pramAnam is a collection of two CDs and was released by my guru Sangita Kalanidhi Smt. R Vedavalli. It features authentic versions of compositions of trinity of carnatic music. These compositions are said to have changed over a period of time. The original versions can be found in many old books of music. The CD does not aim to find who is behind the change but attempts to document the original versions and the changes for posterity. All the songs have been rendered by Smt. Vedavalli. She is well known for her classical purity and efforts towards preserving tradition.
About Smt. Vedavalli: Click here.
CD release: The release function of the CD was organized at Raga Sudha Hall in Mylapore where Mridangam legend Sri. Umayalpuram Sivaraman and Vocalist Sri T M Krishna spoke. Editor in chief, The Hindu and president of The Music Academy, Mr. N Murali presided over the fuinction. Few of these compositions were presented by some students of Smt. Vedavalli.
I wish to write details on some of these masterpieces, their authentic versions and how they changed over the course of time. I would strive to keep myself simple without going too much into technicalities. I will do this song-wise. So here we go....
Song 1
viribONi - varnam.
rAga: Bhairavi.
tAla: ata.
Composer: pachimiriyam AdiyappayyA.
Original and authentic version:
varnams, especially those composed in olden times used to have an anubandham at the end of the chitta swarams following the charanam. The anubandhams were succeeded by pallavi. So varnam was seen as a single composition like kIrtana. Older varnams used to have pallavi, Anupallavi (with muktAyi swaram), charanam (with chitta swarams), anubandham (which leads us back to pallavi).
New version:
The new versions do not feature the anubandham at all. The varnam ends with a charanam and chittaswaras and finally charanam sung again. This gives a feelinig that it is not a single or whole composition but split into two parts - one being pallavi and anupallavi (with muktAyi swaram) and the other being charanam (with chitta swarams).
This masterpiece in bhairavi is a classic example of anubandham being omitted.
Song 2
nAda tanumanisham.
rAga: chittaranjani.
tAla: Adi.
Composer: tyAgarAja.
Original and authentic version:
chittaramjani's swara sthAnas are these.... chatushruti rishabha, sAdhArana gAndhAra, suddha madhyama, suddha dhaivata, suddha nishada. It is a janya of the 19th mEla jhankAradhwani.
New version:
chittaranjani is sung as mela kharaharapriyA's janya with chatushruti dhaivata and kaisikhi nishAda.
The difficulty in traversing through suddha dhaivata and suddha nishAda are the probable reasons sighted for this change.
Song 3
banTurIti koluviyavayya rAma
rAga: hamsanAdam.
tAla: Adi.
Composer: tyAgarAja.
Original and authentic version:
hamsanAdam is an example of rAga with swarAs gone missing. Its kramAs are these....
sa ri ma pa dha ni sa sa ni pa ma ri sa
chatushruti rishabha, prati madhyama, shatshruti dhaivata, kAkali nishAda are the swara sthAnas for hamsanAdam.
New version:
The new version does not have shatshruti dhaivata at all.
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