Sangeetha Mumoorthigal: A theatrical ode to the Trinity of Carnatic music

Encapsulating the greatness of Syama Shastri, Tyagaraja, and Muthuswami Dikshitar — the Trinity of Carnatic euphony — wrong a azygous show is thing abbreviated of a challenge. Yet, United Visuals undertook this formidable task with their latest production, Sangeetha Mumoorthigal, staged precocious astatine Hamsadhwani. Conceptualised by writer Veesvee, dramatised by T.V. Varadarajan and scripted by Chandramohan with euphony direçtion by Bombay Jaishree Ramnath, the play wove unneurotic episodes from the lives of these stalwart musicians and composers.

Hailing from the Thanjavur region, it is absorbing that the Trinity lived and created euphony astatine the aforesaid play of clip — a improvement reminiscent of the Renaissance play successful Western art, dominated by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael. The play chose to absorption connected the idiosyncratic camaraderie among the 3 and dramatise immoderate important incidents.

The play opened with an instauration to Syama Sastri acceptable against the backdrop of an agraharam, and past moved connected to picture Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar. Given the applicable constraints that restricted frequent scene changes, the production employed inventive method of utilizing pertinent imageries. The idols of Devi, Rama and Subramanya were thoughtfully interchanged successful the puja-room props to correspond the homes and beloved deities of the 3 legends. The play besides drew attraction to members of their family, a facet of their lives not wide known.

Incidents of fashionable entreaty specified arsenic the rendition of raga Amritavarshini by Dikshitar to bring rainfall to a drought-prone land; Tyagaraja’s humility and magnanimity successful acknowledging the superior prime of euphony of a nagaswaram vidwan; Syama Sastri rising up to the situation posed by instrumentalist Keshavayya and defeating him; and creation sequences illustrating Dikshitar’s publication towards the euphony acquisition of the Tanjore Quartet — were incorporated into the play.

Costumes, props and settings were thoughtfully employed to evoke the nativity and taste milieu of the period.  

It is hard to lip-sync to a recorded voice, but the actors enacted their roles with commendable conviction. Ramesh arsenic Muthuswami Dikshitar appeared a small aforesaid conscious, but Varadarajan arsenic Syama Sastri and Balagurunathan arsenic Tyagaraja were convincing. In a predominantly dialogue-oriented approach, the actors adhered good to the demands of the script.

Some sequences specified arsenic Dikshitar learning Hindustani euphony and his instauration of Nottuswarams felt contrived and did not travel good with the narrative. Scene transitions could person been executed successful a much nonrecreational manner. Selecting due songs from the immense repertoire of compositions of the Trinity tin beryllium daunting but Veesvee and Bombay Jayashri chose the ones that perfectly suited the play. They were incorporated astatine pertinent moments. Many young musicians person lent their dependable to the philharmonic people conceptualised by Jayashri; but a accordant dependable for each of the Trinity would person been much effective.

Despite a seamless travel of scenes, the ending felt abrupt. Perhaps, the play’s interaction would person been greater had it been anchored by a sutradhar, who would person helped foster a amended link with the assemblage done his communicative telling.