[Reader-list] Marathi natyasangit

[urmila bhirdikar]

Hi
 
Most of the time i have been looking at the disacographies of the
78rpm records (in the remarkable work of Michael Kinnear and other
scholars like Rajeev Patke) and acquiring and listening to the
records. i am beginning to see ways of thinking in some definite ways
about what i have conveniently called the 'aethetiics of the three
minute format" (which applies to the records of slightly longer
duration as well ).
 
Specific to my context, it seems that this format went a long way in
determining the idea of a 'complete' musical performance across genres
and individual styles and for a music that was ideally/ essentially
interminable because of the cyclical rhythm and the basic principles
of improvisation. the imposition of external time over this music and
the determination of genres through this imposition seems an
interesting idea to follow.
 
On another level the discographies may allow the 'construction' of a
(very large perhaps) popular repertoire of both bandishes and tunes.
let me talk about only tunes here. the early texts of marathi plays
declare the 'base tune' (post 1910s mostly of hindusthani bandishes)
of the stage songs. Does this declaration presume the familiarity of
the reader with these tunes, and possibly the popularity of the
gramophone records with the general public?
there were of course 'Padyawalis" published in separate booklets with
notations (which presumes the public is educated enough in reading
music!!), but these booklets were diiscarded in subsequent editions.
the tune, i think is a more interesting area to look into, as it
behaves as the most abstract musical format in which words are
'fitted' to bring out specific emothins. this is not a new insight,
(as we hear all those election songs based on popular tunes) but an
area to look into how languages are negotiated in the abstract musical
tunes. this is what i am looking at right now, so more on this later.
 
Also the genres: this is a vast and mostly gray area... but i am still
at the stage of wonderment to understand precisely how the baiji
thumri became the genre of establishing ideal and respectable
uppercaste womanhood in marathi theatre. at this moment i do not want
to put my finger on some seemingly obvious conclusions, but suffice it
to say that i am thinking of the core of 'fragile' practices in
determing gender roles and relations.
 
Apart from this, the "glossary" of terms for describing music is on
the way. I wonder why some voices are called "Pahadi". i know the
voice that is being mentioned here... but what does that word mean
really?
 
the time i spent in bombay was worth every moment, specially for
getting hold of an idea of some 'undeclared' sources of certain base
tunes.
 
Quite suddenly, there are is a lot of marathi natyasangit in the
market in new cds etc... the general hype of re discovering natysangit
is in the air.. on that note, i am going to see two new productions of
plays first performed in 1890s and 1916 respectively. I guess there is
a lot to be said about the continuation of the popularity of this
genre here.. some of which is best captured in begum barve...
will speak about this a bit later.
 
Urmila