Vasantha (pronounced vasantā) is a
raga in
Carnatic music
Carnatic music, known as or in the South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka. It is ...
(musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is a ''
janya
''Janya'' is a term meaning "derive". In Carnatic (South Indian) music a ''janya raga'' is one derived from one of the 72 ''melakarta'' ragas (fundamental melodic structures). ''Janya'' ragas are classified into various types based on a varie ...
'' raga of ''
Suryakantam'', the 17th ''
Melakarta'' raga.
[''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications] According to P, Subba Rao, majority opinion is that the raga is derived from ''
Mayamalavagowla
Mayamalavagowla (pronounced ) is a raga of Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is classified as 15th '' melakarta'' raga under Venkatamakhin's '' melakarta'' system. Originally known as ''malavagowla'', "maya" was ...
'', the 15th ''Melakarta'' raga.
[''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras]
''Vasantha'' is suitable to be sung in evening and is considered an auspicious raga.
Structure
''Vasantha'' is an asymmetric scale that does not contain ''panchamam''. It is called a ''vakra audava-shadava'' raga, malathiga
structure is as follows (see
''swaras'' in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
*
ārohaṇa :
*
avarohaṇa :
This scale uses the notes shadjam, shuddha rishabham, antara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, chathusruthi dhaivatham and kakali nishadam.
Popular compositions
''Vasantha'' has ample scope for ''
alapana
In Carnatic classical music, alapana is a form of manodharmam, or improvisation, that introduces and develops a raga (musical scale). It communicates the permitted notes and phrases of the raga, setting the mood for the composition that follow ...
''. This scale has been used by many composers for compositions in classical music. Here are some popular compositions in ''Vasantha''.
*''Ninne kori'', a popular
varnam
Varṇam is a type of composition in the Carnatic music system consisting of short metric pieces which encapsulate the main features (patterns of notes) of a ''raga''. Varnams capture the ''raga bhavam'', ''ranjaka prayogas'' ''visesha sancha ...
by Tecchur Singarachari
*''Sitamma Mayamma'' by
Tyagaraja
Thyagaraja (Telugu: త్యాగరాజ) (4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Thyāgayya and in full as Kakarla Thyagabrahmam, was a composer and vocalist of Carnatic music, a form of Indian classical music. Tyagaraja and his ...
*''Brihadambikayai'' and ''Ramachandram Bhavayami'' by
Muthuswami Dikshitar
Muthuswami Dikshitar (Mudduswamy Dikshitar)(, 24 March 1776 – 21 October 1835), mononymously Dikshitar, was a South Indian poet, singer and veena player, and a legendary composer of Indian classical music, who is considered one of the musical ...
*''Paramapurusha Jagadeesha'' by
Swathi Thirunal
( ml, സ്വാതി തിരുനാള് രാമവർമ്മ) (16 April 1813 – 26 December 1846) was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore. He is also considered as a brilliant music composer and is credited with over 4 ...
*''Malmaruga Shanmukha'' by
Papanasam Sivan
Paapanaasam Raamayya Sivan (26 September 1890 – 1 October 1973) was an Indian composer of Carnatic music and a singer. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1971. He was also a film score composer in Kannada cinema ...
*''Natanam Adinar'' by
Gopalakrishna Bharathi
Gopalakrishna Bharathi ( ta, கோபாலகிருஷ்ண பாரதி) (1810–1896) was a Tamil poet and a composer of Carnatic music. He composed the K''athakalakshepam'' ( ta, கதாகாலக்ஷேபம் ) Nandanar Chari ...
'
*''Rajeswarim Sambhavaye'' by
Ganapathi Sachchidananda
Ganapathi Sachchidananda is a Hindu avadhuta.
Shuka Vana aviary
Sri Swamiji established Shuka Vana, an aviary and a rehabilitation center for birds. Located on premises of Ashrama in Mysore. The aviary has over 2,100 rare birds of more than ...
Swamiji
*''Thom Thomena'' and ''Yoganrusimha Padâmbuja Brunga'' by
Kalyani Varadarajan
*''Kodu bega Divyamathi'' by
Purandara dasa
Purandara Dasa ( IAST: Purandara dāsa) ( 1470 – 1565) was a Haridasa philosopher and a follower of Madhwacharya 's Dwaitha philosophy -saint from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a composer, singer and one of the chief founding-pr ...
*''Palisenna Gopalakrishna'' By
Jagannatha Dasa
*Maadhayai nidhi ennum by pabanasamsivan
Film Songs
Language:
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
Related ragas
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this raga.
Scale similarities
*''
Lalitha'' is a popular raga that sounds very similar to ''Vasantha''.
''
Lalitha'' uses ''shuddha rishabham'' in ārohaṇa also,
while the ''shuddha dhaivatam'' is used in it, compared to ''chatusruti dhaivatam'' in ''Vasantha''.
Notes
References
{{Janya, state=collapsed
Janya ragas