99th Annual Conference of The Music Academy - Day 08 and 09

 

The second lecture of Day 08 was by Dr. Nanditha Ravi on “Sanskrit compositions in the Muthuswami Dikshitar disciple lineage.” She began by outlining the family tree of Dikshitar, the Maharajahs of Ettayapuram, and the wide network of his disciples, who hailed from different parts of present day Tamil Nadu and were accomplished in multiple art forms. Kallidaikurichi Vedanta Bhagavathar was among the earliest disciples mentioned. From this larger group, Dr. Nanditha chose to focus on those composers who wrote Sanskrit compositions, consciously following in Dikshitar’s footsteps.

Dr. Nanditha proposed an interesting hypothesis that each of these composers appears to have taken up one particular dimension of Dikshitar’s multifaceted genius as an area of specialization. This observation itself speaks volumes about the sheer breadth of Dikshitar’s creativity. The Muthuswami Dikshitar Shishya Parampara has largely adhered to the path laid down by the composer by restricting themselves to devotional compositions, incorporating mythological narratives and kshetra kritis. They have also retained Dikshitar’s distinctive prasa style and continued to compose in ragams closely associated with him. At the same time, Dr. Nanditha pointed out certain inconsistencies within this lineage. These various aspects were illustrated through her own singing as well as through recordings of other musicians.

The second lecture of Day 09 was presented by Sangita Kala Acharya Rama Ravi on “Pathanthara variations in Muthuswami Dikshitar’s kritis.” She was assisted by her daughter, Dr. Nanditha Ravi, who had delivered the previous lecture. Rama Ravi began by defining what constitutes a parampara or discipleship and how, over time, this evolves into a sampradaya or tradition. This evolution, she emphasized, does not imply stagnation. On the contrary, it is a process of continuous refinement. From this emerges what is termed a bani or style. Even within the same school, there are stylistic differences, whether in lyrics, melodic treatment, tempo, or the usage of particular phrases. This formed the central theme of the lecture.

Examples were provided for each of these categories, clearly demonstrating how the same composition is rendered differently across schools. Multiple kritis were presented, and the variations ranged from quite pronounced to extremely subtle. This was one lecture where listening carefully was essential to fully appreciate the distinctions. It was particularly interesting to note that differences existed even between Brindamma and T. Viswanathan, who belonged to the same family lineage.

In his summing up, Shriram very aptly observed that while these differences across schools are real and significant, the core elements of the compositions are retained by all. He supported this point with examples from his own experience, reinforcing the idea that diversity of interpretation coexists with fidelity to tradition.