| |
He
has also employed a
new musical form that
he has named swarakrti
(compositions sans lyrics
but with well-defined
structure similar to
the krti). He has composed major pieces in majestic, traditional ragas like Yadukulakambhodhi, Shahana, Dhanyasi, Surati and Devagandhari, and also handled ragas such as Ranjani, Kadanakutoohalam, Bindumalini and Sindhubhairavi. His varnams and tillanas are a blend of the innovative and the intricate.
Ravikiran
is a multi-lingual composer,
at home in five languages
- Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu,
Hindi and Kannada. Most
of his compositions
adhere to rules of classical
Indian rhyme, but a
few deviate from the
conventional path. They
are marked by alliteration,
word play, swarakshara-s
(where the word matches
the solfa) and, on occasions, raga-mudra (raga name incorporated in the lyrics).
Ravikiran is the first composer to have composed in each one of
the 35
talas of Carnatic
music. Like most traditional
Carnatic composers who
used signature (mudra)
for their compositions,
Ravikiran signs his
pieces with the phrase,
Ravi-Shashi. However,
many of his operatic
pieces will not bear
this signature and some
pieces also have the
word, 'Ravikiran' incorporated
in the lyrics
Ravikiran's works more often rendered by his disciples than himself. He prefers to focus on the works of other quality composers and spends more time and energy championing the less-known creations of brilliant composers like Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi. On a lighter vein, he remarks, "My most noteworthy stat as a composer is being born exactly 200 years after Tyagaraja (1767-1847)!"
For a list of Ravikiran's Carnatic compositions, please
click here.
|
