S. Sowmya lecture demonstration – Musical Pearls of Lesser-known Composers
A typical Carnatic kutcheri is filled with a majority of songs by the Trinity, with the latter half of the concert ‘sometimes’ featuring other composers. Vidushi S. Sowmya’s lecture at Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha on the compositions of lesser-known composers featured several musical gems from the post-Trinity era. With the allotted time of just over an hour, she possibly could not have covered the vast list of composers that emerged post-the Trinity. But Sowmya selected a few composers who were familiar names in Dhannammal household when she was learning from T. Muktha. Sowmya mentioned that several composers visited the Dhannammal home, which was filled with musical discussions.
Sowmya began her lecture by elucidating the compositions of the Karur Brothers or famously known by their mudra – Garbapurivasa. Brothers Karur Dakshinamurthy, Karur Krishna Iyer, Karur Chinnaswamaiah were part of a quartet along with their cousin, Dakshinamurthi Sastri. They were trained under Nemam Subrahmania Iyer, a direct disciple of Tyagaraja. Chinnaswamaiah’s violin duets with his elder brother, Karur Dakshinamurthi ended prematurely when the latter died. In 1950, Karur Chinnaswamiah was honoured by the Music Academy with the Sangita Kalanidhi. The brothers used the mudra Garbhapurivasa/Garbhapurisa/Garbhapuri nivasa, dedicating their songs to the Lord of Karur.
Sowmya sang the well-known kriti, Brova samayamite (Gowri manohari), composed by the Karur Brothers and explained their subtleties in the gamakas and the swarksharas. She said that the Trinity were arguably most influential on the composers who came after them and it’s evident, especially in following the kriti format and sometimes even while composing in similar raga used by the Trinity. Ra ra Rama (Bangala), another composition of Garbhapurivasa was explained. She effortlessly demonstrated the kalapramana variations in some of their compositions, and the ornamentations used by them through gamakas.
Sowmya then went on to demonstrate the composition of Anai Ayya (again two brothers named Anai Aiyar and Ayyavaiyer who were patronised by King Serfoji III. Sowmya sang the famous Karaharapriya composition, Vidhi illarkku virumbinalum vidikkumo namasivayam polum and also the beautiful Dhanyasi composition, Paruvam parka. While listening to some of the proyogas used for Dhanyasi, especially the gandhara, she said seems to have found an inspiration from the nagaswaram. She also said that one could trace the changes the raga has gone through from the patterns used by the composers. Sharanu sharanu (Cenjuruti) was the next composition she highlighted, a lilting melody she learnt from her guru, T Muktha. Sowmya explained the spotlight of the madhyama prayoga in the composition and how the composer has used the madhyama as a plain note and seamlessly gliding to the gamakas.
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The works of legendary composers Ramaswamy Sivan and his brother Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan were taken up next. Sowmya demonstrated with ease the Begada composition of Ramaswamy Sivan, Kadaikkann vaittennai, explaining the alliterations used by the composer. Sowmya also demonstrated Ekkalattilum (Natakurunji) and Muttuk-kumarayyane (Sankarabharanam).
In 1885, when the brothers (Ramaswamy Sivan & Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan) visited the pontiff at Sringeri during Navaratri, Mahavaidyanatha Sivan composed Sree Sankaraguruvaram chintayami bhavaharam (Nagasvarali). Sowmya sang this kriti with the cittaswarams in the anupallavi.Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer's magnum opus, 72 melaragamalika – Pranatarti Hara was demonstrated. She elucidated how the composer has shown the 72 melas to be not just a mathematical scheme but ragas with bhava and personality.
Learning several padams and javalis from her guru T.Muktha, Sowmya spoke about composers Tirupati Narayana Swami Naidu and sang the famous javali,Vagaladi.
Tiruvarur Ramaswamy Pillai’s compositions are replete with swarksharas. Sowmya sang the Purvikalyani kriti,Ekkalattilum unnai and highlighted how the same phrases are treated differently by the composer in the upper octave and the lower octave. Pillai’s famous manipravala kriti, Idu nalla samayamamma(in Tamil, Samskrit, Kannada and Hindi ) and Sree Kamakshi in Vasanta were illustrated by Sowmya.
Ganam Krishna Iyer, Annasami Iyer, Veena Kuppier were some of the other composers sowmya touched upon. Citations from treatises and references to renditions by stalwarts, Sowmya’s presentation was rich in content. With her vast repertoire, Sowmya effortlessly compared kritis in the same raga across composers and highlighted the similarities and differences and how each composer treated the raga creatively.