CHENNAI: The therapeutic effect of music has been known since the time of Aristotle. He wrote “Rhythm and melody supply imitation of anger and gentleness, and also courage and temperance.” In listening to such strains, our souls should undergo a change.
Pioneer music therapists have listed the specific effects of music elements. Pitch, the number of vibrations produced by sound waves, acts on the automatic nervous system. If high pitch creates tension, low pitch helps to relax. Volume brings pleasure and pain. It is said that music above 130 decibels can cause physical pain, but loud music may give some listeners a feeling of protection against physical or physiological intrusions. I used to wonder whether a youth, is often an insecure being.
No doubt, music, ending in a harmonious way, brings emotional satisfaction. It will not be out of place to mention that one of our three great Carnatic music composers, Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar, has cured stomachache patients by one of his ‘Navagraha krithis’. Physicians are using healing power of music to treat diseases.
There was a longstanding painting the look of our melodies, know as ‘Ragas and Raginis’. The paintings are popularly known as ‘Ragamala Pictures’. The idea of having a visual version of melodies is fantastic. Music travels on an audible path, while songs and instrumental music are heard with our ears, and not to be seen with our eyes. So how can there be a pictorial representation of musical values? Imagine how can the language of words can be translated into the language of visible forms? The answer is simple.
The expert scientists have discovered that when the sound develops a very large number of vibrations, it can convert itself into a visible form. Our ancients believed that each ‘Raga or Ragini’ had its peculiar physical form corresponding to its sound over which it is preceded as a ‘Devatha’, the preceding genius or the God of that particular melody.
It is claimed by our musical sages that by the recital of ‘Dhyana slokas’, that is, the contemplative verses describing the melodies, one can visualise the angelic forms of the ‘Raga Devathas’.
INDIAN MUSIC IS RAGA SANGITA.
Muthuswami Dikshitar dominates the ‘raga bhava’, because without ‘bhava’, ‘ragas’ are useless. Similarly without Thygaraja’s soulful songs, the abstractions of the ragas are useless. Syama Sastry’s style is the style with sound and common sense. Here ‘tala’ is the guide. Without the rhythmic setting, there cannot be any concert.
Music is the epitome of our culture and civilisation and the songs of the musical trinity bear sufficient testimony to this fact.
(The writer is a well known music critic who has won awards both in India and abroad for propagation of classical arts and music)
