M.S. Viswanathan - 1964...the Year that was

MS Viswanathan the colossus – “1964” a year of extreme resplendence amidst the already resplendent...

MSV’s journey from the mid 50s and through into the 60s and on wards provides a Musical Landscape that has not been matched until now. Yet amongst all the innumerable glittering gems of the rarest kind that can be created only by him, the year 1964 offered the diminutive maestro an opportunity to impart a greater level of resplendence to his products even by his own “Sunshine on a polished Gold plate” glowing standards. Not that he peaked only this year, but it is all about the kind of films he was asked to render music for.

These films provided him with the band width for him to pierce through dimensions of varying kinds, polar opposites on occasions, much to our musical delight. MSV’s new novelty laden journey started roughly in the late 50s and attained consummation precisely in the year 1961 and again it was owing to the kind of movies that came his way. Novelty was an integral part of the man anyway but the advent of a steady stream of movies based on social themes brought out several dimensions from him, magnificent as they were. He was a man who had understood the needs of film music like none else. He realized that the songs and the script should be a part of the same continuum and that the first feature that should strike the listener is the emotion or the mix of emotions the protagonist mouthing the song is undergoing, with the backdrop being the entire theme of the movie and the situation as at that point in time. Sometimes,
the obvious needs to be stated. None can match the screen situation as accurately as the man in question now. And stunningly so!!!

With the change in mindset of the movie makers, he
introduced novelty without marring the existing beautiful values in music. I am not going into great details of the technicality behind all this which made it possible, but it will suffice to say that his novelty brought it in the thrill of new tonality and unpredictability all within the premises of
pleasurableness. And of course, you had unheard of combinations of instruments and juicy harmonies (the instrument pieces behind the actual melody itself).

Let us talk statistics for starters…this musically bejeweled year saw the release of the following movies from the MSV stable ….deivathai, en kadamai, kai kodutha deivam, kalai koyil, karnan, karuppu panam, kathalikka neramillai, pachai vilakku, padagotti, panakkara kudumbam, puthiya
paravai, Server Sundaram, vazhkai vazhvatharke, aNdavan kattalai (courtesy: msvtimes.com website)

Now, imagine from the suave eerie music for puthiya paravai to the classical richness in orchestration in Karnan along with its melodies, from the coastal music grandeur in padagotti to
the modern buoyancy and “hair down” youthfulness in kAthalikka nEramillai. Starting from the emotional, melodious music of controlled grandeur without loss of richness for tear jerks like pachhai viLakku, vAzhkai vAzhvatharkkE, kai koduthha deivam, ANdavan kattaLai flowing into from
the ultra neo music for deiva thAi to the classicism ridden kalaikoyil (which in itself had a jazz blues number “varavENdum oru pozhuthu”). You had instrumentation of the breath taking kind taking the Hindustani, Carnatic idioms, Jazz, Rock and Roll and idiom of the MSV kind …all in its glorious sweep along with its lush grandeur and newness . Furthermore, you had even western harmony patterns implemented within the precincts of Indian classicism in Karnan !!! Well, actually most of the songs belonged to the MSV idiom and that indicates grammar obliterating novelty and luscious newness with ample listening pleasure and enormous thrill!!!!

None of his usage of Instruments were in accordance with traditional standards and he kept re-inventing himself as well, he never repeated similar usages of instruments. So there, run through the above list and keeping in mind minimal assistance from technology, develop a feel for the enormity of implementation task. Add to it the perfection attained in terms of how new and novel the sounds generated, sound with unerring emotional throughput. The tunes, ranging from raga based classicism to barrier defying, wildness to melodious and those which are sunny with ample verve. Endless in variety !!!We shall delve into the re-recording aspect a little later which would require a 1000 page dissertation, the songs themselves threaten to go beyond these limits!!!! And this man did it all in one year!!!! What boundless composing width and lateral movement of composing thought!!! Any other composer would be happy to have this score sheet for his entire career panning 50 years.

In the coming days, we will sample a few drops from this bottomless ocean of a treasure trove.