Different Rhythmic Compositions in Kalyani Raga - A Study

கல்யாணி இராகத்தில் அமைந்த வெவ்வேறு தாள தானவர்ணம் - ஓர் ஆய்வு

Abstract

Various types of music are found in the world. The foundation for all these types of music is the svaras (musical notes). In the Carnatic music system, there are 7 svaras, 12 svara positions, and 16 svara names. Any music that is adorned with svaras and/or varnas and provides pleasure to the ears is considered sacred music. In Carnatic music, ‘thanavarna’ varnas are placed after geetams and before kritis. Varnas are generally of two types: thanavarna and padavarna. Varnas contain minimal sahitya (lyrics). They are seen as compositions that reduce literary content and provide more musical intricacies. Kalyani raga is the 65th melakarta raga. It is the fifth raga in the Rudra chakra (Rudra-ma). According to the Katapayadi system, it was named Mecha Kalyani. Different lakshanakaras (music theorists) have given this melakarta names like Shanta Kalyani and Mati Kalyani. In Dikshitar’s teaching tradition, this raga is called Shanta Kalyani in the Raganga Ragamela system. The varnas studied include: ‘Vanajākshi Ninnekori’ composed by Pallavi Gopala Iyer in Kalyani raga and Adi tala; ‘Neeve Gatiyani’ composed by Syama Sastri in Tisra Matya tala; and ‘Kamapatha’ composed by Koorai Nadu Nadesa Pillai in Tisra Triputa tala. In the octave arrangement of phrases, middle octave phrases are predominantly found in all three varnas. The charanam (verse section) of all three varnas is composed with middle octave phrases. The first chittasvara of all three varnas consists of long notes. The octave range is found between the lower octave dhaivata and upper octave madhyama. In these Kalyani raga varnas, graha svaras, nyasa svaras, vadi, samvadi, anuvadi accompanying svaras, kampita gamakas, ascending passages, descending passages, conventional phrases, sphurita gamakas, panchama varjya phrases, and shadja varjya phrases have been identified. The characteristics of Kalyani raga can be understood through these three varnas. Despite being composed by different composers in different talas, these varnas show similarity in their structure. This appears to be an excerpt from an academic study analyzing different rhythmic compositions (thanavarnams) in the Kalyani raga of Carnatic classical music.