"Moodulation" - raga maaliki - chains or garlands of ragas

Hi all,

Another link I found while browsing tonight was this description of a
(Carnatic, South Indian) kriti composition which employs the concept of raga
maaliki - chains or garlands of ragas:
http://www.rit.edu/%7Epnveme/raga/RanjaniMala_TanjoreSankaraIyer_Adi.html

It's clear from the description that although the pallavi (theme and
possibly refrain) is in the raga Ranjani, each of the charanam (episode) is
in other ragas, namely Sriranjani, Megharanjani and Janaranjani. Among
other details, the page gives the explicit notes of each of these four ragas
in both Arohana (ascending) and Avarohana (descending) order. Examining and
comparing these, it's clear that the four ragas are related.

From this example alone, one might conclude that a Carnatic music
performance using the "garland of ragas" was using the change of ragas as an
expressive technique. The contrasts between the ragas are quite marked - as
is their connection. This is not unlike the device used in classical sonata
form of having separate movements in related but different keys, although
there is no suggestion here that the tonic ever changes during the
composition. This "raga maaliki" technique is the nearest thing I know of
in Indian classical music to "modulation" - but because of the fixed tonic,
I'd suggest it's actually more of a _"moodulation"_, with effects analogous
to those of a common-practice period composer switching from a major to a
minor mode.
Regards,
Yahya

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Yahya,
----- Original Message -----
From: Yahya Abdal-Aziz
To: Tuning group at yahoo
Sent: 01 Mart 2006 Çarşamba 17:07
Subject: [tuning] "Moodulation" - raga maaliki - chains or garlands of ragas

Hi all,

Another link I found while browsing tonight was this description of a (Carnatic, South Indian) kriti composition which employs the concept of raga maaliki - chains or garlands of ragas:
http://www.rit.edu/%7Epnveme/raga/RanjaniMala_TanjoreSankaraIyer_Adi.html

Reminds me of the lost Terkib `Sebz-ender-sebz`, which is a 18th-19th century garland of Maqams.

It's clear from the description that although the pallavi (theme and possibly refrain) is in the raga Ranjani, each of the charanam (episode) is in other ragas, namely Sriranjani, Megharanjani and Janaranjani. Among other details, the page gives the explicit notes of each of these four ragas in both Arohana (ascending) and Avarohana (descending) order. Examining and comparing these, it's clear that the four ragas are related.

From this example alone, one might conclude that a Carnatic music performance using the "garland of ragas" was using the change of ragas as an expressive technique. The contrasts between the ragas are quite marked - as is their connection. This is not unlike the device used in classical sonata form of having separate movements in related but different keys, although there is no suggestion here that the tonic ever changes during the composition. This "raga maaliki" technique is the nearest thing I know of in Indian classical music to "modulation" - but because of the fixed tonic, I'd suggest it's actually more of a _"moodulation"_, with effects analogous to those of a common-practice period composer switching from a major to a minor mode.
Regards,
Yahya

I do not understand why you need to imagine that the tonic does not change because the drone persists. The bagpipe music of Ireland and Scotland also boast an ostinato tone which does not hamper in the least the possibility of modulations during the flow of music.

Do I need to harmonize each piece while preserving the drone to show that modulations are indeed possible to realize and hear in these traditional genres? So, why the need to invent new words when we already have one to define the phenomenon at hand, however indigenous?

This Western centric monopoly of music theory terms has got to stop.

Cordially,
Oz.

On Thu, 9 Mar 2006, Ozan Yarman wrote:
[snip]

> I do not understand why you need to imagine that the tonic does not change
because the drone persists.

Sorry, Oz, I don't have that much imagination ! ;-)
The tonic does not change; I'm not imagining it.
Please follow the link, play the music for yourself
(assuming you can read it, which I think you'll
manage), and tell me whether the tonics in the
different ragas have changed.

*Then* tell me I'm imagining things!!!

> The bagpipe music of Ireland and Scotland also boast an ostinato tone
which does not hamper in the least the possibility of modulations during the
flow of music.

Changes of mode or of tonic?

> Do I need to harmonize each piece while preserving the drone to show that
modulations are indeed possible to realize and hear in these traditional
genres?

What a nice idea! Please do harmonise some of
them, if you think it will prove your point.

> So, why the need to invent new words when we already have one to define
the phenomenon at hand, however indigenous?

To quote certain other list members: Huh?

> This Western centric monopoly of music theory terms has got to stop.

By ME???!!! Thanks for the laugh!

Regards,
Yahya
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Yahya, I couldn't figure out how best to reply to this message, so I decided
that I rather not... just so you know.

Let's agree to disagree on modulation. I'm very much spent, so I shall not
be able to continue this discussion.

Cordially,
Oz.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Yahya Abdal-Aziz" <yahya@melbpc.org.au>
To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: 09 Mart 2006 Per�embe 3:40
Subject: [tuning] Re: "Moodulation" - raga maaliki - chains or garlands of
ragas

>
> On Thu, 9 Mar 2006, Ozan Yarman wrote:
> [snip]
>
> > I do not understand why you need to imagine that the tonic does not
change
> because the drone persists.
>
> Sorry, Oz, I don't have that much imagination ! ;-)
> The tonic does not change; I'm not imagining it.
> Please follow the link, play the music for yourself
> (assuming you can read it, which I think you'll
> manage), and tell me whether the tonics in the
> different ragas have changed.
>
> *Then* tell me I'm imagining things!!!
>
>
> > The bagpipe music of Ireland and Scotland also boast an ostinato tone
> which does not hamper in the least the possibility of modulations during
the
> flow of music.
>
> Changes of mode or of tonic?
>
>
> > Do I need to harmonize each piece while preserving the drone to show
that
> modulations are indeed possible to realize and hear in these traditional
> genres?
>
> What a nice idea! Please do harmonise some of
> them, if you think it will prove your point.
>
>
> > So, why the need to invent new words when we already have one to define
> the phenomenon at hand, however indigenous?
>
> To quote certain other list members: Huh?
>
>
> > This Western centric monopoly of music theory terms has got to stop.
>
> By ME???!!! Thanks for the laugh!
>
>
> Regards,
> Yahya
>