but also talks in double meaning and words juggle around at his disposal for pin pointing in different angles. His parallel information is remarkable and throws new lights on the concerned subject. He is said to have his choices for the Lectures this year for both the subject and the personalities.

The Vaggeyakara Vaibhavam cover-ups post Trinity composers and their contributions for what it is worth. Everyday starts with group singing of devotional songs by local mandals.

List of Lectures during the Conference

Saturday 16^th December - Kalpagam Swaminathan on “Patnam Subramania Iyer”

Sunday 17^th December – Dr. Vedavalli on “ Mysore Veena Padmanabiah”

Monday 18^th December – Suguna Purushothaman on “Gopala Krishna Barathi”

Saturday 16^th December - Kalpagam Swaminathan on “Patnam Subramania Iyer”

Pattanam Subramanya Iyer (1845-1902)

Muddhirai:Venkatesa or Varadha Venkatesa

Veena vidushi Kalpagam Swaminathan presented a Lecdem on Patanam Subramania Iyer’s contributions to Carnatic music. A contemporary of Maha Vaidhyanatha Sivan PS Iyer was known for his begada. Besides he familiarized the ragas Narayani, Simhavahini, Kannada etc. He composed both in Telugu and Sanskrit Varnams, Tillanas and kirthanas exceeding one hundred. Poochi and Tiger Varadha Chariar were his disciples. He introduced western style and a bit of new wave (but with in the lakshanams) in his compositions.

The Raga Kadhanakuthukalam is his brain child, and his Raguvamsasuda is a boon to instrumentalists. Iyer was called Chinna Thyagaraja in his times. The popular Navaraga Malika Varnam is a testimony for his under standing of  raga lakshnanams of allied ragas as he has set  the ragas Kambodhi, Yedhukula Kambodhi, Bilahari and Mohanam one after other with distinct identity in this Varnam.

Smt Karpagam Swaminathan played some of his krithis with the assistance of S.R.Padmavathy on the Veenai and Umayalpuram Mali on the mridangam.

It would have been better to assign these illustrative demonstrations to a Vocalist so that the Sakitya suddham and bhavams are well under stood and appreciated instead of an instrumentalist. TNS remarks were solid and thought provoking.

Sunday 17^th December – Dr. Vedavalli on “ Mysore Veena Padmanabiah”

Dr M.B. Vedavalli, Retired Professor of Music at the Madras University presented a Lecdem on Mysore Veena Padmanabiah and his son Veena Sivaramiah the unknown composers of Karnataka with the young Akkarai Swarnalatha on the violin and C.K.Ranganathan on the mridangam. Lalitha Sampath kumar ably gave her the vocal support.

Padmanabiah was well versed in Sanskrit, Telugu and Kannada. His mudhra was Padmanabha and this was often confused with that of Maharaja Swathi Tirunal. He has composed many Jatiswarams which includes a saptha thala jatiswaram also. He has also composed in the raga Satyavathi a janya of Chakravakam, 16^th Melakartha.

He has composed a note in the raga Sindhu mandhari “Kalayamisri Ragunandhanam” which the then Mysore police played this in their Police Band. This in some way has correspondence with the krithi “Karunimba” of Pattanam Subramanya Iyer. His jawali in Kamas raga “Sami nine nambinaru” might have influenced Vasudevachariar to compose his famous krithi “Brochevarevarura” in kamas. He has created a raga Swayambu with only four swaras Sa,Ga,Pa,Sa, - Sa,Pa,Ga,Sa as  scale and this was not accepted by elders as for a raga minimum owdavam is the requisite scale.

TNS in his validation said that there were good composers in Karnataka and for lack of communication we did not have the reach. He complimented Dr M.B.Vedhavalli.

In a un scheduled event there was a demonstration of a new electronic tambura by a violinist from Andhra. Besides Sa & Pa, the Tambura also can be set with the additional swaram of Ga and dha. He set the tambura for Hindolam raga with Ga, Ma, Dha, Ni swarams and sung the raga. But TNS disapproved it saying that our music is dasavidha gamagam oriented and flat notes other than Sa & Pa in a tambura will mar the raga bhavam. He however complimented the inventor saying that this may be used for teaching students the swaras alone in scale and also in light music to produce sound effects.  

Monday 18^th December – Suguna Purushothaman on “Gopala Krishna Barathi”

Gopalakrishna Bharati (1811 – 1881)

Mrs. Suguna Purusothaman ably assisted by K.Gayatri illustrated the songs of Gopalakrishna Bharathi. She did not throw anything new to take note of. A book on Gopalakrishna Bharati songs were published in 1861 with the help of none other than the then British collector Durai who took interest in music.

In this book the famous Poorivikalyani song of Nandhanar charithram ‘Sattre Vilaki irum  Pillaiii’ set to tune in Hamsadwani raga where as it is now sung in Poorivikalyani only. And also the famous “Eappovaruvaro” Madurai Mani Iyer’s favourite, in Kamas instead of Jonpuri raga. Nobody has pointed out that the song “Yarukkuthan Therium avar mahimai” was originally in Arabhi and Dr S.Ramanathan sung it in Devamanohari.

Gopalakrishna baharati met Thyagabrammam and he has composed the popular “Sapapathikki Veru deivam” in Abohi. G.Barathi has also composed Gnakummi, Ganacindu, Chitambara kummi, Iyarpagai, Nayanar caritra, Tiruneelakanda Nayanar caritra and Karaikal Ammaiyar carittra some of them having lost partly. His Manji (very close to the raga Bhairavi) raga is a bit different from Shyama sastri’s in the sense that Bharati has used Anadhara Gandharam in the raga instead of Sadharana Gandharam. Suguna Purushotaman sang some of the songs.  

Prof  N. Ramanathan cracked a joke.When the Nobel literate Chandrasekar went for interviewing a bride for him as arranged, the bride, as is the custom, started singing G.Bharati’s “Tiruvadicharanam” in Kambothi ragam and C.S Iyer stopped it when she began the annupallavi as the sahitya “Marupadiyum….” does not suit to the auspicious occasion!

TNS in his validation illustrated by singing the chittaswaram set to the Jaganmohini raga krithi, “Sivakamasundhari” of Bharati set by Alathoor Venkatesa Iyer and also how Subbudu and Srinivasa iyer used to sing that. He complimented Smt Suguna. He said that to please Mr Durai “Chatre irum pillai” might have been played in Hamsdavani in Tisra nadai in tune with western music style and he sung it too and drew big applause. He said G Bharatis vibakthi krithi has emotional content and it is not suitable for singing on joyful occasions. Dr U.Ve.Swaminatha Iyer has written a book on Goplakrishna Bharati.