G.N.Balasubramaniam
(Jan. 6th, 1910 -
May 1st,
1965)
GNB's Music
His ragam
statements had clarity of expression. There were no ugly
syllables .His statements were also deliberate and
applied and never unduly long. Even his bursts of speed
were short and sharp. You wouldn’t get an unstructured
torrent of molten passion from him. It was therefore
possible for a listener to comprehend and assimilate his
music conceptually. Reproduction in imitation form is
not important or desirable and I believe he did not
encourage it either.
Gamakams
His gamakams especially in
the middle tempo had a wholesome rotundity - what
they called a ravai shaareeram in Tamil. He never
overworked the oscillating gamakam. Not more than
one or at best two oscillations. The violin would
take care of the rest of the oscillations. While
traversing between two points in a scale he would
do it with the minimum gamakam inflexion. He also
used flat notes frequently but these were sung
with strength and firmness – one never got the
feeling that it was less than Carnatic. He must
have believed in the preciousness of the gamakam
and used it optimally so that he got the best
mileage out of it.
Jharus
This is where
he was in an altogether different zone. He would produce
the cascading Jharu coming down from the upper octave
and going down to the lower octave or he would do a
looped Jharu in the middle tempo with different
combinations of stress notes. The effect was simply
breathtaking. He would do this
with symmetrical /
asymmetrical plain scales, and Vakra scales with
consummate ease.
Brikha
As I said
about his voice, the brikha was his USP – which probably
gave him a distinct competitive edge. While his brikha
sallies across the scale held the listener in thrall
what delighted more were the subtle brikha - laden
nuances, which he wove into his raga delineations. Even
commonplace time- worn statements would sparkle afresh
in his hands because of its brikha orientation. Having
said this I must also state that the Brikha, not being a
note -defined and controlled statement – more an
exceptional voice faculty – has many a time proved his
undoing when it didn’t work. But he could never resist
it. It brought him a lot of runs, didn't it!
Note orientation
While
environment would have imbued in him the essential
flavour of Carnatic Music, his style was very
note-oriented especially when in an expansive mood in
the Pallavi raga alapana and he was a bold experimenter.
He would come up with sharp note combinations, which
were very attractive and original especially across
octaves. He had a penchant for varjams and used them
very effectively.
His Dha Ga Ri Sa in Thodi
coming down from the madya sthayi Dha with all its
variations was a thing of beauty. He would also employ
catchy phrases where they were not conventionally in
vogue. He was prepared to set convention. His one -off
panchama varjam on the ascent in Kambojhi at the end of
the alapana is a case in point. He would dwell at length
on notes, which a "purist " would tut – tut at - for
example the flat Ni in Thodi or the flat Ga also in
Thodi, which produced a Sindhu Bhairavi effect. He would
negotiate an elaborate spell in Kambojhi around Ni in
the madya Sthayi gingerly poised below the Thara Sthayi
Sa.
While he was note-conscious he didn't have a
fetish about note precision or note - based grammar and
would give convention its overriding place where it was
established. I have heard purists arguing over how
popular usage in the treatment of the two Dha's in
Bhairavi was grammatically incorrect. GNBs handling of
Bhairavi seemed to suggest that he respected popular
usage once it got into the fabric of the ragam over
time. Even Shyama Shastri’s Amba Kamakshi as sung today
by masters whose credentials were beyond discussion
would testify to this .He would for example invariably
employ a " truncated " Kaakali Ni (read Kaisiki Ni) in
one of his favorite finishing sangathis in Panthuvarali
- his most often sung ragam.
Ragams handled as
alapanas
Alapana was a distinct strength area
and he had a penchant for creating ragam melody out of
any given scale. He is known to have authored quite a
few ragams as alapanas. His repertoire was
vas
Melakartas
He was most at home
with Panthuvarali, Kalyani, Thodi and Shanmukhapriya.
Shankarabharanam to a lesser extent .His Chakravaakam
was very impressive. He has sung cameo alapanas in
Rishabhapriya, Sarasangi and Harikambojhi. There is also
an ‘unfinished ‘ Simhendramadhyamam on tape - part of an
RTP. Not on tape are some Melakartas which he is said to
have excelled in - Shubha Panthuvarali, Dhenuka,
Natabhairavi, Keeravani, Charukesi. Karaharapriya I am
told he hardly touched. I don’t know how a performer of
his standing got away with this. I can understand him
saying No to Rasikapriya, but surely to one of the Ghana
ragam majors. I will be only too pleased if somebody
would disprove this with a tape where he has majored in
this ragam I have only heard a Virutham. Besides these I
don’t know if he cared much for Latangi Vachaspathi
Ramapriya, Hemavathi etc., among the old Vadi
Melakartas. It didn’t seem that he was much into Vivadi
Melakartas. I believe he has sung Jyothiswaroopini.
Symmetrical
plain scales
He was fond of Hindolam,
Shuddha Saaveri, Aboghi, Madhyamavati, Amritavarshini,
Hamsaanandi, and Malayamaarutham. Mohanam - yes - but
not often enough for such a popular scale and I wont say
he particularly excelled in it. He was also known to
have popularised a few like Vijayanaagari, Vivardhani
Vandhanadharini, and Saarangatarangini either through
major composers’ works or his own compositions- these
are not on tape. I haven’t heard Valachi, Shuddha
Dhanyasi or Sriranjani amongst the better known plain
scales. I know he has sung them. There is short and
bright Hamsadhvani, which I like - this ragam is not
often sung in alapana form.
Asymmetrical plain
scales
His favorites were Saaveri,
Bilahari, Dhanyasi, Ranjani, Poorvi Kalyani,
Andolika (this one almost belonged to him),
Kedaragowlai, Kaapi Narayani, Kiranaavali, Arabhi.
And of course the peerless Bhairavi and Kambojhi.
He sang a good Narayani I am told. I don’t think
he took the popular Abheri very seriously - it is
not on tape.
Vakra
scales
He has
handled most of them. Natakurinji, Devamanohari Sahana,
Malavi, Senchu Kambojhi, Yadukula Kambojhi, Surati,
Kanada Nayaki, Aananda Bhairavi, Reetigowlai (I thought
he had no peers in this ragam), Ahiri, Asaveri, Begada,
Atana, Poornachandrika, Kannada, Devagaandhaari,
Saaranga, Hamir Kalyani, Sindhu Bhairavi, Paadi, Behaag,
Of these his Malavi is much talked about. His Yadukula
Kambojhi and Nayaki were perfect in their precision.
Durbar is missing.
I haven’t heard the
popular madhyamashruthi Ragams – Punnaagavarali,
Naadanaamakriya, and Chenchurutti excepting Misra Yaman
(Radha Sametha). GNB’s admiration for Ustad Bade Ghulam
Ali Khan is legendary in Carnatic circles. The
Hindustani ragam Gaavathi that GNB incorporated into his
repertoire was I believe inspired by Bade Ghulam. He
even went on to compose a Varnam in Gaavathi. Very
original, considering that most Hindustani ragams are
adapted to Carnatic Music through the medium
Thillanas.
Varnams
He was
quite regular with varnams but seemed content with the
three elementary ones in Aboghi , Mohanam and Begada ,
and the popular Kanada - Ata Thala and Navaragamalika
Varnam starting with Kedaram.
Kirthanams
I did a rough number recall of his
repertoire as heard on tape. Kirthanams include numbers,
which were
sung as thukkadas in the post - pallavi
phase
Thodi - 7, Kalyaani-8, Kambojhi - 3,
Bhairavi - 3, Shankarabharanam - 4, Panthuvarali - 6,
Poorvi Kalyani - 5, Harikambojhi -3, Bilahari - 3,
Saaveri - 2, Madhyamavati - 4, Hindolam -3, Aananda
Bhairavi - 4 , Reetigowlai - 3 , Andolika -2, Yadukula
Kambojhi -3 ( includes one of his own ) , Begada -3 ,
Kanada - 2, Khamas - 3 ,Kiranaavali -1 ,Hamsadhvani -2 ,
Bhairavam -2 , Arabhi - 2 ( includes Saadinchane), Paras
-2, Shurutti-2
Shuddha Saaveri, Sahana,
Malavi, Senchu Kambojhi, Mohanam, Manirangu, Atana,
Malayamaarutham, Amritavarshini, Aboghi, Nattai, Gowlai,
Shuddha Dhanyasi, Jayamanohari, Kaapi, Kaapi Narayani,
Kannada, Mukhari, Dhenuka, Durbar, Veera Vasantham,
Vasantha, Sindhu Bhairavi, Jayanthashri, Shuddha
Seemandini, Shuddha Bangala, Ravichandrika,
Poornachandrika – 1.
I must qualify
here. The available tapes were mostly recorded I would
imagine between say 1955 and 1965 and do not cover his
full concert career. I am aware from people who have
heard him through the 40s and from some hard material
that his repertoire was much larger than the 100 or so
that I have been able to recall. He seems to have
discarded a few down the years. His Ethaavunara in
Kalyani and Thathvameruga in Garudadhvani for example
were quite famous and sought after though there is no
recording available. One possible reason I suspect for
this not very vast repertoire - apart from limited
available recordings - could have been his divine
involvement with composing during this period - 55 to 65
- which may have left him with little time and perhaps
inclination to devote to further increasing his
repertoire of other composers’ works. He did not as we
all know sing his own compositions - about 250 of them -
in concerts except for the beautiful Paramakripa in
Yadukula Kambojhi. Even so, while he did have a
reasonable repertoire for a concert professional it
didn’t seem that he was an avid collector or accumulator
of kirthanams.
His paatantharams were
very sleek and precise and easily lent themselves to
assimilation by an informed listener. He chose and
moulded paatantharams to suit his brisk voice and style
and did it with flair and restraint. Marugelara in
Jayanthashri - one of the most all time popular songs of
Tyagaraja - was, I would like to think, a GNB
contribution. Ethaavuna in Yadukula Kambojhi - a
kirthanam was sung with chiseled perfection at a
slightly brisk pace .One could go on. He also
embellished a few kirthanams with chittaswarams -
Swaminaatha, Vararaagalaya, Shobillu, Eevasudha,
Nennarunchinaanu, and Sudhaamayi, Rama Ninne (Saaranga).
I am not sure on the origin of these chittaswarams.
Talking of chittaswarams there is a shocking thing that
he has done. He has completely edited out the beautiful
chittaswaram and its matching lyrics from Shyama
Shastri’s Paalinchu Kamakshi in Madhyamavati. I wonder
just why he did this and on what
authority.
Thanams
His
Thanams were crisp and pacy and rendered with a clean
diction. Some of the bols that he used had a very catchy
rhythmic gait with a sparkling brikha streak built into
it. He hardly ever went into the top octave when doing a
Thanam. I would call this a
shortcoming.
Pallavis
He
chose all the major ragams for the RTP suite - Thodi,
Kambojhi, Kalyani, Bhairavi, Shanmukhapriya, and
Simhendramadhyamam. Shankarabharanam is not on tape. He
also handled ragams like Devamanohari, Sahana,
Natakurinji, Aananda Bhairavi, and Ritigowlai for
elaborate alapana treatment befitting an RTP.
The
Pallavis themselves were generally not complex or out of
the ordinary. He did many pallavis in Adi and Misra
chapu. He did not do the variation in three speeds -
anulomam I think its called .I would have thought this
was a must for Pallavis. Today’s singers respect this as
a prerequisite for pallavis.
Kalpanaaswarams
His
kalpanaaswarams were sharp and very imaginative. The
swaram sequences were however never very expansive and
lengthy. His swarams in a two-kalai adi kirthanam for
example would mostly be restricted to one avarthanam at
a time, would occasionally go into two and very rarely
into three. Kuraippus and Kanakkus/ Korvais he hardly
did. He probably felt that Kanakku was the domain of the
mridangist. He was one of the early practitioners of the
concept of poruthams in kalpanaaswarams i.e., variations
in the approach or end note coinciding with the sahityam
eduppu note. He usually did this in the first tempo.
Conventionally all kalpanaaswarams generally have the
same end note. Poruthams as the word suggests
incorporate appropriate variations in the endnote
logically flowing into the eduppu note. This concept has
in modern times been developed into a highly
sophisticated science by superbrains like Balamurali
Krishna, Lalgudi, T R Subrahmanyam (TRS) and TN
Seshagopalan whose kalpanaaswarams blend intricate
kanakku patterns with poruthams.
Shruthi
Bedham
GNBs name is inextricably and
controversially linked with this subject as the man who
started it all on the concert stage. We are all aware of
the concept. I have really not heard him do any full
scale-shifts in any of his alapanas available on tape.
Only the occasional shift within a limited note range in
Thodi Shanmukhapriya and Sindhu Bhairavi. Doing a
Shruthi Bedham or a Swara Bedham is not easy and
requires technical skill - I would like to use the word
vidhwath - just as you require vidhwath in handling
anuloams, nadai shifts etc. when executing a Pallavi. So
why the cynicism and objection to this concept
as
a concert feature as long as it is done by exception .
The modern masters, aforementioned will surely agree.
They have all handled Shruthi Bedhams - I am not sure of
TRS - on stage with telling effect. GNBs disciple - the
legendary MLV - was an instinctive exponent of this
technique
Bhaavam
There is a
large consensus of opinion that GNBs music was short on
bhaavam or emotional appeal. Now this is something very
relative and not easily defined. The strength and
brilliance of his voice and the flair
With which
he sang imparted its own emotional appeal, maybe at a
slightly more cerebral level. I would for example rate
his Saaveri, a relatively somber ragam, as superlative
sung the way he did. True, if you wanted to experience
an emotional catharsis or unison with God through music
he was perhaps not the right choice. I will concede that
his music had to be heard sitting up, not leaning back
with eyes closed. I have an explanation for this. While
he was himself aesthetically very sensitive and
responsive to bhaavam-laden music, his voice, facile and
fast paced as it as it was, probably took longer than
most others to settle down and mature with time.
Conclusion
GNBs name will figure
in anybody’s short list of all time greats. He was
perhaps the first of Carnatic Music’s intellects -and a
bit flawed at that like all great intellects. At an
emotional level I will say he still had a good twenty
years of music left in him to evolve and experience,
notwithstanding his phenomenal success and reputation as
a performing artist. In terms of music his heart had
perhaps only just begun to rule his head. Alas the body
was weak. His music will remain modern in any
generation.
Era of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Shri. G. N. Balasubramanian
(1910-1965)
A musical prodigy was born with all the
blessings of God in an environment and facility for a
musical prodigy to grow up under his father Shri. G. V.
Narayanaswamy Iyer, who was a teacher in Hindu High
School, a keen student of music with an almost
professional thoroughness. The other inmates of the house
being Shri. Guruswamy Bhagavather, a favored disciple of
Shri. Patnam Subramania Iyer, Shri. Madurai Subramania
Iyer, a good violinist who had completed his studentship
with Karur Shri. Chinnaswamy Iyer (one of the four great
violinists of the day) and frequent visits of many
musicians who came to see Mr. G. V. Narayanaswamy Iyer,
who was then the secretary of Sri. Parthasarathy Swamy
Sabha. (This house in Sivaraman street in Triplicane was
the meeting place of established vidwans, who were in
Madras or came to Madras). One of the earliest prestigious
music sabhas Sri. Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha had the
distinction of being run by some of the real music lovers,
scholars, pandits, vidwans, patrons and rising artists.
Monthly concerts were arranged in the 1st floor of a
building, where Shri. G. N. Balasubramanian had every
opportunity of hearing good music.
The gift of voice is an asset to
any musician and should be grateful for, but then there is
a practical problem involved, which a moment’s calm
analysis will show. In such a voice running at so fast a
speed the effects of Brighas, twists and turns, come in
quick succession that most of the audience, the lay
audiences fail to appreciate and feel restless. Those with
a musical ear, sure knows some of the nuances but this is
loss to the lay audience, of course, and also a loss to
the musician that his great achievements pass unnoticed.
This was what I had to impress on Mani (G. N.
Balasubramanian) in those days. The cascade of notes were
so overwhelming that our intimate friends failed to grasp
the subtleties as confessed by them. In this attempt,
another close friend and well-wisher was a trained
mridangam expert Sri. K. Rajamani, B. A. B. L. (one year
my junior in Presidency College, Madras) trained by Sri.
Krishna Pillai of Pudukkottai, another disciple of
Manmudia Pillai. The residence at No. 73, Big Street,
Triplicane, Madras was where we three met. Mani got to
practice to the accompaniment of mridangam. This helped
him a lot and taught him many useful bits about mridangam
technique which he could make use of in his concert. Some
of the earlier appearances of Mani were with Rajamani on
mridangam. Very many of the earlier performances of the
few early years were at some friends’ house parties,
college functions etc.
A performance was arranged by one of
his admirers a well-wisher in Theosophical Society, Adyar
under the world famous Banyan Tree (which has been there
for centuries and ever green) Srimathi Rukmani Devi
Arundale was the patroness of the occasion. Her
appreciation and applause were noticed by the press
representatives present on the occasion and they gave a
glowing report of the concert in the next day dailies and
that meant Mr. G. N. Balasubramanian ( still my Mani) had
arrived and the road to name, fame and fortune were open
to him. Tributes paid to G. N. B. by the press did start
the period when he received invitation from many of the
music sabhas in Madras and some important mofussil towns
where they had established Music Sabhas. Nothing succeeds
like success and within a few years, he was among the most
sought after male vocal musicians. His style of Raga
elaboration, rendering of standard kritis in the classic
traditions and apt swaraprasthana endeared him to the
average music hall audience as well as to the
knowledgeable musically trained critical audience of this
time.
He had restricted the speed,
ideally suited to his voice at the same time easily
followed by the audience. He had gained by attending the
vocal recitals of the all time great Ariyakudi Ramanuja
Iyengar the Kalpana Sangeetham of Maharajapuram Viswanatha
Iyer and achieved a synthesis of the two models, most
attractive and technically perfect. No wonder, he was at
the top of the profession and he had gathered around him a
large number of admirers, and ardent audience. His fan
mail grew fast. This was not an unalloyed good. The
inevitable frequency of kutcheries, the frequent travel by
air, and surface route, the irregular hours of food and
rest began to tell on his health. When remonstrated with
his undertaking 18 engagements a month often in places
distant from each other, he had only one thing to say - I
must meet my needs. They are great - my family is big,
frequent marriages do and cost quite a bit and I cannot
spoon pick and choose and not undertake so many
engagements. This he again said when he came to Bombay for
a concert and stayed in Wadala with his kinsman. The next
evening he called on me at my house in Chembur, stayed for
a few hours - would not eat - could not eat - just a
mouthful of payasam and left early to take rest.
This incident depressed me and all
members of my family to see him in poor health. He had
taught and groomed during his active years number of his
disciples to reach the top grade among professional
musicians of the day - Radha Jayalakshmi, M. L.
Vasanthakumari, Trichur V. Ramachandran, S. Kalyanaraman -
to name a few - and they in their turn had trained
musicians fast approaching the top. G. N. B. had the honor
and pleasure of seeing his second generation shisyas
numbering among the top of the profession. He had won all
the top honors and distinctions in the field of music. He
was made the state vidwan of Travancore, a Sangeetha
Kalanidhi of Madras Music Academy etc. He developed and
perfected a new style of vocal music rich-classical and
very effective, appealing to the people as well as the
pandits Mani was persuaded by his friends and admirers to
act in a film called "Bhama Vijayam". This film was unique
in the sense that Mani and M. R. Krishnamoorthy (brother
of Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer) together gave some
excellent music in perfect unison. Later he acted with the
celebrated musician M. S. Subbalakshmi in Sakunthala as
Dushyantha. This film gave occasion and medium for the two
top class musicians of the male and female groups to act
and sing together - a feast of reason and flow of soul.
The quality of such music is not strained but blesseth the
person/persons who sing and those who hear as well. Kritis
(or ragas)
GNB Introduced into Public Concerts
which later gained currency and
Many Suggestions Key: X - introduced;
XX - sung often
1. - Vardhani X
2. Manasiloni Marmamulu - Hindolam X
3. Makelara - Ravichandrika XX
4. Me Valla Gunadosha - Kapi XX
5. Muddhumomu - Suryakanthi XX
6. Yagnathulu - Jayamanohari X
7. - Hinditavasantham X
8. Varanarayana - Vijasri X
9. Vasudevayani - Kalyani X
10. Sobhulu - Jaganmohini XX
11. Sarasamudena - Kapi Narayani XX
12. Sundari Ni - Kalyani XX
13. Yet - Varali
14. nYenthundi Vedali - Darbar XX
15. Kalalaerchina - Deepika X
16. Koniyade - Kokiladwani XX
17. Jasinethalla - Thodi XX
18. Dasukovalena - Thodi XX
19. Natimata - Devakriya XX
20. Nadhaloludai - Kalyanavasantham XX
21. Nidhichala Sukama - Kalyani XX
22. Pakkala Nilabadi - Karaharapriya XX
23. Paramathmudu - Vagadhiswari XX
24. Brova Barama - Bahudari XX
25. Brochevarara - Sriranjani XX
26. Mathilonayu
G. N.
Balasubramaniam
My friendship with
late G. N. Balasubramaniam started in peculiar
circumstances - with a friction. During early 1950s
started writing a column entitled 'Musings on Music' in
the Deccan Herald. One week it carried a review of an AIR
broadcast of GNB's recital wherein I had criticized
his off key singing. I knew that there would be protests
by some GNB fans and I did not mind because I was
living at a safe distance, at Mysore city, from where I
was filing the reviews. A couple of months later
Balasubramaniam visited Mysore and gave a concert at
the Sri Prasanna Sitarama Mandiram (Bidaram Krishnappa
Ramamandiram). I attended the concert but left early
because it was a long drawn one due to the Radio relay
starting only at 9.30 p.m. I had to trudge a long
distance to my home.
Next morning the President of the Ramamandiram, K.
Puttu Rao, a respected advocate of Mysore, came to my
place. I was surprised and when he said "I say what have
you done to GNB? Yesterday night after the concert I took
him home for Dinner and he scarcely touched the
food saying repeatedly "that gentleman has done me an
injustice, referring to you. What is the matter?" I
was taken aback. I did not realise that the review
which I had almost forgotten had hurt Balasubramaniam as
to spoil his appetite even several months after its
publication. Then I decided that during my next visit to
Madras to meet GNB in person and have a straight
discussion about this subject, as to what points did
really hurt him etc., because after my talk with Puttu
Rao I had dug up that review and found nothing wrong.
During the December Musical festival I went to Madras.
But I could not meet him. Next year I visited Madras again
during the music season. This time I met
Balasubramaniam through my friend M. A. Narasimhachar. GNB
was very cordial and invited us to the AIR station where
he had assumed charge as the Deputy Producer of Karnatic
Music recently. During the following three or four
days I met GNB several times, at his home, at AIR,
Music Academy. We discussed various topics related to
music and musicians. But GNB did not refer to my
review of his broadcast even once. Finally I raised the
subject myself and asked him "Balasubramaniam, I was
told that you were hurt by my review of your Radio
broadcast sometime back. May I know what part of it
did hurt you ?" GNB said "Let us forget about it Sir.
It is not an important matter." But I was not convinced
and persisted. Finally he said "No doubt I was hurt like
any musician when unfavourable remarks are made about him
or his music. Besides I was also a bit concerned abut the
effect the review would have on the organisers of my
concerts. After all I am a professional musician. I was
unwell on the day of the broadcast and could not cancel
the broadcast at the last minute. That is the reason
for my off key singing, which of course you could not
know," I retorted "Balasubramaniam, you are an established
musician and a highly popular figure. Even if
unflattering reviews appear in the press every day for a
whole year they will not affect your concert
opportunities in any way,. But you must remember that
you are almost a cult figure especially for the young
musicians, who try to emulate you. And if they hear
your off key concerts, they will certainly follow giving
apasruthi concerts and point at you in case anyone
criticised them."
Anyway after this heart to heart talk we became
close friends. I also realised that GNB was a very
sensitive musician and also a gentleman. We regularly
corresponded and personally discussed various aspects of
music. These discussions were highly illuminating and
thought provoking at least to me. His approach to music
was not merely conventional and sentimental. It was
rational and the evaluation was intellectual. Combined
with his attractive stage presence and a breezy style of
singing that reflected an youthful urge and vitality
made him an ideal especially to the youth. During our
discussions, I wanted to be enlightened about certain
points teasing my mind. First of all how did GNB, a
literature honours graduate who was cut out for
prestigious functions in life, chose music, which
certainly had an uncertainty, as his career? GNB said he
was born in a family where music was a part of life.
He grew up in an atmosphere heavily laden with music and
"I may say," he averred "I could not escape music. But
there was no necessity for any stimulants because I was
inclined towards music even from my younger days and
divided my time between my studies and music. And I also
had abundant opportunities to hear the best of music
through masters of music which strengthened my music
faculties and also created an urge to pursue the art
seriously. However the real turning point came
through Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar" said GNB.
According to him when Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar came for
a concert at the Parthasarathy Swamy Sangitha Sabha, his
father G. V. Narayanaswamy Iyer invited Ariyakudi to
his home to discuss an important problem and seek his
advice. Iyer's son "Mani," was a precocious lad and had
developed a disquieting habit of always occupying his
spare time with music. His enthusiasm and spirited
singing somehow endeared him to many people and he was
perpetually inveigled away to sing at any function in
the vicinity. Of course, this did not really
interfere with his school studies. But even an infatuation
has its limits. Mani was now approaching the age when
the voice tended to break and when, too, he would have to
make up his mind and concentrate on a course leading to a
prosperous and "respectable" life. In these
circumstances, might it not be advisable to wean him away
from music?
Ariyakudi asked the
lad to sing. After listening for a while, he
gravely said to his father, "I feel that you should not
interfere, but allow him to follow up his zest for music.
It is true that he is at an age when the voice comes
to its natural form; also that he sings rather fast. But
in due course both will settle down of their own accord;
and I should say the boy has a great future." Ariyakudi's
words proved prophetic.
Narayanaswamy Iyer, as well as being a respected
teacher, was the Secretary of the venerable
Parthasarathiswami Sangita Sabha and was considered one of
the pillars of musical culture in Madras. His
inclinations, naturally, were on the severely conservative
side. Any musician who earned an appreciative nod from
Iyer was almost as elated as one of his students who
scored high marks. Still, the responsibilities of a
father overriding the predilections of the connoisseur
in him, he had his doubts about the rightness of the
course his son was set upon. He tried once or twice,
unsuccessfully, to stem the tide. By this time Mani had
completed his way to his ultimate Honours in Literature
at the Christian College. The father's last
intervention was when, after gaining the Honours degree,
Mani was persuaded to deposit the fee for a Law
degree. The call of music presumably became too strong for
him at this point and he was carried away on its current.
Iyer threw up his hands in despair, exclaiming, "If it
is written in his fate that he must earn his living by
music only, who am I that I should seek to prevent it ?"
Balasubramaniam was born at Gudalur in Tamilnadu on 6th
January 1910, but came with his family to Madras. Because
his talent in music was noticed when he was young, the
boy was drafted to sing in any function. He even enacted
the role of Dhruva in a drama when he was barely 10.
His debut concert occurred in peculiar circumstances. In
1928, Musiri Subramanya Iyer had been fixed for a
concert at the Kapaleeshwara temple in Mylapore, Madras.
Unexpectedly he could not perform that day. The
nonplussed authorities noticed Balasubramaniam in the
audience and persuaded him to perform in the place of
Musiri. The audience was as surprised as thrilled at
this young man's reedy voice, the fast rolls, their
lightning speed all delivered with an assurance and non
chalance. GNB a new star appeared on the horizon and he
never looked back.
Thus G. N. Balasubramaniam's musical life ran like an
unbroken stream even from his early days. Its course
was steady and rapid, though not meteoric. Contrary to
accepted forebodings, the graduate who made music his
profession, singing with an energetic and thrilling style,
gathered in no time a large circle of admirers, who
affectionately abbreviated his name to the three letters,
"G.N.B." He was soon a celebrity, commanding a high
premium in the concert halls, and this led to some
peculiar episodes in his life - he played featured roles
in a couple of Tamil film hits, in which he acted
with such prominent artistes as Vasundhara Devi (mother of
Vyjayanthimala) and M. S. Subbulakshmi, and won the
President's award and the much coveted Sangita Kalanidhi
of the Madras Music Academy, and a host of lesser honours.
Two factors principally contributed to his success:
first, the pleasant voice, the breezy style, the easy
delivery ornamented with fast fluttering rolls, or birkas
as they are called, in which he indulged with
effortless nonchalance; second, the personality. Despite
the ravages of illnesses, the tall fair-complexioned
G.N.B., adorned with his glittering diamond ear studs and
dressed in spotless white khadi, cut a handsome figure on
the platform. It will hardly be incorrect to describe him
as a matinee idol of the musical world of his days. And
the fair sex outnumbered the rest at his recitals.
The picture of the handsome figure with the lively,
effervescent expression and slightly flamboyant style
so firmly impressed itself on the minds of most of his
admirers that they cherished an illusion of his changeless
youth was often disconcerting to G.N.B. himself, when
his fans made demands for features that were the
highlights of his music some decades ago. "These
people seem to forget that their G.N.B. has grown in years
and his name has grown with him," said he. "It is
regrettable that the musical ideas and tastes of people do
not develop with their years."
Naturally, the modalities of his music had undergone
a change with age. It is true that his voice -
particularly in the upper reaches - became hazy and had
lost some of its sparkle. He had to gather momentum
to negotiate some high points which he once sang
effortlessly. But in the middle register the voice was
rich in timbre and imparted a distinctively masculine
quality to his music .
Balasubramaniam was a modern in a field strongly
dominated by tradition. Nevertheless, he was not
detached from that. His inherent love for music was
nurtured during his formative years by the congenial
atmosphere of a home ringing with the songs of the
stalwarts of the period, who were frequent visitors. He
had his initiation from his father and later came under
the influence of Madurai Subrahmaniayya, a scion of the
Tyagaraja family, considered no less a perfectionist
than a purist. When a Diploma course in music was
introduced in Madras University, G.N.B. abandoned the
idea of a Law degree and was one of the first batch of
students to be trained by the late "Tiger" Varadachariar.
Despite such courses of training, which were not in
strict accordance with the ancient gurukula system, G.N.B.
was not aloof from tradition. But with him its
perspectives were tempered with realism.
"After all, what is tradition ? That which symbolises
the enduring values in art," used to say G.N.B.
"Tradition is never static, always dynamic. Otherwise
music becomes fossilised and is reduced to the position
of a museum piece." Elaborating this in one of his
speeches, he remarked, "In music, as in other fields of
the culture which we have inherited from the past, we have
now come to a stage when, I am afraid, a blind and
unmeaning obedience and adherence to time-honoured
canons will no longer obtain amongst rising generations.
Unless we are able to understand and communicate to
them the why and how of our past traditions and
practices, there is every reason for our being nervous
about the continuance of our inherited culture."
In brief, Balasubramaniam may be said to symbolise a
new look in Karnatak, music. Indeed, we may add with some
justification that he was a bridge between the old and
the new and was to some extent instrumental in the
streamlining of this art. Naturally, he was the idol of
a large section of music-lovers and the ideal for many
musicians- in-the-making, most of whom - however
unsuccessfully-tried to emulate his style. Any aspect of
music that he touched automatically became the
popular fancy overnight. In this connection I may
recall a casual conversation I had with Ariyakudi once.
Spirit of inquiry
After putting much hard work and organisation into the
task Mysore Sangitha Kalabhivriddhini Sabha had published
a collection of the compositions of Mysore Sadashiva
Rao. Feeling that the purpose of such a publication
could not fructify unless the compositions were brought
into circulation in a manner which gave them a fresh
lease of life, I sounded out Ariyakudi as to whether he
could not render this service to the works of an old
master. "There is no use in asking me," he said. "Persuade
G.N.B. to sing a few of them and they will be popular
automatically".
Though he deeply revered tradition and its positive
values, Balasubramaniam had no inhibitions, and his
academic career had instilled into him the spirit of
inquiry and the logic of a modern intellectual, whose
inclinations are more for the living substance of art than
for the superstitious sentiment surrounding it.
Naturally, G.N.B. was always ready for new experiments and
to take new directions - of course within the sphere of
classical Karnatak music-which may often appear too bold
and unconventional to the orthodox. "Nothing new should be
rejected merely on the score that it is novel," he
said. "For cultural progress, we have to thank the
pioneers of new ideas and expressions, though in
their own times they may have been called rebels."
"Like a staircase"
"Every concert should have an educative aspect," said
Balasubramaniam. "It should have new points of appeal and
should never repeat hackneyed phrases or passages. The
plan and pattern may be the same, but they need to be
given new colour and life." Perfectly at home in both
the lakshana and lakshya aspects of his art, he was able
to apply these ideas effectively and generally liked
to do differently from what was customary. In an alapana,
apart from the key notes which give the character of the
raga, he dwelt on and revolved round other important
notes too, inducing similar effects. Similarly, he often
chose obscure and infrequently used ragas for a
spacious exposition which he did with effortless ease,
imparting a wholesome form to the mode. In the
swaraprastara he chose a different eduppu (starting
point) from what was customary, and chose a different
mould when presenting even well-known and time-honoured
pallavis. Above all, his music had a touch of originality
and exuded a rich essence or rasabhava, as it is called.
Appreciating his systematic manner of exposition, the
late T.V. Subba Rao called it a "sopana paddhati"
(like a staircase).
His speech, when presiding over the 32nd Conference of
the Madras Music Academy, was itself highly significant.
Instead of offering the customary shop-soiled
cliches, G.N.B. treated the subject and its problems
logically and firmly. His approach was decidedly
catholic, rather than parochial, and his view was of
Indian music as a whole. For instance, his may have been
the only speech to have suggested the need for learning
dhrupads (which resemble Dikshitar's compositions in some
respects) in the South, and to have pleaded for their
revival in the North, leading to the creation of kalpita
sangita, in a more wholesome form resembling the South
Indian kriti, rather than the free (often aim-lessly)
flowing khayal in the realm of kalpana sangita. Unbiased
and unprejudiced in his appreciation of the finer aspects
of the art, he was so overwhelmed listening to the music
of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan that he covered the maestro
with a ponnadai (cloth of honour) and touched his feet.
This naturally scandalised the orthodox.
Musical thinker
"I am a neo-classicist," used to say G.N.B., when asked
what was his stand in relation to contemporary Karnatak
music. How did he define this obviously paradoxical term
? - "That art which is born out of the profound and
powerful emotional inspiration of romaticism,
selected, controlled and chiselled by a classicist's
exercise of reason, to give a structurally integrated
whole and achieve a union of vigour and beauty in the
parts, with exquisite attractiveness and appeal as a
whole." He has discussed this theme in interesting
detail in an article, "Art, its Dawn, Perfection and
Future Role."
A thinker among musicians, G.N.B. had analysed the
subject taking up various aspects and problems from
different angles and recording his reflections in many
articles. Unfortunately, most of these lie buried in
souvenirs-the fleeting by- products of conferences and
festivals. But to read them is almost as rewarding as a
conversation with him. Urbane in manner, he was always
prepared to discuss these matters and had an answer to
most of the conundrums with which Karnatak music is beset
today.
"It is futile always to live on sentiment. We must face
realities," he used to say. "This is an age not of
musical creators, but of exponents. We are subsisting
on the fare provided by the great trinity of Karnatak
music and their successors and whatever we produce
certainly follows the lines of their plans and
conceptions. Music comes in cycles. At one time it will
be the turn of the creator, that is to say, the composer
and then of the exponent. We have to await the next
creative age." Be that as it may, G.N.B. had also
translated his creative conceptions into numerous
compositions. A few of these have been published under
title, Ganabhaskaramanimalai, while many more still await
publication.
His influence
Some of his compositions, such as "Parangmukhamela' in
Kanada, at concerts and are especially preferred by the
younger musicians. These compositions deserve separate
discussion. Balasubramaniam did not profess to be the
precursor of any school of music. Nevertheless, one cannot
overlook the impact of his personality and art on the
prospective course of Karnatak music. While his style was
irresistible to the younger generation of musicians,
his ideas earned the esteem of the intelligensia.
"Why blame them?" he used to say of the younger
generation of musicians who are customarily reproached for
their failings. "No doubt Karnatak music like any
other classical art, is in a flux. But should we not also
remember what we, their elders in the field, have
given them? A youngster needs guidance, an ideal, an
inspiration and, above all, a congenial atmosphere.
Whatever lessons he may learn, he must have unlimited
opportunities to hear good music that does not merely
entertain but also inspires. All these impressions
form a sort of amalgam in his mind and build up the
nucleus around which his faculties and talents blossom."
The response of the younger generation to such
understanding and sympathy was seen in the large number
of adherents who faithfully trained themselves to
emulate him and follow his style. Some of them like M.L.
Vasanthkumari became celebrities.
Balasubramaniam passed away in 1965.
