Composer(s) of a kriti - what it means
Shiva Shivakumar
I think it is no longer sufficient to list the composer of the lyrics as the
composer of the kriti. The person who set it to a given raga/tala needs to
be mentioned too.
The compostions of Annamacharya, Purandara Dasa, Kamban, Arunagirinathar,
Andal etc. have been set to music by different musicians. How the original composers
sang these is anybody's guess. This is not to say that the compositions of the
trinity have not evolved over time but in most cases, they picked the raga and
the tala. (I think if you get one of your disciples to set the raga/tala, that's
delegating the work and you can call yourself the composer in the fullest sense)
The compostions of Annamacharya and Purandara Dasa in particular are sung
in varied styles. At least for me, it's hard to accept a very light rendition
of a composition as a Carnatic kriti just because the lyrics were composed by
a great poet. I have heard Gajavadana beduve in Hamsadhwani and a few other
ragas (Hamsanandi, Mohanam etc.). Only the Hamsadhwani version, IMHO, sounds
like a solid kriti. I would very much like to know who set it to this raga.
(I figure it can't be Purandara Dasa since he lived before R.Dikshidhar who
'created' Hamsadhwani )
I know that there are a lot of people who do not know that Bavayami (the
popular MS version) was set to music by Semmangudi. Annamacharya compostions
have been set to music by Prof.S.R.Janakiraman, Sri Nedunuri Krishnamurthy, Dr. Balamurali,
to mention a few. While these people (well, at least some of them) may not be interested in the publicity, I think their names need to be mentioned as co-composers of the kriti.
I think the film industry has been doing a good job of that.
On a related note, I would like to see some standardization of the pre-trinity
kritis. I hope more and more musicians sing the Kambaramayanam kritis in
the way TNS has sung them. Something like what happened to Ariyakkudi's
version of Tiruppavai. I hope the future Balamuralis show their creativity
in their own compostions and not in changing the raga/style of an existing
compostion.
regards,
Jagadisan Shivakumar
Upender R Sandadi (Bad to the Bone)
> In article <3h64gt$6...@b30news.b30.ingr.com>,
> Shiva Shivakumar <jshi...@b30news.b30.ingr.com> wrote:
>
> >I know that there are a lot of people who do not know that Bavayami (the
> >popular MS version) was set to music by Semmangudi.
>
> `bhAvayAmi raghurAmam' was originally in Saveri (Adi). It was
> Semmangudi who turned it into a ragamalika. The original dhatu is
> given in some books.
>
> Narendran
>
Is the reason for changing it to a ragamalika the varied
emotions in the song. I believe song is a condensed version
of ramayana.
Upender R. Sandadi
(in short Reddy)
re...@shasta.ee.washington.edu
Srini Pichumani
<jshi...@b30news.b30.ingr.com> wrote:
>
>ragas (Hamsanandi, Mohanam etc.). Only the Hamsadhwani version, IMHO, sounds
>like a solid kriti.
Even this version is somewhat unsettled, or so it seems;
due to the slightly different renditions of this Hamsadhvani
meTTu by different people.
DKP/DKJ have rendered this in Kedaram; somehow, this
relatively sober version seems "more authentic" than
the Hamsadhvani version.
I wonder in what raga vidvan R.K.Srikantan sings this
composition.
-Srini.
Venkatesh Sridharan
: > `bhAvayAmi raghurAmam' was originally in Saveri (Adi). It was
: > Semmangudi who turned it into a ragamalika. The original dhatu is
: > given in some books.
: Is the reason for changing it to a ragamalika the varied
: emotions in the song. I believe song is a condensed version
: of ramayana.
: Upender R. Sandadi
-------
I'm not sure how correct this is, but supposedly, some musicians were
skipping a few of the charaNams in the krithi (because it was too long
to render in full?), and this resulted in an 'abridged' version of the
rAmAyaNA :-) In order to ensure that the krithi was sung completely,
Semmangudi turned it into a rAgamAlikA.
Also, is'nt 'bhAvayAmi' now set to rUpakam ?
Venky (Venkatesh Sridharan).
Paliath Narendran
Shiva Shivakumar <jshi...@b30news.b30.ingr.com> wrote:
>I know that there are a lot of people who do not know that Bavayami (the
>popular MS version) was set to music by Semmangudi.
`bhAvayAmi raghurAmam' was originally in Saveri (Adi). It was
Semmangudi who turned it into a ragamalika. The original dhatu is
given in some books.
Narendran
Vyjayanthi Manian
>Is the reason for changing it to a ragamalika the varied
>emotions in the song. I believe song is a condensed version
>of ramayana.
The reason (that I have heard) is that the ragamalika forces people
to sing all 10 verses as opposed to singing just the first and last
(as is done traditionally).
I am not sure if anyone sings the song in a concert setting.
I have heard some "mami's" sing it during the "oojal" in a
wedding, and others began to groan!
vyju manian
kalyanaraman shivkumar
>
Even this version is somewhat unsettled, or so it seems;
due to the slightly different renditions of this Hamsadhvani
meTTu by different people.
>
I have heard Maharajapuram Santhanam rendering it as :
.
; s R gP N - G P S | N ; ; ; | gp np gp gr || sr ... (etc)
gaja vada na be- du ve gou- ri- tha- na- ya-
{ The whole song is sung in Aarohana paddhathi }
The version I learnt refrains thus:
. . . . . .. .
; s S nP G - G P N | S ; ; S | S , n rs , sn | N
--
gaja vada na be- du ve gou ri tha na ya- -
.
The pallavi using S lavishly as a nyasa swaram and resting note ....
I've found both the first version also to be quite interesting construction.
-Shivkumar
--
Shivkumar Kalyanaraman (shiv...@cis.ohio-state.edu)
Office phone : (614)-292-8578 Home phone : (614)-299-8634
Office : 2015, Neil Ave., DL 474-57, Columbus OH 43210
Home : 77, W. Northwood, # D, Columbus, OH 43201
--
Shivkumar Kalyanaraman (shiv...@cis.ohio-state.edu)
Office phone : (614)-292-8578 Home phone : (614)-299-8634
Office : 2015, Neil Ave., DL 474-57, Columbus OH 43210
Home : 77, W. Northwood, # D, Columbus, OH 43201
Mohan Ayyar
>In article <3h64gt$6...@b30news.b30.ingr.com>, Shiva Shivakumar
><jshi...@b30news.b30.ingr.com> wrote:
>>
>>a great poet. I have heard Gajavadana beduve in Hamsadhwani and a few other
>>ragas (Hamsanandi, Mohanam etc.). Only the Hamsadhwani version, IMHO, sounds
>>like a solid kriti.
>
>
>DKP/DKJ have rendered this in Kedaram; somehow, this
>relatively sober version seems "more authentic" than
>the Hamsadhvani version.
>
Smt Sudha Ragunathan mentioned (while she was down under) that she
has learnt the same Gajavadana in dhanyAsi.
Mohan Ayyar
may...@extro.ucc.su.oz.au