RMIM Archive Article "408".
From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian
#
# RMIM/C Archives..
# Subject: Raga Salagavarali
# (Series on Hindustani ragas inspired by Carnatic ragas)
#
# Posted by: Rajan Parrikar (parrikar@spot.colorado.edu)
# Author: Rajan Parrikar
#
#
Subject: Raga Salagavarali
Namashkar.
Continuing with our thread on Carnatic-inspired Hindustani rAgas,
we proffer today a composition in Raga Salagavarali (sAlagavarALi,
also known as Salagavarali Todi). This rAga was developed by
S.N. Ratanjankar (SNR) and it has roots in the 46th melakartA
"shadvidhmArgini" (S r g m(tivra) P D n). I understand that
Balamuralikrishna has a recording in Raga Shadvidhmargini and we shall
have the Carnatic afficionados fill in the details on this and other
recordings that may exist.
Raga Salagavarali drops the madhyam altogether. The A/A set may be
devised as: S r g P D n D S"::S" n D P g (P)r g r S
The nishAd is rendered durbal in ascent - D n D S"- for instance.
The rishab receives a distinct grace of the pancham in descent
- P (P)r g r S - There is the toDi-like Andolan around the komal
rishab and gandhAr and here the rishab is allowed a grace of the gandhAr
- (g)r g r, S. The nyAsa on the komal nishAd and dhaivat in the
mandra saptak lends characteristic serenity to the development.
This rAga has been magnificently implemented by Jeetendra Abisheki in
his celebrated composition from the marAthi drama (Yayati-Devyani?):
ghe'ee chhanda makarand, priya hA milind...(Abisheki has set the same
lyrics to another tune in Raga Dhani, rendered superbly by Vasantrao
Deshpande). This is often called a 'light' composition but there is
nothing light about it. It demands the highest imagination, a deep
understanding of and complete mastery over swara and sAhitya. To anyone
familiar with Abisheki's work it is at once clear that he is a composer
of the highest class, the type of which doesn't swing by too often. His
creation in Salagavarali brings that rAga home to its root melakartA by
beautifully injecting a vivAdi dosha in a couple of locations via the
arresting use of the tivra madhyam.
We have already posted (some years ago) a profile on S.N. Ratanjankar
as part of Great Masters and newcomers are encouraged to read it.
His role and influence on the post-independence resurgence of Hindustani
music have been signal. The fertile musical ambience spawned at the
erstwhile Morris College at Lucknow under Ratanjankar's stewardship
hasn't yet been duplicated. Ratanjankar's prehensility in rAgadhAri, his
extensive knowledge of both the Hindustani and Carnatic systems are probably
unrivalled. A musician of no mean ability, an outstanding teacher, a gifted
composer, a scholar of exceptional standing, and above all, a lifelong student
is how one may characterize the man. I was exposed in some detail to his
compositions around 1980 when his well-known disciple V.R. Athavale took up
the Directorship of the Hindustani faculty at Kala Academy in Panjim, Goa.
Athavale-sahab would periodically conduct workshops and expound on arcane rAgas,
many a times demonstrating via Ratanjankar's bandishes. In retrospect, to my
great regret, I didn't pick Athavale's brains as I should have and only had
a passing acquaintance with him. He was very approachable, always enthusiastic
and kindly. It is not too well-known that Ratanjankar has composed several
varNams in AditAla and other Carnatic tAlas in Hindustani rAgas. I understand
that Prof. Ramesh Gangolli of the University of Washington at Seattle had
the late K.G. Ginde record over 300 of Ratanjankar's compositions for
archival purposes.
And now on to the composition, but before that a digression:
I found an interesting passage in "S. Chandrasekhar - The Man Behind
the Legend" edited by Kameshwar Wali and released a few months ago.
It is a collection of essays and personal recollections of Chandra by
his relatives, friends and scientific colleagues. The following is
taken from the first essay by his wife Lalitha entitled "My Everlasting
Flame" and has musical relevance.
"...There is no question that one of the strongest of our memories of
India was its music. Chandra loved to hear me sing. In those days
when Chandra used to drive every week from Williams Bay [*see my
comments below - RP] to Chicago to give lectures and also to attend to the
Journal work, it used to be my habit to sing to him during our long drive
back to Williams Bay. This very good habit of mine slackened somewhat
after we moved permanently to Chicago. But the interest returned fortunately,
and I would say I sang to him very often during the many months before
he died. A week before he died I sang a song to him about Krishna
lifting the Gowardhana mountain to cut off the sunlight during the
great war of the Mahabharata. "Won't you sing it again?" he asked.
"No, Chandra, I have another song I want to sing to you now; but
I will sing it again later." But that "later" did not happen. The
day before he died I had planned to sing still another song to him
that I had heard years ago at a concert and had never learnt to sing
it before! Somehow it came back to me and it was beautiful. It was
about Ganapati, son of Shiva. Everyone loved Ganapati, but he was
also a scholar, and transcribed the Mahabharata when Vyasa dictated
the epic. "Shall I sing it to you, Chandra?" "No, Lalitha, I am
not feeling well. Some other time," he replied. That "some other
time" did not come around since Chandra died the next day..."
* The Chicago Astronmony dept was based at the Yerkes Observatory in
Williams Bay, Wisconsin, and Chandra spent his first 18 years there,
before he moved to the main campus in Chicago in the 1950s and joined
the Physics dept proper. Chandra would drive every week to Chicago to give
his course. This was not without controversy. His presence at the Chicago
campus was initially opposed by some members of the faculty including the Physics
dean at the time due to his colour (this was the 1940s). Many Americans then
(and some few now) believed that the ability to manipulate mathematical
equations was solely the preserve of men with a blanched skin. But Chicago
had a great man in its President - Robert M. Hutchins - who squelched the
ugliness with a decisive one-liner memo to the faculty: "Professor
Chandrasekhar WILL give these lectures." And that was that.
End of digression.
*****
Raga: Salagavarali
Tala: Teental
Composer: Shrikrishna Narayan Ratanjankar
sumira "sujana" Ghanashyam nAma nita
anAtha nAtha Narayana
patita uddhAraNa parama pavitra
karatAra jin rachyo sansAra
wohi aparampAra mana
Glossary:
sujan = also Ratanjankar's nom de plume
patita = fallen
uddhAraNa = deliverance, salvation
aparampAra = boundless
Key:
(1) All shuddha notes in caps (M=shuddha madhyam, m=tivra madhyam)
(2) The " and ' following a note denotes its tAr-saptak and mandra-
saptak affiliation, respectively.
(3) The grace note is enclosed in parenthesis of the type () and it
operates on the note immediately following it.
Asthaie:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
(g)r g r S S (S)n S r
su...mi....ra su....ja....na gha...na
<--smooth-->
g - g (P)r g r S S (g)r g P P (n)D n D P
shyA......ma nA........ma ni...ta a....nA..........tha nA................tha
<--smooth--> <------------------smooth------------------>
- P D P (P)r g r S
. nA.............rA........ya...Na
Antara:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
P D n (n)D D
pa....ti....ta..... u
S" - S" S" S" n D P (n)d n D P P (P)g - (P)r
ddhA......ra...Na pa...ra...ma pa...vi.........tra ka....ra....tA..........ra
<--grace-->
- (g)r g P (P)r g - (g)r g (P)r S S S (S)g" - (g")r"
. ji...na ra...chyo....... san.......sA..........ra wo....hi..... a
<--smooth--> <--smooth-->
S" S" S"(P)r g r S S
pa...ram.......pA........ra ma...na
<--smooth-->
From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian