About a decade back it was about content. There was Sri Lalgudi's ruminations ( Sruti magazine "state of the art issue - 2010 or so) on content: "is all we could offer this syncopated content? Will the new audience treat as "art" or "artful" enough?" etc.
Then from SrI Vijay Siva talking about why some of the older composers ( Sri Purandaradasa , Sri AnnamacArya) are not the main stay on the Carnatic performance. Reason: "We did not receive their original tune!" - is that the reason really?
Now this time it is on delivery. One by Bala Shankar on the speed and aggression:
https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/ ... 683655.ece
The definition of music includes terms like melody, aesthetics, enjoyment and similar emotions. We say, ‘it’s music to the ears’ when something is pleasant. Carnatic music, however, is seeing the creeping influence of a muscular and robust brand of singing that may challenge these definitions. It is now par for the course to be loud, over-enthusiastic, imperious and vigorous, which all seem to be advocated as surrogates for liveliness and energy.
The following words are now in danger of being edged out — softness, finesse, grace, refinement and polish, poise and restraint.
Music should be delivered with sweet enough melody to allow the ears ( or the hearing faculty) to let it through! What is actually "music" is few dimensions beyond that!If you put these terms together, you will understand the contrast that I am referring to. In fact, the gentler and quieter the music, the more its power to elevate the soul.
Also "music should lift the soul" generic comment does not make sense. rasikas come from various different backgrounds, now even with the lack of "diversity" of "ethnicity" - Note the quotations. What lifts the "soul" is now undetermined. And what is the "soul" that we are talking about?
What is a continuous tradition, we are trying to impute some purpose into it. But we fail to implement some actionable items based on the philosophy of music that the composers themselves talk about in the kritis.
Now we have critique on such usage also: "These are words invented on the course of musical commentary last century to justify the 'classical' ". What would the author say about that? Everyone wants ignore the 800 pound guerilla in the room?The following words are now in danger of being edged out — softness, finesse, grace, refinement and polish, poise and restraint.
Now this term sowkhyam is overused by the mylapore aficionados to the hilt and has resulted in lot of mediocrity for some time. In reality , things may be going for the better!One of the most complete musicians of a previous era, Palghat K. V. Narayanaswamy, once responded to a question on what lifts music with the word sowkhyam. Vocalists need to reflect on their melody quotient and recalibrate.
If you were to ask me in the 80s where I would have placed KVN, like there are musician's musician - he is a music college musician! Students of music colleges were told to regard him as the role model. I only heard about him and then heard him live in Cleveland for the first time in the 2000s. Around that time I have also heard from some learned rasikas of previous era ( 2 generations prior to me) who have told me that he lacked depth! After that I was drawn to his music anyways, once tapes started flowing from recordings.
And there was yet another time his name was dropped. Smt. Aruna Sairam's first concert in Cleveland. An Aradhana aficionado youngster - not the seniors - compared her draw on the audience to that of KVN from a decade or so before.
Laymna - avvalavu kiLLU keeraiyAga poiviTTadu!! For Mylapore makkal and their extensions!
So just name dropping a musician, without delving into the philosophical underpinnings of their music does not help.
While its good to hark back to some era in music and also state ones opinionated take on what Carnatic music should be, the author can avoid commenting on rasikas and their imagined expectations and what they will do in future.Lastly, large crowds and followings may be misunderstood as complete endorsement of the musician’s craft. But it’s often only a recognition for the singer’s better aspects; the audience never speaks but switches abruptly at some point.
Since he is talking about the likes of me, I felt the need to respond.
). They are there to preserve and encourage in a larger sense what this music is about. They have also become too big to fail. ellAm periya iDam Ahi viTTadu. Hence not very flexible.