Azure Miles Records ~ The Music of Michael Robinson
Michael Robinson
Ganamurti
1. Ganamurti (2010) 40.34
Meruvina ~ ud, Indian bells, rotating drum, rainstick, synthesizer, tanpura
| Ganamurti |
Ganamurti
is the third mela of Karnatic music. Its name translates to mean “the idol
of music”, and it certainly is majestic, sharing the same upper tetrachord
as Bhairava, in Hindustani music, combined with the use, in effect, of both
shuddha and tivra rishaba anchored by madhyama, panchama and shadja. I found
this mela quite restless and demonstrative.
One of the phrases in this piece is the inspiration for my subsequent composition,
Summer Morning.
Ganamurti is the last of nine alap compositions completed in 2009 and 2010 that
share the same musical setting for the through-composed melodic voice sounded
by a piano timbre. The setting consists of a dramatic synthesized drone first
used on Gangadhara (Bhupali) from 2002, combined with a single tanpura, Indian
bells, rotating drum and rainstick.
The process of selecting which precise tone to use for shadja (tonic) for each
particular raga is fascinating for me. Indian musicians use one tonal center
for their entire life, but given the nature of the meruvina, I have used all
twelve possibilities in my work. It is an intuitive process that filters the
melodic personality of the raga together with my individual temperament, and
I frequently am surprised where shadja turns up. Ganamurti is based on B.
- Michael Robinson, September 2010, Los Angeles
© 2010 Michael Robinson All rights reserved