The Alathur Brothers with Rajamanikkam Pillai (violin) and Palani Subramaniam Pillai (mridangam) during a concert. | Photo courtesy: The Hindu Archives
Students of Carnatic music are often told to listen to the masters of the olden days, so that they can develop and refine their art. The more serious ones do so. What is the underlying principle in this pedagogical form? After all, many students of today are fortunate enough to learn directly from the legends of the present day. Too broad, the advice to ‘listen’ can be overwhelming, as the styles and repertoires of so many legends are so vast.
Who to ask for what? We check what the possible ideas could be. Back in the days when preparing for the IIT JEE exam was still an art and skill, not an industry, we were directed to some high-quality books on various subjects.
I remember grappling with Resnick and Halliday’s physics book or Sarin and Halliday’s chemistry book and SL Loney’s geometry book on principles. These were considered both working and reference books, but were not the only sources. A few more additional books were ‘strongly’ recommended, if one had the ability to read them. Here a parallel can be drawn from the field of Carnatic music. The maestros of old did not create their brilliant performances to be used as educative tools, just as Resnick and Halliday had no idea about the IIT JEE exam. They were all just pushing the boundaries of performance or understanding of the subject that gave them iconic status.
GN Balasubramaniam | Photo courtesy: The Hindu Archives
There is a caveat though. Despite their all-round greatness, each of them was distinct for something or the other. For instance, it is a saying that one must listen to GN Balasubrahmanyam for his raga alapana constructions and innovative phrasings. I myself have heard his Andolika or Amirtha Varshini ragas several times, apart from almost all the main ragas. TN Rajaratnam Pillai, a Nageswara exponent, also seized the proprietary rights of many alapanas. Similarly, the Alathur Brothers trade-marked the complex Pallavi Naadis and Nirvals. As a student, I was also told to listen to their Thyagaraja kritis, as they sang with a certain gusto and emotion, which added more lustre to the kritis. Manodharma was the forte of all, but some were better known than others. Ramnad Krishnan, MD Ramanathan were among them, if one was looking for a needle in the haystack Aha Moment.
MS Subbulakshmi | Photo courtesy: The Hindu Archives
Our music emphasizes both aspects of kalpita and kalpana. Presenting a kriti impressively, putting it on a good virtuoso note and expressing the finest accompaniment and presenting the sheer beauty of a major composition was the hallmark of Semmangudi and MS. The DKP and DKJ brand of kriti presentation was another delight, as there was a great beauty woven into them. If one needs more experimental lessons, it is common to turn to Flute Mali, ML Vasanthakumari or S Kalyanaraman. Madurai Mani Iyer has the patent of the beautiful sarvalagu swarams that do not disturb the civility of hearing or test our mathematical brain cells. The parallel to this in cricket would be batting which seems soothing to the eyes (here also soothing to our ears). Madurai Mani Iyer’s music, however, seemed deceptively easy.
Rhythm has an integral role in our music. In later years some like the Alathur Brothers, Lalgudi Jayaraman and TN Seshagopalan took up the challenge and introduced gold standard templates. Enthusiastic students marvel at the raga performances and kriti singing of the Dhanammal school whose grammar includes what is not permitted phrasing!
M.L. Vasanthakumari | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Viruttam achieved its special status in the voices of Semmangudi, Ramnad Krishnan and a few others. Some artists were also semi-masters of ragas because of the brilliance they created – the Maharajapuram school became famous for Arabi, Mukhi, Semmangudi Varali, Neelambari, Ramnad Krishnan Sahana or Begada – just a small list of outstanding new approaches in raga ornamentation.
K.V. Narayanaswamy, Palghat Mani Iyer on mridangam and Lalgudi Jayaraman on violin performing at the Edinburgh Festival in 1965. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
I have always been fascinated by the amount of bhaavam that KV Narayanaswamy or DK Jayaraman or MS Subbulakshmi bring to even simple krithis and tukkas. No one is sure if this can be learnt merely by listening. Yet this often presents the biggest challenge for a large number of aspiring musicians – to go beyond the mechanics of presentation.
Hence, like ‘go to’ books for various subjects, the music of many legends has special lessons inscribed in it. That such aspects were original innovations makes them truly geniuses. Living musicians too have developed unique styles and introduced new series of lessons. The ability to create space across styles and substances remains the eternal trade secret in Carnatic music. The term ‘bani’ is not an adequate description of what lies hidden inside such music. Learners are asked to absorb the many performance guides accessible by listening, and blend in their own native styles and voice capabilities.
