Interesting experiment with octaves
GARIMELLA SUBRAMANIAM
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Despite the number of instruments the delivery was remarkably delicate.
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ATTEMPT AT INNOVATION: Kanyakumari's ensemble. Photo: K. N. Muralidharan.
It was a veena, venu and violin performance with a difference on Saturday last under the auspices of Bhairavi Gana Sabha, celebrating its fourth anniversary. ``Tristhayi sangamam," an ensemble in three octaves, is violin vidushi
A. Kanyakumari's latest attempt at innovation. It is distinct from a conventional vadyavrinda or vadyalahari played on many instruments on a single octave.
The ensemble, set to the same sruti (1), presented compositions mainly from the Carnatic repertoire. Mudikondan Ramesh on the veena with Embar Kannan's violin were in charge of the higher octave. V. Srilakshmi, Anuthama and A. Kanyakumari played the middle octave on the violin. J. Bhaskaran on the flute along with Rajeev's violin covered the lower octave. P. V. Karthikesan on the tabla and Shertalai Ananthakrishnan on the mridangam gave percussion support.
Delicate and subdued
Despite the number of instruments, rather large for a performance in classical music, the quality of the delivery overall was remarkably delicate and subdued. The orchestra featured, besides the regular Carnatic kritis, two compositions written by Kanyakumari. One was a tune in ragam Sivaranjani which appeared early after the Tyagaraja pancharatna kriti in Gowla. Set to tisranadai, the piece was a pleasant melody.
In the second composition of Kanyakumari, a ragamalika, were featured Hamsavinodini, Karnaranjani, Chakravakam and Madhuvanti. The tune in each raga was first played individually and subsequently the entire orchestra joined in the finale.
Why did Kanyakumari limit the scope of the concept to three octaves? No prizes for guessing. Vocal Indian classical music relies on just three octaves and instrumentalists tend to fashion their experimental themes broadly in conformity with this tradition. As Kanyakumari's goal was to produce a synchrony of different octaves, it was necessary that each interval of eight notes was audible more distinctly.
The surest way to do this was to assign each octave to a different instrument. Listeners would then have identified each sthayi with the respective instrument. In the event, the violin was present practically in all the octaves and the veena and the flute seemed at times to be overshadowed by the violins.
With these caveats, there is no question that Kanyakumari's interesting experiment must be carried forward.
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