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MUSICSCAN
Elegant and powerful
M.V. RAMAKRISHNAN
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The magnificence of Oothukadu Venkatakavi’s songs came under the spotlight at Ravikiran’s recent workshop.
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ILLUMINATING: N. Ravikiran presenting Venkatakavi’s sahitya.
The wide-open secret of Chitraveena Ravikiran’s ability to make the sound of his unique string instrument throb with the authentic spirit of Carnatic music is his own mastery of vocal music. Though he doesn’t often give vocal recitals in
the concert hall, his recent ‘workshop’ on the Navavarana kritis of Oothukkadu Venkatakavi in Chennai gave me a close view of his earnest roles as singer as well as teacher.
It was also an occasion when I came across his recently published book on the life and contributions of the great poet-composer, which made me take stock of Ravikiran’s serious concerns as a scholar and author also.
A brief explanation of Venkatakavi’s music as a whole will be useful as a prelude to a specific report on the Navavarana musical session.
This task has been extremely simplified for me by Ravikiran himself — because all I have to do is to string together some of his own remarks and reflections, which have far more value than anything I can say, and which are expressed in a lucid English style which reveals yet another dimension of his versatile personality.
Accordingly, let us discuss the Navavarana kritis in the next article (Oct. 12), and meanwhile hear what Ravikiran has to say about the composer:
Melodic vision
- The spirit of Venkatakavi’s melodic style is radiance.
- The average length of most of his songs is much longer than that of any other composer of Carnatic music. There are shorter pieces too...
- His compositions display his adeptness in rhythm and a deep awareness and passion for dance as well... His description of dance reveals his extraordinary visualisation.
- He indulged in changing the gait within a song (gati bhedam) in several pieces — something that few major composers have done before or after him.
- Most musicians who have learnt his pieces marvel at their sophistication and the effortless manner in which he composed sprawling masterpieces... At the same time, there are simpler songs that students can learn and present with ease.
Lyrics and language
- The most striking feature of the composer’s lyrics is the incredible combination of power and elegance that his words possess.
- Venkatakavi was a master of Sanskrit and Tamil, the two great ancient languages of India. - More often than not, Venkatakavi’s language is highly personalised. This makes his compositions vibrant and lively. Most of his songs abound in high-quality rhyme (prasa) and alliteration (anuprasa).
- A stunning vocabulary is one of the main features of Venkatakavi’s lyrical style. His mastery over words and expressions enabled him to coin innovative words, indulge in dazzling word-play… (But) the spontaneity of the lyrics does not suggest a pre-designed effort to play with words for their own sake. They only reveal his lyrical versatility naturally asserting itself in various ways.
Themes of songs
- Venkatakavi has composed songs on almost all the major deities and on many other minor divine beings that have not been addressed by other composers.
- That he himself has remained unsung and unappreciated — in fact, unknown to the majority — for several centuries must rank as one of the most poignant ironies in Indian culture.
- Venkatakavi travelled extensively, visited various temples and left his imprints in numerous pilgrimage centres through vivid masterpieces.
- Till recently, very few musicians, music-lovers and musicologists were even aware of the fact that Venkatakavi had composed operas. These include Ramayana, Mahabharata and Charitrams on Dhruva, Prahlaada, Manickavasagar, Karaikkal Ammiayar, Bhadrachala Ramadas, Tukaram... all of his operas are in Tamil.
- Venkatakavi and Muthuswami Dikshitar are the most renowned composers of Navavarana kritis, with specific focus on the Navavarana ritualistic aspects (of Devi worship).
Spirit and imagery
- Oothukkadu Venkatakavi was revered as a mahakavi (mega poet) even in his lifetime.
- Venkatakavi’s compositions are not merely pleas uttered in devotion or entreaties clothed in flowery language. They glow with the imagery he creates, the picture he paints with his brush of imagination that transports the connoisseur into a world of ethereal beauty.
- Much of Venkatakavi’s humour is found — not surprisingly — in his opera on Lord Krishna, especially the sections describing his life with the gopis in Brindavan. There are also several songs which brim with devotion and reverence. The simple usages in pieces like ‘Alaipaayude Kanna’ were operatic songs that were deliberately kept simple as they were from the perspective of the gopis.
- Venkatakavi’s compositions reveal his exceedingly positive, cheerful, humorous and humble attitude. His works seldom reflect an angry or sorrowful mood. They reveal a person who lived in a rarefied atmosphere where beauty and joy reigned.
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
|
