Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

MUSIC

Thyagaraja, Shyama Shastri, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Maharaja Swati Tirunal. The longest item in the South Indian concert is the ragam - tanam - pallavi which is mostly im- provised and with which the concert opens. In South Indian music all composed pieces are primarily for the voice drawn from the devotional songs or Kirtans composed by three composers, Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri and 8 others. Thyagaraja sang in Telugu in praise of Lord Rama. Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri were his contemporaries. They were all bora in the Tanjavur District of Tamil Nadu. Swati Tirunal Rama Varma who was bom in the Royal House of Travancore in 1813 was a great patron of music besides being a musi- cian and composer himself. He has a number of kritis, varnas, padams and javalis to his credit. He did not restrict himself to Carnatic music but composed dhrupads, khayals, thumris etc. He passed away in 1846.

During the first 10 years of his reign, Au- rangzeb was fond of music but as he grew older he became an opponent of music and, by court order, abolished the court musicians. When this order was passed the court mu- sicians brought a bier in front of the window where the Emperor used to show himself to the people and wailed so loud as to attract Au- rangzeb's attention. He came to the window and asked what the matter was. He was told that music was dead and they were taking it to the graveyard. The Emperor replied, "Very well, make the grave deep so that neither voice nor echo may issue from it." In the Southern or Karnatak system the basic form is the Varnam a completely com- posed piece, which incorporates the charac- teristic phrases and melodic movements of the Raga. Varnams have a lyric. The Varnam reaches its fullness of development in the de- votional Kriti, which was moulded to perfec- tion during the first half of the 19th century by

where Raja Man Singh Tomar (1486-1518) had founded a school of music. When his fame reached the ears of Akbar, the Emperor had him brought to his court at Agra in 1563. Akbar was so moved on hearing Ramtanu sing, that he presented him with two lakhs of rupees and gave him the title of Tansen. Tansen became a Muslim, assumed or was given the title Mirza, and was buried in Muslim holy ground at Gwalior. Abul Fazl, Akbar's chroni- cler, says of Tansen : " A singer like him has not been known in India for the last thousand years. He is by far the best of the groups of mu- sicians of the imperial court of which there were 36. Numerous musicians were attached to Akbar's court — Hindus, Iranis, Turanis, Kashmiris, both men and women. They formed a group, one for each day of the week." Tansen is credited with the creation of many new ra- gas, like Miyan-ki-Tod and Darbari Kannad. He is also credited with the discovery of the Rudra Veena He died at the age of 83in l589.

Closelly allied and similar Ragas

Karnaataki

Hindustaani

Karnaataka Deva Gaandhari

Gauree Mahonaree (Janaka raaga 23)

Patadeep

Madhyamaavathee (Madhumaadhavee)

Madhumaad, Megh

Dharmavathee (Janaka raaga 59)

Madhuwanthee

Baageschree

Schree ranjinee

Chakravaaka (Janaka raaga 16)

Aahir Bhairav

Lalith

Lalithaa

Bilahari

Alhaiyaa Bilaaval

Schuddh

Kalyaan

Mohana Kalyaanee

Behag (old Byaagu)

Bihaag

Saarang or Brinda-

Maarga Hindola; Saaramathi

Kaunschee Kaanadaa

avanee or Brinda-

Jayanthaschree

Sundar Kauns

avanee

Saaranga

-

Brindaavana Saaranga

Dwijaawanthee (Joo-jawanthee)

Jaijaiwanthee

Malkaus (Malghosh

Gaanamoorthi (Janaka raaga -3; and Asaav-

Komal Bhairav

-

Hindolam

or Maalava Kauscha)

eri)

-

Saaveri

Jogiyaa

Lathikaa

Lathaangee (Janaka raaga 63)

- Lathaantha priya or Karnaataka Schuddha

Gunkali

Khathmaa

Shadvidhamaarginee (Janaka ' raaga 46)

Saaveri

Aabhogee Kaanarhaa

Aabhogi

Raageschree

-

Naatakuranji, R'avichandrikaa

Aarabhi Malhaar

Saama

Desch

- Kedaaragaula (But here Theevra Ni is ta-

Sindhoora, Saindhaveen

Saalaga Bhairavi

boo)

Schahaana Kaanarhaa

Kaanada

Kalaavathee

-

Valaji

Naag Ranjinee

Kalyaana Vasanthaa

Kalaavanthee or

Lankaa Dahan Saarang

Schree

Rishabh kee

Jeevanpuri

Naagagaandhaaree

Kalaavathee

Jog

Sandarschinee,

Bhavaabharani,

Hamsavi-

Naata

Aaschaa Thodee,

nodinee

Hindol

Asaaveri

Komal Asaavaree

Sunaadavinodinee

Huseni Kaanrhaa

Dhanyaasi

Komal

Dhannaasi

Huseni

Adhaanaa

Udayaravichandrikaa or Schuddha

Dhaani

Athaana

Bihaangadaa

Dhanyaasi

Begada

Kaalingadaaa

Durgaa

Sehuddha Saaveri or Poorva Devakriya

Kalgada

Bairaagi Bhairav

Bhem Phalaasi

Aabheri Vajrakaanthi, Sindhu Dhanyaasi &

Revathee

Schiva Ranjinee

Sankrandanapriya