One of oldest music sabhas, Vignana Samithi organised a concert and lec-dem of noted vocalist S.K.Venkatachary on the subject ‘Manodharma Sangeetham’.
Venkatachary who served Telugu University as professor in music, was the disciple of the late Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana from whom he also picked up the art of delivering lectures on various aspects of Carnatic classical music.
He was in the company of R. Dinakar on violin and P. Jayabhasker on mridangam, both eminent artistes in their own fields. Venkatachari had with him his disciple Dr.Vemuri Chanadrasekharam, who otherwise serves as paediatrician in a hospital.
While speaking on the subject of ‘Manodharma Sangeetham’ (creative music) he divided the music into two sections — ‘Kalpita Sangeetaham’ and ‘Kalpana Sageetham’ meaning already composed music and created music, sometimes on the spot, which is called Manodharma Sangeetham, “The kirtana as such is the one created with written notes, while the ragalapana, swarakalpana, nereval, ragam, tanam, pallavi come under the creative spells. If one observes, a major part of a kacheri gives importance to the creative music, ie., manodharma sangeetham, where the artistes expertise and talent is on display,” he said.
Venkatachari then shifted to render his concert that he began with Darbaru varnam Chalamela in Adi talam. For a change and to display his command on swara and its quality in speed, he presented it in three kalaas. He then went for next number Dikshitar’s Mahaganapathi Ravathumam in Gowla, Triputa talam. He presented neraval in this kirtana pointing at the manodharma. Neravu’s original meaning is ‘Sahitya-Sangeetha Prastharam’. “The word ‘neravu’ is a Tamil expression, which means filling gaps between the lyrical words and musical expression with ‘rasa’ and ‘bhava’ getting rightly projected,” he explained.
Lekanaa ninnu chuttu konnaru in Asaveri of Thyagarja was the next number he chose to present. This was set in Adi talam. Rendering it, he said, “in Manodharma a performer takes care never to commit mistakes in musical grammar. He should preserve raga lakshana, the graph of raga. One should strictly adhere to the principles of particular Raga,” he said.
Another composition Birana Varalichhi Brovumu in Kalyani, Thishra gathi aadi talam of Syama Sastry was taken up by Venkatachari to demonstrate presentation of major raga with extensive alapana, elaborate neraval taking a lyrical line like Syama Krishna Sodari Gowri Parameshwari Girija in this kirtana.
Sujana Jivana of Thyagaraja in Khamas also had raga delineation and neraval and swarakalpana presentation that he did well. He then discussed about R.T.P. in Mohana raagam and Rupaka talam, which was full of manodharma sangeetham that tests eminence of the artiste. Pada garbham, Laya, vinyasam make the word pallavi, he explained. “Tanam is originally meant to be played on veena but now vocalists too have adapted it,” he said. Even other instruments too adapted this tanam play. There are varieties of tanam like ‘Gaja thanam’, ‘Markata thanam’, ‘Manduka thanam’, ‘Vakra thanam’ and so on, which are all creative expressions. He then concluded his concert with Balamurali composition, a tillana in Brindavani.
