Of voice and virtuosity
A musician may usually sing very well, but if he is not able to convey the true spirit of a particular song to a receptive audience, he must accept full responsibility for the failure and see what exactly had gone wrong, and set things right for the future. Similarly, if some intelligent readers are not able to understand the true significance of a particular review, the fault must surely be the reviewer's, and he owes the readers and the concerned musician(s) an absolutely clear re-statement of his views.
Accordingly, this writer has an obligation to clarify certain thoughts expressed in the article, ``His master's voice and his own" (Friday Review, March 9), which attracted the following comments from Mr. R.Narasimhan, resident of Nanganallur:
``The review of T.V.Sankaranarayanan's concert offered the reader a very reflective and psychological sketch of his music. The reviewer also unobtrusively points out how he would like to see more and more of Madurai Mani Iyer's style of music evolved in the recitals of his disciple. In articulating this sentiment, he is only reflecting the popular wish. But TVS as a musician with a broad vision may have his own ideas, and rasikas cannot afford to lose sight of the unfettered freedom the musician should have if he is to give of his best."
Such an interpretation of the review by an obviously intelligent reader was rather surprising, and discreet enquiries made in music circles revealed that there are other sensitive rasikas in Chennai and elsewhere who had also got the impression that in the author's opinion TVS must adopt his venerable guru Madurai Mani's musical style more closely than he does. This is a worrisome fact which calls for a convincing explanation.
Essential element
As indicated by its title itself, the essay in question had the limited objective of focusing the attention of readers on the musician's voice, which is an essential element of his art, but only one of several vital elements. In this context, there was no intention of making an overall assessment of his virtuosity, which would require a far more detailed discussion. It is an intriguing fact that the powerful voice of TVS somehow seems to be acquiring a mellowness and delicate texture these days, reminding elderly rasikas of the soft and gentle quality of Madurai Mani's voice. To review this phenomenon in the proper perspective, it was necessary to recall the inherent contrast between his voice and Madurai Mani's, and the conscious and successful efforts made by TVS long ago to achieve an authentic style of his own, which meant finding his own voice without losing his master's musical vision.
What one finds intriguing is that TVS seems to be going back now, perhaps subconsciously, to his roots to draw fresh inspiration — and it seems to create a mysterious and amazing blend of his master's voice and his own, which may make his music even more colourful and glorious than it is today.
Perhaps it is such repeated but unavoidable references to the `master' and the `disciple' which has led to the misunderstanding in some readers' minds, although the review under scrutiny had itself referred to TVS as one of the doyens of Carnatic music today. And `doyen,' if anyone objects to the use of this French word (which is freely borrowed in English), is defined by the Compact Oxford Dictionary as ``the most respected or prominent person in a particular field."
MVR
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
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Thiruvananthapuram
