Sharad – Autumn
Of special importance to India, this is the season of harvesting the Kharif crops (‘kharif’ in Arabic means autumn). With the monsoons having bid goodbye, the mind experiences mixed feelings – thanking the Rain Gods for being benevolent and hoping for a good harvest. The ancient raga, Malkauns, majestic and introverted, probably describes this period most aptly. The madhyam (middle note) acts as the pivot doing away with the pancham (fifth note). The taanpura is tuned to the madhyaam and the gandhaar (second note), dhaivat (sixth note) and the nishaad (seventh note) are flat. The flavour is ‘shanta-gambhir’; the time, midnight to 2 a.m.
Pt. Nikhil Banerjee’s Raga Malkauns, tugs at the strings of the heart:
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The season of Sharad slowly and delicately leads us to Hemanth, the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. The crop has been harvested and a sense of fulfillment pervades the being. With the season of winter round the corner, the mood is prayerful…’may the warmth of your blessings be on us’.
Raga Bhairav, a Sandhi Prakash raga (dawn), depicts the state of mind, in this period of transition. The use of the komal rishab (flat second note) and the komal dhaivat (flat sixth note) bring the flavour of prayer and hope.
Just as the night turns to day and the Sun brings with it awakening, the hope for warmth through the winter….
Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Raga Bhairav...
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Welcome to the season of Basant – Spring!
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‘Ketaki, gulab, juhi..’, based on Raga Basant, sung by Bharat Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi and Manna Dey, from the Hindi film ‘Basant Bahar’. The song, both from its technical and lyrical perspective, makes the heart ‘leap’ at the description of the season of spring!
A season that brings with it the much required warmth after the cold winters; nature is at its best – flowers are in full bloom, the air smells clean and fresh, as if purified by the rays of the Sun, the chirping of the birds uplifts the spirits just as the squirrel runs about sprightly, the sight of which brings a smile to our face. It’s also that time of the year when we pay obeisance to the Taxman!
The Ragamala portray Lord Krishna on a swing, surrounded by gopikas, the raga being Hindol. It is the season of Holi, the festival of colours, and I choose to share with you a Dhamar by Pt. (Dr.) Vidyadhar Vyas.
The Dhrupad-Dhamar is a distinct style of singing, among the oldest in existence today. The compositions are mainly devotional, based on the seasons or a depiction of the festival of Hori. These are sung to the accompaniment of the pakhawaj and the rhythm cycles used are generally the dhamar (14 beats), chautaal (12 beats) and the sulfakta (10 beats).
‘Shyam mose khelo na hori
Paon laagon kar jori;
Gayya charavan main nikasi hoon,
Saaas nananda ki chori…’,
..in Raga Hindol. There is a paradox about the time this raga must be rendered; some believe it to be late in the night and some in the morning.
‘…..I have come out on the pretext of grazing the cows....’
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8 comments:
Excellent posts -connecting all the seasons and the ragas. This is a great resource for anyone to enhance their knowledge of music. Keep on blogging.
A very nice series! I also liked the use of music clips of instruments and dhamar. Continue....
I reached your blog by chance and happened to read your posts on music relating it to the seasons. I don't listen to much of classical music but I liked the way you wove the seasons with the help of carefully selected pieces. It was like I experienced all the seasons in the short span of reading the posts. Very informative! And I must say, you have a way with words. Looking forward to more!
With the effects of Global Warming catching up, we might have only this way to recognise the seasons.....
Finally, it had to end. But what a journey! Although you've explained that Sharad, Hemanth & Basanth are interwoven, it felt like you rushed through these seasons and the imagery of your previous post (the best), seemed to be missing. Probably, the previous one spoilt it for the one that followed. Eagerly awaiting your next post. Keep 'em coming.
Interesting perspective for those who are yet to recognise the beauty of this music. I would think that Raga Hameer brings out the beauty of Hemanth ritu as well..
Gayatri,
Raga Hemanth,believed to have been created by Ustad Alauddin Khan, itself means 'autumn'. But whether it has any connotation with the season itself is, as yet, unclear...
While the general framework of the Ragas does leave us with the scope to associate specific Ragas with seasons, I would think, it is a purely individual experience.
It has been a lovely experience meandering through the lanes of Raga-Ritu-Rasa! I would have to agree that the experience of a raga is very personal. For example, I like the impact that Raga Kedar creates in a winter evening.
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