Suvarnangi (pronounced , meaning ''the golden bodied one'') is a
rāga
A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradition, and as ...
m in
Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 47th ''
melakarta
Mēḷakartā is a collection of fundamental musical scales ( ragas) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). ''Mēḷakartā'' ragas are parent ragas (hence known as ''janaka'' ragas) from which other ragas may be generated. A ''melak ...
'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Souveeram or Sauviram in
Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.
[''Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar Keertanaigal'' by Vidwan A Sundaram Iyer, Pub. 1989, Music Book Publishers, Mylapore, Chennai][''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications][''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras]
Structure and Lakshana
It is the 5th rāgam in the 8th ''chakra Vasu''. The mnemonic name is ''Vasu-Ma''. The mnemonic phrase is ''sa ra gi mi pa dhi nu''.
Its ' structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see
''swaras'' in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
*
:
*
:
Its ''swaras'' are ''shuddha rishabham, sadharana gandharam, prati madhyamam, chathusruthi dhaivatham'' and ''kakali nishadham''. As it is a ''melakarta'' rāgam, by definition it is a
''sampoorna'' rāgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the ''prati madhyamam'' equivalent of ''
Kokilapriya'', which is the 11th ''melakarta''.
''Janya'' rāgams
''Suvarnangi'' has a few minor ''
janya'' rāgams (derived scales) associated with it. See
List of ''janya'' rāgams for full list of rāgams associated with ''Suvarnangi''.
Compositions
A few compositions set to ''Suvarnangi'' rāgam are:
*''Sarasa souveera'' by
Muthuswami Dikshitar
*''Iha para sukha'' by
Koteeswara Iyer
*''Jaya Jaganmayi'' by
Rukminibai Thampuratti
*''Sri raghupathim'' by
Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna
Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna (6 July 1930 – 22 November 2016) was an Indian Carnatic vocalist, musician, multi-instrumentalist, playback singer, composer, and character actor. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in ...
Related rāgams
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.
''Suvarnangi's'' notes when shifted using ''
Graha bhedam
''Graha Bhedam'' in Carnatic music is the process (or result of the process) of shifting the Tonic note (''śruti'') to another note in the rāgam and arriving at a different rāgam. Its equivalent in Hindustani classical music is called a ''mur ...
'', yields no other ''melakarta'' rāgam. ''Graha bhedam'' is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the ''shadjam'' to the next note in the rāgam.
Notes
References
{{Janya, state=collapsed
Melakarta ragas