Raga Saraswati

Serge

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Mar 7, 2003, 11:00:21 AM3/7/03

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Raga Saraswati seems to have been borrowed from Karnatic music. In
Hindusthani sangeet practice, in this case, musicians seem quite free
considering chalan, pakar, swara hierarchy, etc. However is there any
accepted usage now (after decades of performance in Northern style) -
Specially concerning Shuddha DHA and Komal Ni in aroha?
Thanks for any enlightenment.
Serge.

Rajan P. Parrikar

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Mar 7, 2003, 12:25:37 PM3/7/03

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sarod...@hotmail.com (Serge) writes:

Yes, there are no universally accepted or prescribed
prayogas but a useful set of guidelines has evolved.
For instance, the avarohi nyAsa on R suggests itself
quite naturally and is, in fact, observed in many
treatments. Likewise the nyAsa on the pancham.

Concerning D and n -

The early protagonosts (eg. Balabhau Umdekar of the
Gwalior darbar who composed bandishes in the rAga)
rendered the komal nishAd alpa (not varjya) in Arohi
sangatis en route to the tAr Sa. To wit, m=teevra madhyam)

R m P D n D, D n D S"

or

R m P D S"

Occasionally DnS" is also taken.

The dhaivat is anuvAdi but sometimes elongated
esepcially in avarohi sangitis, followed by a
repose on P.

There are at least two other rAgas that go by the
same name in the Hindustani paddhati but the Carnatic
adaptation currently holds sway.

The Rampur-Sahaswan vocalists (Ghulam Mustafa Khan,
Hafiz Ahmed Khan) relish this rAga and there's also a
Salamat Ali-Nazakat Ali recording. Vijay Raghav
Rao plays it beautifully and presented a memorable
rendition at the Kesarbai Kerkar Sammelan in 1978.
Among recent performances, watch out for Malini
Rajurkar.

En passant, Chidanand Nagarkar has developed a raga
named Ambika Sarang that draws on Saraswati.

Warm regards,

r

Serge

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Mar 7, 2003, 5:48:59 PM3/7/03

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Rajan P. Parrikar <mylas...@yaaaahoo.com> wrote in message news:<b4akm...@drn.newsguy.com>...

This is enlightenment, indeed.
Merci beaucoup.
Serge.

Bosma

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Mar 8, 2003, 8:29:44 AM3/8/03

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Salamat Ali Khan sings a dhamar bandish in Sarasvati called Karey
Badra, black clouds and while listening one has the impression of a
Malhar variant (Megh with m instead of M!). I've never heard anything
quite like it. I was wondering: does something like "Sarasvati Malhar"
exist?

Hans Bosma

Rajan P. Parrikar

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Mar 8, 2003, 1:23:22 PM3/8/03

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leg...@club-internet.fr (Bosma) writes:

I recall Ramrang mentioning his private, unpublished version
of Saraswati Malhar. It wouldn't be surprising if the idea
has been independently implemented elsewhere. Then there is
Chandani Malhar (see Subbarao) which employs the Arohi
teevra madhyam and the komal nishAd as in Saraswati but
its swaroopa scarcely draws from that rAga. It doesn't
take very much to cobble up one's own Malhar.

Ramrang has conceived "Saraswati Sarang" - the possibility
of (Shuddha) Sarang-anga in the poorvAnga with the introduction
of a shuddha madhyam into the Saraswati framework is exploited.
Chidanand Nagarkar has developed Ambika Sarang in a similar
context.

Warm regards,

r

Rajan P. Parrikar

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Mar 8, 2003, 2:17:32 PM3/8/03

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Firoze Dastur bears out some of the prayogas outlined
in the earlier posting -

http://www.parrikar.org/music/misc/dastur_saraswati.ram

Jitendra Abhisheki has composed a beautiful Saraswati-based
Natyageeta in HE BANDHA RESHAMAACHE. Bakul Pandit -

http://www.parrikar.org/music/misc/bakulpandit.ram

Chidanand Nagarkar's baby Raga Ambika Sarang and its Khayal
composition are presented by C.R. Vyas -

http://www.parrikar.org/music/misc/crvyas_ambikasarang.ram

Warm regards,

r