Natabhairavi lakshana question

[david]

I am interested in learning what are the characteristics of the carnatic
raga Natabhairavi. Does it have particular gamakas or prayogas? I have
done some research (in Kaufmann and Pesch) but such things are hard to
learn from books. One carnatic musician told me that Natabhairavi "did
not have much scope" and that it usually had to borrow from other ragas
like sindhubhairavi or others which are more substantial. I suppose, in
another way, I am asking if it is more of a theoretical raga from the
Melakarta system whose janyas are, in fact, more important. I welcome
your views on this!

Thank you
David Claman

[Chitravina N. Ravikiran]

Natabhairavi started out as a theoretical scale but
thanks to kritis in it like Sri Valli Devasenapate by
Papanasam Sivan, its shape is getting better defined.
Also, it has been handled in Ragam Tanam Pallvis by a
few artistes like Dr. M. L. Vasantakumari. She was
known to render this expansively. I have also heard
Thyagaraja's kriti 'Chetulara' which is usually rendered
in Bhairavi, being rendered in Natabhairavi by Sangita
Kalanidhi Smt. T. Brinda.

Essentially, the ORNAMENTATION in Natabhairavi is
minimal. The notes G, D can be oscillated slightly on
occasions, especially in ascent but can also be rendered
plain during descent. N can be rendered either way in
ascent and descent. The rest of the notes are always
rendered plain.

In ragas like Natabhairavi, an artiste is better off
when he somehow brings in to play almost all of its
notes frequently rather than focus on a few and suggest
some other ragas.

Natabhairavi is one of those ragas which has more janya
ragas which have overshadowed it in frequency of use
like Hindolam, Saramati etc. (I don't prefer to place
Bhairavi and Anandabhairavi under Natabhairavi as they
are closer to Kharaharapriya, I feel.)

Ravikiran

[Ganesh Sriram]

Was `naThabhairavi', by any chance, an earlier name (or an alternative name)
for the present-day bhairavi?

2 of Muthuswami Dikshithar's bhairavi krithis (AryAm abhayAmbAm and
lalitAmbikAyai) contain the rAga-mudrA `naThabhairavi'.

Also, the naThabhairavi in MS's rendition of the 72-mELa rAgamAlikA (of MahA
V. Iyer) resembles bhairavi more than the rAga of SrI valli-dEvasEnApatE.

"Chitravina N. Ravikiran" wrote:

--
Ganesh Sriram

Predoctoral Student
Department of Chemical Engineering
Iowa State University

Office: 3061, Sweeney E-mail: gsr...@iastate.edu
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011, U.S.A.

Home: 218, N. Hyland, #102 Telephone: 1-515-268-1532
Ames, IA 50014, U.S.A.

[Ashish A Pradhan]

Delete

[Ashish A Pradhan]