What is Ragam – Tanam – Pallavi, or RTP?
It is the delineation of a raga as per the manodharmam of a musician. The entire gamut of a raga is explored. But this elaboration can also be done before a kriti.
So the importance lies in the singing of tanam and pallavi. The tanam, I believe, was played on the veena first, and later adopted to the vocal rendition. Tanam is sung in syllables like Ananta Anandam Ta, Namta etc. Tanam does not have a fixed talam, but it is sung with a built-in rhythm. In the Navaratri Mandapam, Trivandrum, tanam is sung with talam, accompanied by the percussionist.
The pallavi is usually structured in one talavattam, rarely in two. The first half of the pallavi is termed as Purvangam. The Purvangam ends in the middle of the talavattam and that ending portion is called Padagarbham or Aruti. Before the second part – Uttarangam – there is a part where there is no Sahityam. That part is known as Vishranti. There are Ragamalika pallavis also. I have heard Lalgudi Jayaraman playing a Ragamalika pallavi, where the Purvangam was set to Mohanam and the Uttarangam to Ranjini.
The pallavi is sung in 4 speeds. The first speed, the tisram, the second speed and the keezhkalam (the lower speed of the first speed). The pallavi singer should have a good sense of talam. The niraval and swara rendition is done in the pallavi.
All the four types of manodharmam of Carnatic music is seen only in Ragam – Tanam – Pallavi.
Tailpiece
The legendary Balamuralikrishna, had tried singing Ragam, accompanied by the percussionist. But it did not get any appreciation from aficionados.
narayanan.desamangalam 