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Sankeerthana Sangitham as mentioned earlier switched over to Marga Padhathi from Desi. Desi, the mode of various forms of folk music gives more improtance to the beat than raga. In Marga mode, more complex beat to rhythm is adopted. As a reslu the audience gets to appreciate an elaborate raga presentation. Generally the Desi mode is adopted to depict factual life and experience through music, where as emotion is the mainstay of the classical Marga style. But when factual experiences are rendered musically adoption the raga method, the effect is a unique emotional experience.
The historical background of some of the ragas that are in vogue today may be analysed. Some raga-s like Vasantha and Hindola found their place in the earliest circa 12th century musical text, Sangita Ratnakara. Over a period of time the seem to |
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have undergone various changes. The two main schools of Indian music Hindustani and Carnatic have raga-s of similar nomenclature but with dissimilar charactersitics despite the fact that both schools rely heavily on the Sangita Ratnakara. The raga-s is Carnatic style underwent various changes during the preiod between Raga Vibhodam of Somanatha Panditha, Swaramela Kalanidhi of Raamaathya, Sangitha Sudhanidhi of Govinda Dheekshitulu and Chathurdhandi Prakashika of Venkatamakhi.
All these works define and deal extensively with the various characteristics of raga-s. Two sets of names are provided to the 72 basic scales - Melakartha's. Some Desi raga-s, which were incomplete were given classical finish and later became very popular. In the time raga rendering achieved the perfection that was lacking in the
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initial stages. For instance, Sangitah Kalanidhi Ramaraja Booshana in his work Vasu Charitra mentions that by adding Pa and Ri to Hindola (Raga) scale it converts into Vasantha. The Practitoners of the modern day calssical Carnatic style find it improper, as the characteristics of these two raga-s are different.
However the notes, Ga, Ma, Dha, Ni of Hindola Morrchana when blended with Ri and Pa with give rise to Basant, a popular raga of the Hindustani style, which could have been in vogue during the period of Ramaraja Bhooshana.
Till recently various raga-s in the Carnatic style itself, like Lalitha, Vasantha Hindola, Suddha Saveri were rendered differently by different performers. The variations were also due to the differences in the grace applied to the raga-s by the performers according to their school of thought.
We can discern the |
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difference as we hear gramophone records of the early 20th century renderings of some of the popular ragas of this day.
The perfection in raag-s was achieved over a period of time as the various works of Thyagaraja in as many scales became popular, and the later day parishioners adopted the raga characteristics are applied by him. The differing variations of raga characteristics were unified and the various raga-s created with distinct and perfect characteristics.
The rag-s are also classified on the basis of Rasa - the moods and emotions they are supposed to represent such emotions include love, varlour, worship etc., Generally it is believed that Mukhara scale is used to depict soorows, Naadhanamakriya for compassion and Saveri for
valour. Even with great difficulty on would not come across works that are set to the
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ragas that are really representative of such emotions. The classical compositions either present Bhakti or Sringara rasa.
Thus the characteristics of any given raga is determined by various factors including the emotion in prescribed to represent. But the Taal - beat, does not seem to have any role to play in the classification of the ragas. Though the raga-s are prescribed to represent various rasa-s, the real effective, presentaion of the Nava Rasa-s the nine emotions, through music is a subjective art.
The time during the day or night when a particular raga is to be rendered is also prescribed by the texts. In Carnatic style such prescription as to when a given raga should be rendered is not strictly followed as most of the raga-s are allowed to be rendered at any time of the day Except for Bhoopala, which
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symbolizes the mood of day break and sunrise, time is not strictly adhered to for other ragas. The case of Hindustani is different in this respect, as it gives importance to the rendering of raga-s according to the time of the day.
Dance as a means of expression: (The support of music)
The Desi-Marga classification of most of the fine arts is found in the case of the art of Dance as well. It is practiced in the form of Loka Dharmi and Natya Dharmi. The classical dance form gets its support from the classical art of music.
Though Kuchipudi dance form originally belonged to the Desi-Loka Dharmi style, it gradually evolved into a classical dance form. The Bhama Kalapam a most popular item in the Kuchipudi repertoire, has come to stay as successful classical
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