Soulful rendering of ...

[Prabhakar Chitrapu]

Sri viSvanAtham (14 rAga mAlika) of dIkshitAr by Ramakrishna Murthy....

Wanted to share ....

https://youtu.be/6SihjaJ9BWY

Sent from my iPhone

[M.M. Subramaniam]

Prabhakar,  Uma

Thanks for sharing the video/audio.  Indeed, it is a soulful rendering of this monumental composition.  Actually Prabha and I had heard it sometime ago and wanted to it share with you, but somehow didn't materialize.  It is interesting that in the reversing of the ragams after the anupallavi and also after the charanam, Ram sang the swarams as well as the sahithyams.  In all the versions that I have heard they only sing the sahithyams.

regards

Mani

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[Sridhar Gopalakrishna]

Hi Mani and Prabhakar

thanks for sharing.  Interestingly there is also a similar unhurried-pace version from TMKrishna on Youtube, with same 2 accompanists!

Mani, I am curious to know  why you found the 'reversal swaras' as interesting.  

This entire composition is very intriguing for me in terms of structure and mathematics that Dikshitar employed.  will elaborate on that later.

regards

Sridhar

 

[M.M. Subramaniam]

Sridhar,

Nice to hear from you after a very long time.  How are you all?

Perhaps interesting was not the right word, but I have never heard any other musician singing the swarams  as well as the sahityams in the reversal.

regards

Mani

[Sridhar Gopalakrishna]

Hello Mani

thank you.  It is always nice to connect back with old friends!

Here is my personal journey with this kriti..perhaps there are more analytical studies out there - but here goes..

This magnificent composition by Muthuswami Dikshitar is very complex in the amount of musicality packed into it.  the notes seem simple at first, until you start digging into how each raga is played out.  It was a truly memorable experience to learn it.  There are at least 2 versions being practised.  One version is sung by MLV and others, where certain embellishments are introduced in each raga, especially the Vilamba-kala portions of the song.  The second version is from Musiri Subramani Iyer and eliminates all this - in fact my veena guru Mrs Lalitha Venkatraman explicity said "all that detracts from the main kriti, so no need to do it".

Now the piece itself.  It refers to 14 'bhuvanas' or worlds that have taken the form of these 14 ragas and are offered as a garland to Siva or Vishwanatha.

The 14 ragas are not split as half: 7+7 .  Instead, the structure is:

Pallavi (2), Anupallavi (4), Viloma(reverse), Charana (8), Viloma(reverse).

Each of the 14 ragas has Vilamba-kala phrase followed by Madhyama-kala phrase. 

This itself is remarkable, but even more so, see below.

Number of avartanas:

Anupallavi: 4 ragas total: 2 ragas * 2 + 2 ragas * 1.5 = 7

Charana: 8 ragas total: 4 ragas * 2 + 4 ragas * 1.5 = 14

(why did he choose 1.5 avartanas to the latter portions? is it just to reach some factor of 7 ?)

Finally, it is remarkable  how the composer can bring out key raga lakshana in half-avartanas only!  The pauses and word selections -  all done with purpose (and inspiration).

The ease of transition between ragas is also so amazing.

I really enjoy playing this on the veena - pretty sure Dikshitar did as well !!

I welcome all inputs and comments, especially on things i got wrong!  

regards

Sridhar

[M.M. Subramaniam]

Sridhar,

Nice analysis of Sri Viswanatham - the magnum opus of the great Muthuswami Dikshitar.  One can never get tired of hearing it.  I sorta of envy you that you are also able to enjoy playing the great composition.  Keep it up.

I don't know which recording of MLV you have.  A few years ago, Prabha learnt from a recording that I have, taught to a group here and presented at SRUTI day.  In that version MLV splits the kriti into 1 + 5 + 8 ragams.  She includes Aarabhi as the first ragam in the Anupallavi! Curiously T.K. Govind Rao sang the same order in a concert in Chicago many years ago - i have that recording also.  Do you have Musiri's recording? TKR was his shishya.  From mathematical aesthetics this is quite unappealing.  The geometric progression that others employ is more pleasing.  I suspect Dikshitar must have meant it also.  Of course, SSP has this structure. The analysis of the tala structure in the number of avartanams that you refer to also makes sense in that Dikshitar was probably aiming at the factors of 14.  

I am also amazed at his use of nearly allied ragas and clearly bring out their individualities.  Gowri and Gowlai, both janyas of Mayamalavagowlai are separated only by Nattai. But the seamless movement from Sankarabharanam to Kambhodhi is just marvelous. Their respective swaraupams are unmistakable. Sure, they are strictly not allied ragams but do share quite a few phrases. And followed by Devakriya to boot, a janya of Sankarabharanam!  

What can one say. Guess, quite a lot.  But it is sufficient for now.

Say hi to Anu and give love to children.  I guess, I shouldn't be calling them children anymore, but, oh well ...

regards

Mani

[Uma Prabhakar]

Folks. I am reading the analysis of this song that you both have so eloquently described. May I suggest that you consolidate your writings into a combined expose/study of this piece for maybe Sruti souvenir so more people can appreciate and benefit from your knowledge?  I think it would be awesome. 

With Kind Regards

Uma

267-574-4101

[Prabhakar Chitrapu]

Hi Sridhar

Thanks for writing out the intricacies of the composition & your own feelings towards it.

Before my further comments, perhaps we are "friends from our younger years" rather than "old friends" -:)

* About "all that detracts from the main kriti...", I fully agree with this sentiment. The kriti where I feel this strongly is the "amba kAmAKshi" svarajatis....where I feel any amount of fancification is distracting and ruins the "intended" bhAva!

* About "The 14 ragas are not split as half: 7+7", I guess since there are 3 parts to the composition (P+AP+C), this would not have been a possibility at all.

* About "Each of the 14 ragas has Vilamba-kala phrase followed by Madhyama-kala phrase. This itself is remarkable.." Please don't think I am questioning you, but would like to know if you see here anything more than what is generally found in dIkshitar compositions (vilamba-madhyama combo)

* About "why did he choose 1.5 avartanas to the latter portions? is it just to reach some factor of 7 ?)", I tend to agree with your interpretation. 7 is a factor of 14 and so he could have wanted that simple structure.

* About "The pauses and word selections -  all done with purpose (and inspiration).", could you elaborate on "pauses" aspect? I have not been sensitive to it.

Thanks again for sharing your understandings

Regards

Prabhakar

Best Regards
Prabhakar
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[Prabhakar Chitrapu]

Hi Mani

Thanks for additional info about the allied rAgas etc. Very interesting.

Regarding 1+5+8, it does seem less structurally organized than 2+4+8. Wonder how it came about...did MLV start it or her guru GNB? Or TKG?....

Regards

Prabhakar

[M.M. Subramaniam]

Prabhakar,

On a lighter side; I think only I can truly claim as an "old" friend in every sense.

Mani

[M.M. Subramaniam]

Prabhakar,

I don't know who did MLV learn that kriti from.  

Mani

[M.M. Subramaniam]

Sridhar,

Would you be willing to take a shot at jointly writing about the kriti, per Uma's suggestion. It won't be needed till December.  So, no hurry.

regards

Mani

[Sridhar Gopalakrishna]

Hello Prabhakar

thank you for your comments (and analytical questions!) - what else from a Professor!

As I said, this kriti has the power, it became personal, every time I play it there is something new to observe.  I would classify the Kalyani 'KamalAmbAm Bhajare' in the same category.

1) raga split: in most people's compositions, we tend to see P+A  same overall length as C.  So maybe I was expecting 7 ragas (not just 6) to finish up by the time the first 'reverse' was completed.  In this kriti, it is more like a buildup - I guess 'bhuvana' structure of 2/4/8. 

2) vilamba-madhyama.  Again, maybe typical expectation would be: towards the END of a kriti, madhyama kala shows up.  Here, we see it everywhere.  Since the overall pace is very measured, we don;t notice the change as much.

3) Pauses.  I will defer to Mani's description of how each raga is woven in.  You look at Saranga for example at the very first introduction to that raga you get: R,,,RGM,,,P,mPDN followed by S,,RNDP,PmR,GMRS.  Just superb.  the phrases include pauses for the correct raga lakshana.  I am not sure I am able to explain easily.  Maybe another (equally fuzzy) example:  the kriti "Kaliasa nathena' in Kambhoji is so simple-sounding, but the moment you play the pallavi line, even just landing on higher Sa is very satisfying.  I don't know what in the man's brain thought up the right combinations to get this effect - it is amazing.

thanks all.

regards

Sridhar