Lec-dem on 'sangatis' / some notes made at the Academy

The panel discussion on ‘Sangatis in Trinity’s compositions' at the Academy was headed by guru P. S. Narayanaswamy and the participants were Suguna Varadachari, A. Kanyakumari, Ritha Rajan, R.S. Jayalakshmi and Charumathi Ramachandran.

Here are some points jotted at this lec-dem - made by the participants -

- Saint Thyagaraja’s krithis had more sangathis. Dikshithar and Shyma Sastri used less number of sangathis.

- The original krithis should have had only a few sangathis depending on the bhava, mood and the situation. A song where the composer is pleading with God should have one or two plain sangatis to enhance the depth and clarity.

- Saint Thyagaraja, while composing extempore, would have given only few sangatis. His disciples later while notating would have added many more. Thyagaraja has in few krithis, has given the entire arohana/ avarohana in one sangati itself.

- Sangatis also depend on the scope of the raga. For example - yadukulakambodi  can have only limited sangatis. Aahiri and ganda cannot have sangatis.

- Some sangatis will suit the sahithya and some will depend on the style of singing of the vaggeyakara.

- T V Gopalakrishnan observed that 'performance is an art.  Saint Thyagaraja has composed many songs and also operas. Why would we assume that he would not have put sangatis while composing them. A performer can sing the same sangati in 4 different ways. Guru T. M. Thyagarajan was an expert in that . . .A performer is an artiste and he per she can have the liberty to innovate and employ sangatis according to his manodharma."

- Report by V. Vasantha.