The Score Magazine - Archive January 2015 issue! | Page 17

Ramesh Vinayakam
Interestingly, there were bowed Indian instruments already like the
Sarangi and Tar-Shenai but had failed to interest the Carnatic clan.
Over Centuries.
However, this seemingly “ultra traditional” South did not preclude
itself from adopting the Violin.
That the violin has replaced the traditional Veena the very instrument
of Goddess Saraswathi, not only as the instrument of accompaniment
but also as a solo stands a testimony to its open mindedness.
In time, the south started to produce great players of the instrument in
a new method- of posture, of technique, of tone production, throwing
new light and insight on the capabilities of the Violin.
An array of great violinists appeared, Chowdaiya, M.S.Gopalakrishnan,
T.N Krishnan, Lalgudi Jayaraman L. Subramaniam . Even the greatest
Hindustani Violinist N.Rajam is originally from the Carnatic fold.
These are the people who have effortlessly dazzled the likes of Yehudi
Menuhin with their music and unravelled the capabilities of the Violin
of which the West wasn’t even aware.
And in this lineage of great stalwarts comes V. S. Narasimhan, Violinist
Extraordinaire. Composer of the highest calibre. Founder and first
violinist of the Madras String Quartet. Breathtakingly versatile. At ease
with any and all of these systems. At home with a krithi or tumri or a
sonata.
other system!
It would be improbable
Well.
Even impossible.
Or so it seems.
Unless one forgets the Violin!
The Violin is indeed purely a western instrument made for Western
music. Introduced to India by the British. Along with the English
language, education, religion and so on and so forth, the British
brought in their music too. And when they did play the Queen of
instruments, the impeccable Violin, exhibiting its tone and color,
emanating from the warmth of the G string to the bright sheen of the E
string, India was listening.
Especially the South.
Yes. The ‘conservative’ south it was which did not miss to identify
the nuances the Violin produced , its dynamic range, its infinite
capabilities, its flexibility, its speed, its expressive potential, matched
only by, the human voice..
In fact, it recognised its soul mate.
It simply embraced the violin endearingly and made it its own. The
fretless bowed violin and its perfect design is best suited for producing
the intricate gamakas! Amazing that another classical system of
the world has developed the perfect instrument to play the most
complicated and nuanced Carnatic music that even the North Indian
Music is wary about.
He undoubtedly pioneered the method of playing Carnatic ragas in the
western tuning with the western posture. Respected and revered, he is
one great source of inspiration to all the violinist musicians, across all
genres, from the Classical to the Film, who adore him. Emulate him.
Mastering the techniques of playing the Violin in both these great
classical systems he fused their methods. He catered not only to the
needs of the film music which demanded every style of music of the
world to be performed but also set new standards for other violinist to
aim for.
The man who was the source of inspiration for Illayaraja to tread new
path in orchestral fusion work. His ear for finesse and yearning for
perfection unparalleled.
It isn’t therefore surprising at all that the scholarly Narasimhan with
his penchant for writing music is determining a new path of his own
unique beautiful fusion work. Fresh and new in its form, approach,
texture and content.
His music, written for the string quartet explores the pleasant and
beautiful possibilities of a natural fusion – not the contrived - that
unbelievably combines retains the functions of the grounded “tonic”
along with tone shifting harmonic expeditions in the graceful setting of
the string quartet.
A new euphonic sound that elevates and endears itself to the listener,
subtle in its disposition, enchanting in its effect.
Aptly named String temple his label produces as an offering, the
modern music of ragas, of harmony, of style, of tradition, of exploration,
of elevation, of euphony.
Ah! It is the music of the language of the soul.
The
Score Magazine
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