An exploration into the art of the greatest Carnatic musicians l Musiri Subramania Iyer l MOPA

Is tradition set in stone? Is not change even within a musician’s lifetime in the natural order of things? Does custom or convention in musical practice have to be held sacrosanct at the cost of organic modification or adaptation? MOPA presents Explore – a series of discussions between two young and admired Carnatic musicians, Rithvik Raja and Vignesh Ishwar, where they navigate these questions using recording excerpts of select musicians. They examine the musician’s approach to tonality, modulation, handling of composition and lyric as well as creative components (like alapana, neraval, tanam and kalpana swaram), grammar and a host of related aspects. They offer their own interpretations and observations based on what they have heard and analyzed. Every episode in this series promises a volley of insights into the musical style and technique of the musician being discussed. A treat for students, aspiring musicians, lay as well as experienced listeners.