"Kalpanā - A Ravi Varma Anthology" is the 2023 instalment of NUS IIE’s annual Internal Showcase, following “Chathura” in 2021 and “Avartana” in 2022. Centred on displaying the musical skills, and aptitude of our members, “Kalpanā” is the result of the creative flair of our musicians, who are given the liberty to determine their repertoire. Students have collaborated in small groups to improvise, experiment and arrange their own musical arrangements.
“Kalpana” takes inspiration from a variety of Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings that capture intimate scenes of everyday living in society. Each performance group will musically present their interpretation of a painting, exploring a variety of emotions, moods and themes in the process. Groups will shed light on motherhood, love, loss, and human suffering, and explore the beauty of life, in an attempt to connect with audiences at a deeper level. It is an intersection between visual art and music.
▬ Group name: Shakuntala Prema Charitra ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Vocals - Jev Akshay Jeeva and Harshitha Krishna
Violin - Shraddha
Vaidy
Veena - Malini Elango
Keys - Siddhi Ganapathy Prakash
Mridangam - Srinivasa Ramanujan
Sriram
Arrangement: Sita Ramam Theme in Raag Saramathi, Sufi Ghazal in Raag Sindhubhairavi, Hayi Hayiga/Thesulavuthe in Raag Hamsanandi and Aasai Mugam in Raag Jaunpuri.
▬ Performance Synopsis ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
In the peaceful serenity of the forest, the lovelorn Shakuntala waits for the return of Dushyanta. She writes a letter to him, asking him to return soon, unaware that her pleas will go unheard. Aiming to depict this moving scene, this piece showcases all the emotions associated with romance. Starting with the instrumental theme from the movie “Sita Ramam” in Raga Saramathi, the piece progresses to a Sufi ghazal in Raga Sindhubhairavi, evoking the feelings of yearning and unfulfilled passion. The piece then progresses to a love ballad in Raga Hamsanandi, teasing romantic bliss, but ends with “Aasai Mugam” by Subramania Bharati in Raga Jaunpuri, to depict the loss of love. This melodic medley is a homage to love itself with all its many complexities.
▬ Painting Synopsis ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Shakuntala grows up in the hermitage of Kanva Maharishi. While Kanva and the other elders of the hermitage are away on a pilgrimage, Dushyanta, the king of Hastinapura comes hunting in the forest and chances upon the hermitage. He is captivated by Shakuntala and marries her, and leaves to take care of affairs in the capital. The lovelorn Shakuntala writes to Dushyanta besieging his return to her. This painting depicts Shakuntala writing her letter of love on a lotus leaf. She is sitting in the forest, lost in love as her companions look on.
▬ Timeline of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
0:00 - Introduction to Kalpanā
0:26 - Synopsis
1:43 - "Shakuntala Prema Charitra" Performance
▬ About #NUSIIE ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Music is an integral part of Indian culture, perhaps one of the world's oldest evolving traditions passed down from generation to generation. Established in 1987, the NUS Indian Instrumental Ensemble (IIE) celebrates the finesse of Indian Classical music. The ensemble now consists of SIX broad sections - ethnic plucked strings (Veena, Sitar, Dan Bau, Guzheng, etc.), Violin, Vocals, Wind (Flute, etc.), Percussion and Keys. In addition to these, we also have musicians proficient in guitar, and other forms of instruments.
Our performances mark the confluence of diverse styles of Indian music and a plethora of notes and rhythms. With around 80 members comprising of students and alumni, the ensemble performs both as a full orchestra and in smaller groups. IIE's 2023 annual concert during NUS Arts Festival called "Inter/change", inspired by the historic Silk Route, won the Production of the Year (Merit), 2023 at the Tan Ean Kiam Awards, in collaboration with NUS Chinese Dance. In 2022 and 2023, IIE was conferred with Original Work of the Year (Distinction), for our very own student composition - Sangamam, presented at our 2022 annual concert - "Bodhi - An Awakening" & Bairagi, presented at our 2023 annual concert - Inter/Change. We have also been honoured to collaborate with Esplanade for a show in July 2023 - "Swar Pravaaham - A Musical Voyage".
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24 июл 2024
