Veena Raja Rao, the vAggEyakAra

[Sreeni Rajarao]

A multifaceted talent, Veena Raja Rao had exercised his creativity as a vAggEyakAra as well. It appears he had begun composing at a relatively early age. The earliest dated composition is from 1935, when Raja Rao was 26 years old. Most of his compositions are time stamped between 1935 and 1942. Only two compositions are from the years 1972 and 1973.

There are 55 compositions available which includes 4 swarajatis, 5 varNas, 3 tillAnas and 43 kRtis.

It appears he had attempted to compose in some uncommon rAgas. Compositions in the following six rAgas appear to be unique:

kumudapriya
rasasindhu
sRngAravardhani
pulOmikha
cAmunDi
mArgamOhini

He has also composed in other relatively uncommon rAgas such as nAdabrahma, shankarapriya, bhuvanagAndhAri and pashupatipriya.

It appears Raja Rao began composing in telugu language and later on chose kannaDa for his compositions. Only one composition is in samskRta.

A book collection of Raja Rao's compositions was published in 1999. But, this book did not include 14 of Raja Rao's compositions. An updated edition is planned to be published in the coming year to include all 55 of his compositions.

Please contact me if you would like to get a copy of Raja Rao's compositions (swara and sAhitya) in kannaDa script.

I have nearly completed English transliteration of his compositions (sAhitya only) and will be able to send them to anyone interested in a few weeks.

We have recently released two CDs with renditions of Raja Rao's compositions:
Vocal rendition by Smt. Nagamani Srinath includes 9 compositions.
Veena rendition by Smt. Veena Kinhal includes 9 compositions.

Please contact me if you would like to procure these two CDs.

I had requested Dr. Shrikaanth K Murthy, himself a vAggEyakAra, to write a technical analysis of
Raja Rao's compositions, and DRS had graciously obliged. This article is published in the Raja Rao centenary year souvenir released on July 5th, 2009.

I have reproduced the same article below (with DRS's kind permission):

Dr. Shrikaanth K Murthy is a talented contemporary musician, based in Birmingham, U.K.
A performing artist, linguist and a vaggeyakara himself, Shrikaanth has the disctinction of being the first and only composer in the Sanketi language.

A study of the Vaggeyakara Rajarao
-Dr. Shrikaanth K. Murthy
Birmingham, UK

Following the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire, many of their vassal states gained prominence and some also carried on their good work in promoting culture and arts. One such centre which was indeed an epicentre of such activity was Mysore, the seat of the Odeyars. In particular the name of Mysore came to be associated with Veene so much so that it was celebrated as the "Veeneya Bedagidu Maisooru" which loosely translates as “Mysooru; the dalliance of the Veene”.

Many a musical genius and vaggeyakara has flourished in Mysore and shone brightly in the musical firmament. And not all of them are equally well known. One such Vainika-vaggeyakara was Veena Rajarao, not so well known today but certainly not forgotten by his disciples and family and the discerning connoisseur of music. Rajarao was not only a vainika par excellence but also a vocalist, vaggeyakara and an author of various books on music and musicians. He toiled hard to set to notation and bring to vogue some of the stellar Devaranamas of the Haridasas. He has also written other books on musicology. In this article, I shall endeavour to study the vaggeyakara Rajarao.

Rajarao uses the signature of “Purushottama” in his creations, likely referring to his Ishtadevata Lord Vishnu to whom most of the compositions are directed or dedicated. He is a vaggeyakara in the full sense of the word as he has composed both the Dhatu and Maatu as well as meticulously notated all his compositions. Over fifty compositions of Rajarao are available to us. It is not possible to say if he composed more, but given that he lived only a little before our times, it is unlikely that many if any have been lost. Among those available to us, we have Swarajatis, Varnas, Kritis and Tillanas. While there are some compositions from the 1930s and a couple from the 1970s, over half the number have been composed in 1941-’42 in the 4th decade of his life. Some of the compositions are undated. Therefore the bulk of his creativity in so far as composing is concerned appears to have been realized in just 2 years. He has also dedicated a lot of his time to publishing other books on music as mentioned earlier.

Language of compositions

Rajarao’s preferred language of composing is his mother tongue Kannada with 30 Kritis in it. And all these have been composed in 1941-1942. This largely appears to be a personal choice. There are 20 compositions in Telugu (including Varnas and Tillanas) and one in Samskruta. While there maybe no sparklers and fireworks in the language he uses, it is evident from the quiet and confident flow of his Kannada compositions that he was at ease with the language and had a good grip on the same. In fact one can see it making inroads into his Telugu compositions as for instance in the Hamsanandi Kriti “Karuanajoodavayya” where he uses the word “chinumaya” which is clearly a Kannada usage. On the odd occasion he uses uncommon words. e.g- “Vanadhi” (For Ocean) and “kamalaayataambaki” (For Lotus-eyed Lady).

A glimpse into the Ragas

The Ragas of Rajarao’s compositions span fifteen Melas. There are nine Ragas he has used more than once. About a quarter are in pratimadhyama ragas. He has chosen to compose in many uncommon ragas. As far as I am aware, he is the only one to have composed in some of these. All these ragas are found in older treatises and he has thus breathed life into some of these. Ragas that are unique to him are Rasasindhu from the 15th Mela; Kumudapriya (Not Kumudakriya), Margamohini and Shrungaravardhani from the 22nd Mela; Pulomika (Not Pralomika) from the 23rd Mela and Chamundi from the 63rd Mela. Other less common Ragas he has handled are Shankarapriya, Pashupatipriya, Nadabrahma and Bhuvanagandhari. It is also worth noting that he has correctly used the name “Kathanakutoohala” rather than the more recent and erroneous Kadanakutoohala.

Rasasindhu is a Upanga Janya of the 15th Mela and has the following Scale

SRMPNS | SNDPMGS ||

One quickly realises the ascent is of Gaula and the descent that of (kamala) Manohari of Dikshitar school. Being an obscure raga, it is easy to slip into the territory of Gaula and one must be mindful of this.

Pulomika is a Upanga Janya of the 23rd Mela with the following scale

SRGPDS | SNDPGS ||

This is a very sprightly Raga conveying happiness, triumph and ecstasy. It has a Western lilt to it and is not too difficult to negotiate.

Talas of Kritis

Rajarao uses many Talas in his creations, with the Adi Tala being the largest group as expected. The interesting twist to it is that majority of these fit into the Deshadi Tala, with 17 Kritis in them. The regular Adi Tala in 1 kale is employed in 7 Kritis while 6 are set to the 2 Kale Adi Tala. 11 are set to the Rupaka Tala and one each to Mishrachapu and Trisra Rupaka. All the five Varnas and three of the four Swarajatis are set to Adi Tala. There is one Swarajati in Roopaka Tala. He has used a variety of Edupus including Sama and Anaagata.

Swarajatis,Varnas and Tillanas

There are 4 Swarajatis. The Hamsanandi piece in particular is very pleasant and has the movement of a Tillana to it. He employs various gamakas, glides and jumps to good effect. The swaras are also grouped into patterns of varying numbers which add to the beauty of the piece. The Abhogi and Hindola pieces are also neat. The Reetigaula piece has many non-conventional phrases of the Raga. These explorations would have sat better in a Varna rather than a Swarajati.

Of the five Varnas, two are in Ghana Ragas (Arabhi and Gaula). All the five are in Telugu. Although the lyrics are in keeping with earlier tradition, the themes lean heavily towards Bhakti with only the the Gaula piece clearly showing a theme of Shrungara. Interestingly, the protagonist of the Purvikalyani piece is Ganapati while that of the others is Vishnu. Varnas dedicated to Ganapati are very rare. (E.g. Vaaranasyam of Mysooru Vasudevachar)

Rajarao has clearly grasped the rules of Varna composition and faithfully adheres to the rules such as using deergha/elongated swaras in the first Ettugade swaras and using Sarvalaghu/only short swaras in the third Ettugade swara. As expected of a Vainika, he has demonstrated the various Gamakas amply and aptly. The patterns of swaras are fetching. Just as an illustration, I mention the Srotovaha Yati pattern in the Chitteswara of the Arabhi Varna which goes as “PDS- MPDS- RMPDS”.

There are three Tillanas, two set to Adi Tala and one to Mishrachapu. All three are mellifluous. The Kalyani piece in Mishrachapu beautifully blends the Samakaala and the Madhyamakaala phrases and progresses majestically.

Structure, Prosody and Embellishments in Kritis

RajaRao’s Kritis show the Pallavi- Anupallavi- Charana format. As a general rule, the Anupallavi is either the same length as or twice the length of the Pallavi while the Charana is four times the length of the Pallavi (Number of Tala Avartas). There are some exceptions such as the Mandaari Kriti “Lokaavanachatura”. In this kriti, the Pallavi spans 4 Avartas, the Anupallavi 6 Avartas and oddly enough, the Charana has a combination of 4 and 6 Avartas in the first and second half respectively.

A number of his Kritis show the Vadi-Samvadi consonance between the commencement of the Pallavi and Anupallavi. In most of his Kritis, the musical pattern of the Anupallavi is repeated in the second half of the Charana. There are a handful of exceptions to this pattern. (e.g.- “nandagopabala” in Kambodhi, “mudamuna nee dhyanamu” in Mohana).

By and large, Rajarao maintains dwitiyakshara Prasa (rhyming of second letter). While as a rule, he maintains it the different subunits, he often breaks the rule of Prasa between the Pallavi and the Anupallavi. One does not observe the use of Yati (first letter assonance) in his Kritis. Rajarao has attempted to use Madhyamakala Sahitya in a couple of his Kritis. (In the Nata Kriti “Haratanaya” at the end of the Pallavi; and in the Hamsanandi Kriti “Naa paali daivamu” at the end of the Pallavi and Charana.)

There are some instances of swarakshara usage and he has incorporated the Ragamudre in one kriti (“Kaapaadave” in Chamundi). There are also instances where he has composed some extended sangatis best suited for instruments. This is seen in the Nadabrahma Kriti “abhayavittu salahayya” in the Anupallavi. This is very reminiscent of similar usage in Sri Tyagaraja’s Kriti “ninnuvina naamadendu” in the Anupallavi section.

There are also some instances where Rajarao has set the Raga in such a way as to reflect, suggest and reinforce the sahityabhava. Two particularly caught my attention which I will mention here.

In “Vandipe ninagaanu” in Abhogi, he starts “vandipe” on the Jaaru/Glide phrase “M-R”. This reinforces and extends the meaning of “vandipe” (I pray/salute) to “I Bow my head and Salute/tale baagi vandipe”; a very beautiful usage.

Likewise in the Charana of the Navarasakannada Kriti “parara bedenu taaye”; the “udbhava” part of “sarasijodbhava” is set to “MPS,” in the mandrasthayi, nicely reflecting and reinforcing the meaning of Udbhava/rising.

Many of his Kritis have been adorned with catchy Chitteswaras.

Deities and themes

Rajarao’s Ishtadevata was Vishnu and understandably well over half of his compositions are addressed to Vishnu and his Avataras of Rama and Krishna. After Vishnu, Parvati has roughly a quarter of his Kritis dedicated to her. Four compositions are on Ganapati, two on Ishvara and one each on Saraswati, Sri Purandaradasa and Sri Tyagaraja.

In terms of the theme, not much variety is seen. An overwhelming majority of the Kritis deal with disillusionment with life, a remorse over ones sins and a surrender to God beseeching Him/Her to shower Grace and offer protection. “Uppavadiso” in Bhauli is one of the few exceptions. It is a suprabhata.

Tessitura and flow of Kritis

Rajarao’s compositions reflect his penchant for the Taarasthayi. While he has not neglected the mandrasthayi, the forays into the upper reaches far more frequent. Not only do they often reach the Taarapanchama but they actually pause on the swara. In the Purvikalyani Kriti “Innu dayabaarade”, he reaches upto the Taara dhaivata! Likewise, he uses madhyamakala and drutakala swaraphrases frequently. Rajarao being a Vainika foremost, this is understandable. Thus many of his Kritis will be easier to play on instruments.

An observation of the flow of lyrics shows that while some Kritis flow effortlessly, the lyrics of some others are hard to negotiate. Perhaps Rajarao first conceived the musical format of a composition and added lyrics subsequently. In some of the Kritis, the lyrics are but a mere vehicle for a predominantly musical inspiration. So much so that at times, the choice of the raga or lyrics is questionable as the Ragabhava and the Sahityabhava do not complement each other. One such example is “dayabaarade daasharathe” in Pulomika. As I have mentioned earlier the ragabhava conveys happiness and triumph which is at loggerheads with the karunarasa/dainya of the lyrics.

Some selected Kritis
I have picked up a selected sample to look at in depth.

Anugaalavu neene in begade set to Roopaka Tala
This kriti has a crisp Anaagata Edupu starting off on the madhyasthaayi shadja. The essence of the raga is captured in the very first sangati and is built up further in the subsequent Sangatis. The Anupallavi starts on the Samvadi note of Panchama exploring the upper reaches of the raga.

The melody and lyrics reinforce each other. The elongated and duplicated Kaishiki Nishada is aptly used to reinforce the plea for protection. But the raga conveys the quiet confidence of the devotee that his plea will be heard. A suggestion of the Hasyarasa in the raga is used to advantage in the second line of Charana (“marulanendu kaibiduvare”). The second half of the Charana follows the melody of the Anupallavi. This kriti is an excellent example of Rajarao at his best as a composer.

Sarasijalochani in Mohana set to Mishrachapu Tala
This Kritis also has Anaagata Edupu and has a stately pace. There is no sign of hurry anywhere and flow effortlessly with the Tala. The raga is shown in its full beauty as we progress through the composition. The various gamakas and paces are used to suitably reinforce the lyrics. As an illustration “Saraguna” in the Anupallavi is set to “,GG | RGP, | GPD, || PDS, |…” which conveys the hurry /urgency inherent in the lyric.

Endu kaambeno ninna in reetigaula set to Adi Tala (2 kales)
Reetigaula is a raga that conveys both adbhutarasa and karunarasa (wonder and compassion). In this kriti, the devotee questions the Lord as to when he will offer his Darshana. There is also a sense of awe at the Lord’s omnipotence and omniscience. This is mingled with a tinge of doubt as to whether one really is worthy enough to have a glimpse of the Lord. These are the emotions that the melody conveys ever so nicely in this kriti. The song itself moves in an unhurried pace with an increasing sense of wonderment and awe.

There are many other Kritis that are very melodious and catchy. A few noteworthy ones are the Shahana and the Kathanakutoohala Kritis dedicated to Sri Purandaradasa and Sri Tyagaraja respectively, the suprabhata in Bhauli, the other kriti in Mohana and the Hemavati Kriti.

Summary

Rajarao was one of the many talented Vainika composers from early 20th Century Mysooru. He was one of those who had the urge to compose and put it to good use. It is neither reasonable nor logical to expect that all creations of a composer are of the same exemplary standard. However Rajarao has undoubtedly shown flares of brilliant inspiration as a composer. It is heart-warming to note that there is renewed interest in him as a composer, musicologist, and a dedicated musician. It will be a great pleasure to see some of his compositions reappear on the concert platform.

Dr. Shrikaanth k. Murthy
Birmingham, UK

[coolkarni]

..

[rshankar]

Great Srini! Thanks for sharing! The article, as expected is very scholarly...

[arasi]

Sreeni,
I read DRS's essay on your father's compositions while I listened to the bAuLi song which is beautiful. Would love to have a copy of his transliterated krutis to know the words. Thank you for bringing a sample of Sri Rajarao's music to us from his centenary celebrations in BengaLUru.

I also thank you for DRS's article on Veena Raja Rao. And thanks to DRS for letting you post it on the forum.
It is delightful to read this essay on a vaiNikA-composer by another composer. While this is a scholarly essay, the clarity with which Shrikaanth writes, his trade mark, makes it easy for novices to read it as well. Those who are not familiar with DR. Shrikaanth ought to know that for someone so young, his grasp of music, both in theory and in his singing and composing, is something which is not easy to imagine. And music is not his profession!
We come across many articles written for souvenirs. For this very important occasion, you could not have chosen anyone better. His erudition and ability to communicate gives us a clear picture of your father as a composer. May the interest in his compositions grow among musicians and rasikAs.
You must have worked very hard in organizing the event. It was all worth it!

[vs_manjunath]

sreeni- Thanks for educating us abt the "MULTI FACETED PERSONALITY" Sri. Veena S Raja Rao.

[Sreeni Rajarao]

Thanks for the feedback!

I have reproduced below the link to the item that Smt. Arasi has mentioned in post # 4 above (DRS has also mentioned this particular BhouLi item in his essay).

Dr. Suma Sudhindra and Divya Avinash on veena, supported by Aanoor Anantha Krishna Sharma (Shivu) on mRdanga, Charulata Ramanujam on violin, S N Narayana Murthy on Ghata.

Opening concert of Veena Raja Rao birth centenary celebrations on July 5th, 2009 in Bangalore.

uppavaDiso madhusUdhana, a composition of Veena Raja Rao in BhouLi.

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=2ed6 ... e43023529f

[knandago2001]

Sreeni: When I click on the link above, it says there are 0 items to be displayed.. will you please check? Thanks so much..

[cmlover]

Thanks for that brilliant and detailed analysis by DRS. I wish he is a participant here to discuss the beauty of each kriti in his inimitable style as he has done in the JC thread. The rare ragas are quite exciting and it will be nice to have a demonstration audio.

Again thank you for the opportunity for us to know of this not so known Son of Mysore and may I request DRS to come back to the Forum to start a thread of appreciation which he alone can write on this CM musical giant!

[arasi]

Nandagopal,
Srini has posted the same in the Music and Festivals section and that is where I downloaded it from. Please have a look.

CML,
How I wish too!

[Sreeni Rajarao]

Nandagopal,
Please try again. I have copied and pasted the link from the Music and Festivals section again. It should work.

Arasi avare and CML sir,
Yes, DRS would be the right one to do further analysis and demonstration! Let's hope that will happen!

[Sreeni Rajarao]

From Veena Raja Rao birth centenary event on July 5th, 2009:

Veena Kinhal on Veena (Sheshadrivasa Sreenivasa in kathanakutuhala)
http://www.mediafire.com/?wqammexcmu4

Veena Kinhal on Veena (tillAna in kamAc)
http://www.mediafire.com/?dztdtitmjvg

Nagamani Srinath vocal (swarajati in Hamsanandi)
http://www.mediafire.com/?yvrjjoz2ndq

Nagamani Srinath vocal (tillAna in nAtakuranji)
http://www.mediafire.com/?m2gjemnlikm

[knandago2001]

Sreeni: Thanks so much

[Sreeni Rajarao]

http://www.mediafire.com/?kdajkwntyzm

As an invocation for the afternoon session of Veena Raja Rao birth centenary celebrations on July 5th, 2009, Bangalore's young and upcoming vocalist Suchethan Rangaswamy presented
"karuna judavayya" in Hamsanandi.

This is a composition of Veena Raja Rao.

[knandago2001]

Remembering Veena Raja Rao - links to radio programs

http://www.archive.org/details/VeenaRaj ... dioProgram

http://www.archive.org/details/VeenaRaj ... ch26th2009

[Sreeni Rajarao]

I had posted this and the following posts earlier under Kannada compositions in concerts thread.
I think it would be appropriate to have them in this thread for vAggEyakAra Veena Raja Rao.

vandipe ninagAnu sundara sRi gaNanAtha (rAga: ABhogi, tALa: rUpaka), a composition of
Veena Raja Rao, rendered by Vid. Nagavalli Nagaraj in a 1999 concert in Bangalore.

http://www.archive.org/details/VeenaRajaRaoCompositions

Transliterated lyric in English:

(p)
vandipe ninagAnu sundara SrI gaNanAtha

(ap)
kandanAdenna manadi nindu karuNa tOri enage
mundugANuvante sakala kundugaLanu kaLeyo dEva

(caraNa)
vara pASAnkuSaDhara srI girijAsuta lambOdara
SaraNagatajanaraksHaka suranuta siddivinayaka

haruShadindalenna manadi nirutavu puruSHottamana
caranakamala smarisuvante karuNisayya duritadUra

[Sreeni Rajarao]

saraswati vanajabhava sati (rAga: saraswati, tALa: Adi ) a composition of Veena Raja Rao, rendered by Vid. Nagavalli Nagaraj in a 1999 concert in Bangalore.

http://www.mediafire.com/?nkhgwwehnwj

English transliteration of the lyric below:

(p)
saraswati vanajabhava sati

(ap)
varavIna pustakapANi
suruciravANi pannagavEni

(caraNa)
sarasa sangItAdi sakalavidyA
paradEvatE SuBhagAtre

karuNisenna vadanadi nindu
puruSHottamana smaraNeyanendu

[Sreeni Rajarao]

SEShAdrivAsa SrInivAsa (rAga: kathanakutUhala, tALa: Adi), a composition of Veena Raja Rao,
rendered by Vid. Nagavalli Nagaraj in a 1999 concert in Bangalore.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mcluzftetw1

English transliteration of lyric is given below:

(p)
SEShAdrivAsa SrInivAsa
dAsAnukUla karuNAjaladhE

(ap)
dOSHadUra SrIvAsudEva
klEshahara BhaktajanABharaNa

(caraNa)
sAridenayya ninnayacaraNa
dAritOri pAlisayya

nIrajAkSHa SrI mAramaNa
mArajanaka puruSHOttama



(citte swara)



sArasAkSha sRi ramaNa (rAga: hindOLa, tALa: rUpaka), a composition of Veena Raja Rao, rendered by Vid. Nagavalli Nagaraj in a 1999 concert in Bangalore.

http://www.mediafire.com/?dmymlwgjd4q

English transliteration of lyric is given below:

(p)
sArasAksHa SrI ramaNa
parAtpara dayAkara



(ap)
nAradAdi vandita
caraNAravinda gOvinda

(caraNa)
pAdi ninna bEDikombe
nOdi nOdi kai biDuvare

nIDi varava karuNipudo
gADikAra puruSHottama

[metnanda]

Very nice introduction and superb analysis of Veena Raja rao's compositions by DRS. Thanks for the posting. I hope these compositions will become more popular among artists and in concerts.

I would like to have a copy of the book of Veena Rao's compositions that you have mentioned in Kannada
script. Since you are in the process of editing the book, may be i should wait for the book with all 55 compositions.

warm regards,
nandan

[Sreeni Rajarao]

I am pleased to write that the next volume of Veena Raja Rao's compositions is now available :
Vocal by Vidushi Nagamani Srinath
Vocal support : Vidushi Uma Kumar
Violin : Vid. T S Krishnamurthy
mRdanga : Vid. Cheluvaraj
Ghata : Vid. Dayananda Mohite

CDs can be obtained by contacting rajaraofoundation@gmail.com
CDs are presently available in Bangalore. I expect to have them with me here in Detroit by end of May.

Please check here for some sample clips - includes a kRti in the rAga cAmunDi

http://www.esnips.com/web/Volume2clips

[Sreeni Rajarao]

I am posting this on behalf of Satwik Kashyap from http://Sunaadaradio.com
Please see Satwik's email that I have reproduced below:

Hi Sreeni,

Today (23rd) Sunaada Radio (http://sunaadaradio.com) will be playing
compositions of Sri Veene Raja Rao (all 3 cds) throughout the day.
Please let your friends and family know.
I was unable to login to the rasikas.org forum to post this. Please do
post it in rasikas.org also if you can.

[Sreeni Rajarao]

Please see here for a discussion on rAga cAmunDi and dEvi kRtis composed by
Veena Raja Rao

http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic. ... 07#p177007

Sreeni Rajarao

[vidya]

I heard the Hamsanandi Jatisvaram and loved the rhythmic gait and the musical setting of it. (Since there is no sahitya and it has a rhythmic gait to it is a jatisvara and not a svarajati).The CD has these compositions labelled correctly an abhogi and hindola as jatisvara where as the write up quoted above says "svarajati". Or Are they referring to two different compositions?

Sreeni,
May we also request a short writeup about your grandfather just to provide the musical continuity?

[Sreeni Rajarao]

I heard the Hamsanandi Jatisvaram and loved the rhythmic gait and the musical setting of it. (Since there is no sahitya and it has a rhythmic gait to it is a jatisvara and not a svarajati).The CD has these compositions labelled correctly an abhogi and hindola as jatisvara where as the write up quoted above says "svarajati". Or Are they referring to two different compositions?

Sreeni,
May we also request a short writeup about your grandfather just to provide the musical continuity?

Vidya,
The Hamsanandi jatisvara is in volume 1 CDs released July 2009, discussed here :
http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=10255

Abhogi and Hindola jatisvaras are in volume 2 of Nagamani Srinath renditions.

It was my mistake that I have been using the terms jatisvara and swarajati interchangeably.

I have been meaning to write about Bhairavi Lakshimnaranappa, my GrandFather. I will do so in the coming days.

Sreeni Rajarao

[keerthi]

(Since there is no sahitya and it has a rhythmic gait to it is a jatisvara and not a svarajati).The CD has these compositions labelled correctly an abhogi and hindola as jatisvara where as the write up quoted above says "svarajati". Or Are they referring to two different compositions?

The swarajati-jatiswara nomenclature has been used interchangeably in Mysore, and the word swarapallavi has been used in Andhra.

I believe the distinction is synthetic, and wasn't arrived at, by consensus; but was Prof.Sambamoorthy's edict; and needs to be re-examined.

The Tanjore quartette notebooks have a range of different kinds of compositions, some of which are undistinguishable from varna-s in structure, which they call swarajatis. and we have all these jatiswara-s with no jati-s [solkaTTu/ pATAkSara-s], so how is even that name justified?


Sorry for the digression in the Veena Raja Rao thread.

[vidya]

>>I believe the distinction is synthetic, and wasn't arrived at, by consensus; but was Prof.Sambamoorthy's edict; and needs to be re-examined.

No, a very-preSambamoorthian distinction(unlike kRti and kirtana where publications actually use them interchangeably!) used both by Subbarama Dikshita and Veena Krishnamacharya etc. The SSP itself clearly states and explains the compositional types based not on arbitrary distinction but on an examination of extant compositions. While it is true that the svarajati had a number of structural variations there are no compositions that are listed as svarajatis (in publications) that are without sahitya. The varnasvarajati (as it is called and many types of these are documented in Dr.BM Sundaram's book) is what you are alluding to which do have sahitya. The fluidiity is because the svarajati was modelled as a cross product based off the compositional type of a varna and a pada which resulted in a number of variant structures. But there has always been clarity between jatisvara - which is pure solfeggio and svarajati - svara + sahitya and the term svarajati. While it is true that colkattus were dispensed with (perhaps to eliminate an association with dance music and to provide for performance music in many cases?) and in both svarajatis and jatisvaras. Whether the names are justified is a whole new discussion but every type of composition ever called a svarajati in publications have sahitya in them which these jatisvaras do not and the gait/movement is a clearly distinguishing feature of the two. For example the thanjavur quartet composed svarajatis, (some of which are varna svarajatis but all of which have sahitya) and jatisvaras (always devoid of sahitya). This distinction is always seen in scholarly writing on music and in early publications on music and is needed in contemporary writings.

>The swarajati-jatiswara nomenclature has been used interchangeably in Mysore, and the word swarapallavi has been used in Andhra.

I would like to know where and by whom are these used interchangeably? Any published work or referred to informally among musicians?

(Yes a digression in this thread but relevant to understand the compositional form better.)

[keerthi]

I am not aware of the explicit distinction being made in the SSP. could you point it out. I have noticed, for instance that the prathamAbhyAsapustakam refers to the bilahari jatiswaram as jatiswaram. [there have been later sahityam-s woven nto it. there were three sAhityam sets at last count!]

I would like to look in greater detail, into this 'varna-swarajati' which I suspect is a modern coinage. If it were old, SubbarAma dIksitar would have called the husEni one by that name.

SolkaTTu-s being dispensed with to dissociate from dance, is not a straightforward argument; as the dancers too have shed solkaTTu-s, and the tanjOre quartette who composed expressly for dance haven't notated the sollu-s.

I will look into the oldest oral and cellulose sources that I have access to, and come back with a more detailed answer.


I agree that swarajati for compositions with lyric, is definitely as old as veeNa rAmanujayya, the TAcchur brothers and SD.


Whether the names are justified or not, is not an argument I am making here, am only interested in the historicity of the nomenclature.

[vidya]

Keerthi,
1.In the Lakshana Sangraha on the discussion on compositional types kirtana, pada, caukavarna, tanavarna, svarajati, daru,jatisvara are all listed.
In the prathamabhyasa pustakamu the bilahari and todi jatisvarams only have
svaras.
2.Varna svarajati is perhaps a catch-all modern coinage
3.Now to answer my own question,
HMB's Sangita Kalpadruma and some of the Vizianagaram manuscripts list the jatisvaram as 'svarapallavi'.

Sreeni,
Apologies for taking up this space! Perhaps we could move this to another thread!

[Sreeni Rajarao]

Sreeni,
May we also request a short writeup about your grandfather just to provide the musical continuity?

Please see here for a short (and also a long) writeup about Bhairavi Lakshminaranappa

http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=14639

Sreeni Rajarao