Versatile Carnatic music composer
LALITHAA KRISHNAN
OOTTUKKADU VENKATA KAVI — Life and Contributions, along with Kamakshi Navavaranams (Rs. 99) and Saptaratna Krithis (Rs. 150): Chitravina N. Ravikiran; Copies can be had from Karnatic Music Book House, 14, Sripuram First Street, Royapettah, Chennai-600014.
Regarded as one of Carnatic music’s greatest poet-composers, Oottukkadu Venkata Subba Iyer walked the Earth in the 18th century. His brilliant musicianship touched every facet of his prolific oeuvres. Venkata Kavi was in many ways, a forerunner of and on a par with the musical Trinity.
Compositionally, his works are moving in terms of emotional content and outstanding in their use of devices such as gati bhedam (gait changes) and word play. He composed not only in Sanskrit and Tamil but also in Marathi in the mode prevalent in his day under the reign of the Maratha kings. Surprisingly, only in the 20th century did his compositions, written on palm leaves and stored in earthen pots by successive generations of his brother’s family, come to light. Since then, the credit for popularising them rests chiefly in the efforts of noted Harikatha exponent Needamangalam Krishnamurthy Bhagavathar. The author, the well-known chitraveena exponent N. Ravi Kiran, seeks to create in the reader, a sensitised perception of the composer and an informed appreciation of his works. In light of the fact that the only source of evidence on hand is a body of compositions that speaks for itself, the author bases his conclusions on an incisive analysis of these works, substantiated by logical reasoning. He contends that these have remained relatively untouched by editions and additions by musicians over the years since they were sung and passed down in near-original form by only a handful of non-professional performers. Also, the inherent compositional structure rife with hard-to-alter complexities is predominantly tamper-proof. He defines the compositions as belonging to the “aamra paakam” (mango flavour), one of the five major styles.
Thematic compositions
The chapters detailing Venkata Kavi’s melodic contribution, lyrical skills and command over rhythmic permutations and jathis offer a fascinating insight into a highly evolved intellect, each point illustrated with specific examples. An alphabetical listing of compositions in the concluding segment serves as a point of ready reference. Among Venkata Kavi’s thematic compositions, the author has chosen to publish the lyrics and notations of the Kamakshi Navavaranams (nine compositions on Devi) and the seven compositions known as Saptaratna Krithis. Monumental in conception, exquisite in detailing and supremely inspiring in content, these krithis present a challenge to even the most skilled musician in terms of structural sophistication, yet constitute food for the soul in terms of “rasanubhava”. Accompanied by pertinent observations, the script and easy-to-follow notations are in English. Viewed in tandem both publications together offer telling proof of the author’s complete identification with the works, both familiar and little-known, of an eminent composer and his commendable efforts to propagate them.
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