Gauda Malhar

Rāga related discussions
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mahesh33
Posts: 106
Joined: 21 Oct 2006, 06:20

Post by mahesh33 »

A most enchanting raaga.....MMI always sang this, and his alapana with TNK is to be enjoyed for the ages...I will upload this soon, but are there other notable reneditions in this raaga? What is the hindusthani equivalent?

HMB is a genious...

annapoorne
Posts: 126
Joined: 12 Dec 2006, 22:42

Post by annapoorne »

I think Manda Sudharani presented a wonderful Gauda Malhar for Nadaposana a couple of years back.

thanjavur

Post by thanjavur »

http://www.karnatik.com/ragasg.shtml#gowDamalhaar
gowDamalhaar

29 dheera shankaraabharaNam janya

Aa: S R2 M1 P D2 S
Av: S N3 D2 M1 G3 R2 S

Songs : cinta deercci - TT
jayaa dEvi - HB
saarasamukhi - HB
un tiruvaDiyE aDaindEn - AM
Last edited by thanjavur on 11 May 2007, 08:15, edited 1 time in total.

thanjavur

Post by thanjavur »

Sangeethapriya (Gowdamalhar) links

Sarasamukhi (HMB)

by Bombay Sisters
(contribution - HMG Murthy)
4th song in directory

(contribution - V C Sridhar)
http://www.sangeethapriya.org/Downloads ... amukhi.mp3

by MSM (contribution - HMG Murthy)
8th song in directory

by TAJ (contribution - Vasu Srinivasan)
http://www.sangeethapriya.org/~svasu/13 ... malhar.mp3

by TVS (contribution - R Ramachandran)
http://www.sangeethapriya.org/~ramach/V ... avatar.mp3
_______________________________
Last edited by thanjavur on 13 May 2007, 23:47, edited 1 time in total.

thanjavur

Post by thanjavur »

Last edited by thanjavur on 11 May 2007, 20:22, edited 1 time in total.

SrinathK
Posts: 2477
Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: Gauda Malhar

Post by SrinathK »

gauDa malhAr in CM is a creation of Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar, one of many rAgAs he created. It is a scalar raga with the Arohanam and Avarohanam nearly resembling Arabhi, but with one major difference.

Aro : S R2 M1 P D2 S
Avaro : S N3 D2 M1 G3 R2 S - there is no P in the avarohanam

While Arabhi also admits of phrases devoid of P, the difference between gauDa malhAr and Arabhi is much bigger than it looks. For one, the G3 in gauDa malhAr can be sung plain and can stand on its own legs (actually all the notes can be sung plain, but usually N3 is always coupled to S). This makes it a lighter, laid back and more playful rAgA with a distinct, unmistakable identity that cannot be confused with Arabhi in practice.

But the lack of P in other ways straight jackets the arOhanam - avarohanam a tad, and so if you cross the P, one has to go the DMPD route to come back up, and the PDM route to get back down. This DMPD and the PDM therefore become the most important, instantly identifying phrases for this rAgA.

Being a simple scale also favours the janTa gamaka, so janTa phrases like RRMMPPDD and SNDDMMPD, and Ahatam / pratyAhatam phrases like SR-RM-MP-PD-DS and SN-ND-DM-MG-GR-RSS. DRS is another noted phrases, probably that one occasion where you can jump across the scale. And pretty much any repetitive combination of swaras can work for a leisurely chug of the gauDa malhAr express through the woods. But these patterns also make it more challenging to land on the dot during kalpanaswaras.

There is a gauDa malhAr (aka gaur malhAr) in HM, but this is quite different and has phrases like SRGRMPDN, etc. So this rAgam is not to be confused with that one.

So the most famous kriti of course, is HMB's own - sArasamukhi sakala bhAgyadE - made immortal by his disciple MMI in that ever green recording - MMI rasikas still can't get enough of it and keep demanding TVS to sing it in virtually every concert.

And this is the one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YTy8dAQfyk - the swara combinations of MMI would tell you all that you can do with this rAgA.

Another one - from a live concert : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as07QTyK7CU - note how different the swarakalpana is in this one.

But while MMI rules gauDa malhAr today, history has forgotten about the other great man to explore it - GNB! In his heydays, GNB had sung it elaborately in AlapanA as well - in fact it's the stuff of legend. HMB had 4 tamburas in his possession which he had named Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. He himself was so overwhelmed by GNB's elaboration of gauDa malhAr that he came forward and offered him the tambura named 'Bharata' for his devotion to music. (These 2, GNB and MMI, shared a song hit-list, and were good friends while their fans often went to war...)

http://ennapadampanchajanya.blogspot.co ... -2010.html

"....In the early 1940’s GNB was invited to sing at the Palace of the Maharaja of Travancore. Gayakashikamani Harikeshanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar was the Principal of the Swati Tirunal College of Music at that time. When GNB sang one of the Kritis of Muthiah Bhagavathar viz. ‘Sarasamukhi’ in the rare Raga Gaudamalhar, Muthiah Bhagavathar was lost in wonder and delight by the Raga Alalpana of GNB. He rushed to the stage and embraced GNB and said “I bless you with all my mind and heart. May your fame spread more and more! Though I have composed the Kriti, I never knew or believed that such possibilities existed within the rare Raga Gaudamalhar. I have been singing with one of the 4 tamburas specially made for me and named as ‘Rama’, ‘Lakshmana’, ‘Bharata’ and ‘Satrugna’. I am presenting my Tambura ‘Bharata’ to you as your devotion to music is similar to the devotion of Bharata to Rama...."

Unfortunately no recording of GNB singing gauDa malhAr exists (and that goes for almost all his music at his peak) - and this is a permanent, irreparable loss to Carnatic Music.

Others who have also sung it : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=696zp2qics4 - S Rajam, MMI's first disciple

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V2yohxOKO4 - MLV (fortunately at least the GNB parampara has kept it going).

There is one more kriti of HMB in gauDa malhAr, and in a twist of irony, I believe almost no one even knows of its existence (well at least I didn't, until right now).

jaya dEvi jagan mAtE - http://www.sangeethamshare.org/tvg/UPLO ... is-Part-3/ - Download that, that's the only recording out there

I have unfortunately not been able to find any RTPs or elaborate AlApanAs in gauDa malhAr. And the rAgA, for all its popularity, fizzled out with that. A true one hit wonder.


PS : Alternate spellings : gauDamalhAr, gowDamalhAr, gauramalhAr. I have even seen a gauLa malhAr once.
Last edited by SrinathK on 07 Nov 2019, 06:35, edited 1 time in total.

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Gauda Malhar

Post by rshankar »

Nice! Thanks!

Your write-up also throws up another point: how artists from a single guru Sishya parampara evolved very differently - Sri MMI and Sri TNS (by way of Sri Sankara Sivan) both belong to his parampara, but are very uniquely different musicians. However, IMO, not all of their respective students are evolving distinct identities.

sArasamukhi sakala bhAgyadE, right? Or, is it bhAgyatE?

SrinathK
Posts: 2477
Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: Gauda Malhar

Post by SrinathK »

bhAgyadE, you're right. Corrected.

HarishankarK
Posts: 2216
Joined: 27 Oct 2007, 11:55

Re: Gauda Malhar

Post by HarishankarK »

Sriram Parthasarathy has sung alapana of this raga for Sarasmukhi as submain with violin return for around 8-10 mins which is a decent attempt considering no one else sings alapana of this ragam- aavailable in sangeethapriya
Lalgudi has tuned Sollavallayo kiliye in ragamalika and second ragam for 'Thillai Ambalathey nadanam' is in gaudamallar
V v beautiful ragam this one
Jaya devi Jagan Mathe by HMB is even more beautiful in chapu talam than Sarasamuki but not as popular as latter
Sri Ashok Madhav has composed a song Un thiruvadi but I have not heard it
Last edited by HarishankarK on 18 Nov 2019, 01:51, edited 1 time in total.

HarishankarK
Posts: 2216
Joined: 27 Oct 2007, 11:55

Re: Gauda Malhar

Post by HarishankarK »

Where can I listen to MMI alapana of this ragam??

SrinathK
Posts: 2477
Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: Gauda Malhar

Post by SrinathK »

I was informed by a friend, a huge huge rasika of GNB that he has also sung jaya dEvi jagan mAtE. And another has told me that the RR Sabha archives may have a recording of GNB singing gauDa malhAr.

karnatik.com also strangely lists a composition of Tiruvottiyur Thyagaiyya under the raga list but it doesn't show up in his composer page. I'm scratching my head over this. TT predated HMB by a long time IIRC.

Meanwhile does anyone know about the RR Sabha archives?

Vakulabharana
Posts: 37
Joined: 07 Dec 2017, 15:58

Re: Gauda Malhar

Post by Vakulabharana »

Cinta dirca is the kriti by Tyagayyar.

SrinathK
Posts: 2477
Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: Gauda Malhar

Post by SrinathK »

It looks like this rAga or some version of it could be older than HMB. I was at Mambalam sisters and Dr. TR Aravindhan's lec dem yesterday and they did make a small mention somewhere about this. Tiruvottiyur Thyagayya was way before Muthiah Bhagavtar's time.

If someone could supply some more info, I'll be grateful.

arasi
Posts: 16774
Joined: 22 Jun 2006, 09:30

Re: Gauda Malhar

Post by arasi »

Ah, memories! Though I have heard MMI sing it in his concerts and I have loved it--lilting as the rAgA is to anyone, irrespective of one's age. I was greatly impressed by GNB's very nasal sA(n)rasa mukhi when I first heard it and it was about chAmuNDi, residing in one of the special places I had visited in my childhood. I have heard GNB sing it several times, and the nasal sArasa mukhi beginning meant there was going to be some listening fun. Along with it comes the image of his kaDukkan adorned handsome visage, and the venue, The Hindu High School in Triplicane.

MKR,
Hope you have plenty of memories on sArasa mukhi which you will bring to us...

RasikasModerator1
Posts: 40
Joined: 29 Nov 2009, 07:03

Re: Gauda Malhar

Post by RasikasModerator1 »

MKR's post on HMB moved to HMB thread under vaggeyakaras
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=144&p=357899#p357899

Lakshman
Posts: 14019
Joined: 10 Feb 2010, 18:52

Re: Gauda Malhar

Post by Lakshman »

SrinathK: The rAgA gauDamallAr is found in the book Sangita Rathnavali of Tiruvettiyur Tyagayya. HMB is credited for having invented new rAgAs like mOhanakalyANi. This rAgA had existed in HM for a long time and called by the name shuddhkalyAN.

Here is the list of kritis from that book:
Thiruvatthur TyAgarAja Sankeerthana RathnAvali

LIST OF COMPOSITIONS
TAna VarnAs:
1) ChinnanAti – KalyAni – Adi
2) TAmarasAkshi – VarAli – Adi
3) Chirutha prAyamu – Vasantha - Adi
4) Ninu chAla- kedAra – Adi
5) Ento premato – Surati - Adi

Ashtotthara Sankeerthana RatnAvali:
1) Vigneshwara keerthanamu: kApAdu gananAtha – dhanyAsi – Jhampa
2) Saraswathi keerthanamu: Saraswathi nanneppudu – KalyAni – Rupaka
3) Guru keerthanamu: ThyAgarAja swami guriuni – Kharaharapriya - Adi
4) TAmasamu seya – NAta - Adi
5) Ela ni daya rAdu – Gowla - Adi
6) Ni sari velpula - Arabhi – Adi
7) Ninuvina - varAli – Adi
8) Kori vacchithinayya - Sri - Adi
9) Kanikaramu – Reethigowla - Adi
10) Manasuna ninne - NArayanagowla – Adi
11) Aadarimpa – Natakuranji – Adi
12) KarunAkarudavanuchu – kedara - Adi
13) HarinArayana – Bowli - Adi
14) Prardinchithi – Thodi - Adi
15) JalajAksha nanu - Bhairavi - Adi
16) EvarunnarurA – ShankarAbharana - Adi
17) NinuchAla nammiyunnAnura – kambhoji - Adi
18) MariyevvarunnArura - KalyAni - Adi
19) Ituvanti samayamuna – PanthuvarAli - Adi
20) EvarunnAru nannubrova – DhanyAsi - Adi
21) ParamadayAludavanuchu – Begada – Adi
22) PagavAni vale juchevu – AtAna - Adi
23) Ni mahimalanu pogada – SahAna - Adi
24) JAlamelanayya – DarbAr - Adi
25) Ninne bhajiyinchuchunnanura - SAveri - Adi
26) Elaguna brova - Mohana - Adi
27) Neramemi jesithi - Suddha sAveri - Adi
28) Purushotthama ninnu – DevagAndhAri - Thriputa
29) Ni padamula - Kedaragowla - Adi
30) Ninne nammithi – Surati - Adi
31) ManasAra ni – SourAshtra - Adi
32) Samayamidhe – Vasantha - Adi
33) Ninne nera nammithi Krishna - Ananda bhairavi - Adi
34) PAlimparAda nannu - Huseni - Adi
35) Muddumomu joopagarAda -Gowliipanthu - Adi
36) ParamAtma nee nAmame - Paras - Adi
37) Neeke dayarAvale gAka - PurvikalyAni - Adi
38) Swami nannu brova - kAnada - Adi
39) ParipAlanamu – Asaveri - Adi
40) Maruvakayunduvani - MukhAri - Adi
41) SArasadalanayana - Bilahari - Rupaka
42) VerevarunnArura - Yadukula kAmbhoji - Adi
43) GAravinchi brova -Neelambari - Adi
44) Damodara ninnepudu – SarasAngi - Adi
45) Neramellanu manninchi – Nayaki - Adi
46) Karunimpa manchi samayamu - MadhyamAvathi - Adi
47) Kori kori golichithi - Ahiri - Adi
48) Vegame brova rArA - NAdanAmakriya - Adi
49) Ye vela ni daya vacchhuno – Dhenuka - Adi
50) Endukintha kopamu – Natakapriya - Adi
51) TAmasamemi - Kokilapriya - Adi
52) DevAdideva – Vakulabharanam - Adi
53) Intha parAkelanayya - Jaganmohini - Adi
54) Tarunamide - Gundakriya - Adi
55) Neeve dikkani - Ardradesi - Adi
56) Ilalona niku - kannadabangala - Adi
57) Premathoda - Mangalakaisika - Adi
58) Nenaru meeraganu - ChakravAka - Adi
59) Mati mAtiki - kunthala - Adi
60) Ninnu chAla – Goshini - Adi
61) Talachithi ninneppudu - Supradeepa - Adi
62) Ni pAda mahima – Simhela – Adi
63) NA mida dayarAdA – KeeravAni – Adi
64) ParamAtma nannu – Kharaharapriya – Adi
65) Sarasiruhanayana – Manirangu – Adi
66) Madhava ninnu – SAlagabhairavi – Adi
67) Dharalo ninnuvina – Jayantasena – Adi
68) Nanubrova intha – MArudhanyAsi – Adi
69) Karunathoda – Manjari – Adi
70) KApadanu evarunnAru – Manohari – Adi
71) ParAkelajesevu – Gowrimanohari – Rupaka
72) Kamalanayana – SarasAngi – Adi
73) Sripathi ninneppudu – Harikambhoji – Adi
74) MArubalka – Sama – Adi
75) Palukavadela – Balahamsa – Rupaka
76) Jagadeesa brova – KApinArayani – Adi
77) NA manavi – AandhAli – Adi
78) Nee pAdambujamulanu – Eesamanohari – Adi
79) Ninnu bAsi – ChAyatarangini – Adi
80) ChirakAlamuga – Kokiladhwani – Adi
81) Emani yenchithivo – Purnachandrika – Adi
82) Chentha jerchi – Hamsadhwani – Adi
83) GajarAjarakshaka – Kannada – Adi
84) Chinthadeerchi – Gowda malhar – Adi
85) MAtadarAda – GangA tarangini – Adi
86) SAramaina – SAradAbharana – Adi
87) Nathonu vadelara – Ganavaridhi – Adi
88) MAtalAdu – Bhavapriya – Adi
89) PApamulanu – RAmamanohari – Adi
90) Ennadu joothuno – Lokaranjani – Adi
91) Gopika manohara – MechakAngi – Adi
92) Kori bhajinchithi – PooshaKalyAni – Adi
93) PAlimpanu – Shanmukhapriya – Adi
94) KorinAnu – SeshanAda – Adi
95) Ela nApai – SimhArava – Adi
96) DhAthavu nive gAka – Dharmavathi – Adi
97) Evarithone – VijayanAgari – Adi
98) Neevena thallithandrivi – DesyagAnavAridhi – Adi
99) KarunArasa – KanakakusumAvali – Adi
100) Brovavela ippudu – RathnabhAnu – Adi
101) SreenAtha nanu – RathnakAnthi – Adi
102) Nemamutho – LathAngi – Adi
103) Palumaru ninnu – VAchaspathi – Rupaka
104) Ee janmamu – Saraswathi – Adi
105) Dayajesi – HamirkalyAni – Adi
106) KamsAnthaka – ChoornikAvinodhini – Adi
107) KAmajanaka – Hamsagiri - Adi
108) Kashtamulanu – PunnagavarAli – Rupaka

LAKSHMI STOTHRA KEERTHANAMU:
KsheerasAgarakanyaka – AtAna – Adi
MANGALAM:
Sree VenugopAlunaku – MadhyamAvathi – Adi
GADYA:
Sree VenugopAla

SrinathK
Posts: 2477
Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: Gauda Malhar

Post by SrinathK »

Ok, now with new information, it appears that I need to backtrack on my statement of HMB having created this raga (mods, a little help with that?). Because Tiruvottiyur Thyagaraja, who predates HMB by 32 years, has indeed composed in gauDa malhAr. I was discussing this with Dr. Aravindhan T R, who in turn went out and searched and found it in Sangeeta Ratnavali written by TT himself. This is one among 108 keertanas (Ashottara Sata) composed on his family deity Venugopala Swami.

Therefore this raga must have existed for longer than I thought. Thanks to @Lakshman sir for bringing out the list of kritis from Sangeeta Ratnavali

And as it turns out, there are some very interesting observations from an evolutionary perspective.

Therefore, I shall now present to you, chinta deerchi brotuvani needu, sung by Dr. Aravindhan :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKH6nvi2yrE

At first I thought that the raga as handled by TT was exactly the same as HMB, but as it turns out, I was hasty to conclude from a first listening. In old gauDa malhAr we do have a very important, very critical difference - the usage of P. TT uses the SNDM, but then also PM. In the opening line itself, at brotuvu, he uses DM-PM-MGGRSRM,.

The next line starts from PM which means MPM is possible, and on "krishna" you have SRMPD, PMPDS, SNND- PDS, although SRMPD, DMPDS is also possible here (sometimes it's hard to distinguish at speed) . So P can follow SND in phrases like SNND, PDS.

In the anupallavi, we have a unique use of SRG, in the phrase SRG, RSR, - M, MGR, MGGRS,,,-RRSND, D, - MGGRSND,

In the charanam we see the familiar MPD, M, MGGR, SRM, but again the next line starts with P so SRMPM is possible. The second part of the charanam is just like the anupallavi featuring SRG, RSR.

So this presents us with some interesting conclusions. One is that gauDa malhar originally used P more often as a turn around note to avoid the straight jacketing of a strictly scalar approach that forces you to step into the other half of the scale before coming back, but DMP, DMMGRS, PDM and other phrases were equally important and unique to gauDamalhAr. It also used a rare SRGRSRM as well

All this suggests clearly that gauDa malhAr, while being a more recent post Trinity creation that started out as a more organic raga with non scalar and scalar possibilities, even within a short span of time in the late 19th-20th century, has managed to evolved into a much more scalar form by the time HMB popularized it. One should question if there was a concerted effort to scalarize many ragas at the turn of the 20th century.

And I am far from done with these twists and turns on CM ragas. Every other post on this topic down the road is going to throw up similar shocks and surprises. Wait for kalyanavasantam and gauri next. At this point, it wouldn't be wrong to throw in the towel and admit that what we know as CM tradition today is entirely a product of the 20th century!!!

Maybe it's time to rename the thread as gauDa malhAr, old and new.
Last edited by SrinathK on 23 Mar 2020, 10:44, edited 4 times in total.

shankarank
Posts: 4043
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Gauda Malhar

Post by shankarank »

That rendition needs to re-align and spread out dIRgha hrasvas. I know the pAThAntaram restrictions. We need pAThantam like vEdAntam - after studying it all what is at the end?

A half an offset would make it more musical!

SrinathK
Posts: 2477
Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: Gauda Malhar

Post by SrinathK »

Umm, these half and quarter and 3/4 eDuppus are more recent ideas. Many kritis were more simpler back then. As an example, MMI's renditions of kritis.

I have notated some of the phrases in this kriti and it turns out old gauDa malhAr has quite a few differences from the current version, particularly an increased use of P and even a SRGRSR phrase. Accordingly I have edited my post above.

shankarank
Posts: 4043
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Gauda Malhar

Post by shankarank »

When I made a similar statement quoting another teacher - a student of TRS - that MMI's music is simple and approachable like Krishna avatar - RKSK shot back - Krishna avatar is not simple - many of us will go to jail if we did things what Krishna did!

Just hear his nijamarmulanu - how the kArvai's speak and extend!

I thought T.V.S was a simple one too - until I listened to his son try doing a similar thing!

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