SAWF Presents: "A Tribute to Tyagaraja" by V.N. Muthukumar and M.V. Ramana

Anita Thakur

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May 13, 2002, 1:26:48 AM5/13/02

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The extraordinary creativity of the musical genius Tyagaraja has shaped an
entire musical tradition. Dr. V.N. Muthukumar and Dr. M.V. Ramana, who have
written for us a set of beautiful articles earlier, are now back with
another fine offering entitled "A Tribute to Tyagaraja". Their researched
and learned commentary on the composer-musician and his work is accompanied
by a shower of clips of unpublished rare recordings of Carnatic maestros,
past and present. This feature promises to be an experience to treasure! A
bonanza of Tyagaraja's uplifting music awaits you at:

http://www.sawf.org/newedit/edit05132002/musicarts1.asp

We at SAWF are committed to bringing to our worldwide audience of music
lovers absolutely the very finest in India's music tradition. Also
continuing in this fortnight's issue is "Bhairavi" by Rajan P. Parrikar.
Tune in at:

http://www.sawf.org/newedit/edit05132002/musicarts.asp

SAWF's extensive archive of features in Indian Classical Music is located
at:

http://www.sawf.org/music/articles.asp?pn=Music

Anita Thakur
Managing Editor
South Asian Women's Forum (SAWF)
http://www.sawf.org
Linking Hearts, Connecting Minds!

Ramanujam R

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May 19, 2002, 3:17:15 PM5/19/02

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Thanks for the nice compilation...

Regarding Nalinakanthi, I read somewhere (in the net, I think) that
there was evidence that thyagaraja was inspired by Marathi theater. I
believe there was a paper presented to this effect at the Music
Academy a while back..

Details, anyone?

"Anita Thakur" <at...@austin.rr.com> wrote in message news:<s8ID8.80069$9F5.4...@typhoon.austin.rr.com>...

V. N. Muthukumar

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May 19, 2002, 10:12:34 PM5/19/02

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Ramanujam R wrote:
>
> Thanks for the nice compilation...
>
> Regarding Nalinakanthi, I read somewhere (in the net, I think) that
> there was evidence that thyagaraja was inspired by Marathi theater.

I dont know about Tyagaraja being inspired by Marathi theater. But yes,
I would say (and have said, among others, in this forum) that Tyagaraja
was very likely influenced by the music of the MArathas.

> I
> believe there was a paper presented to this effect at the Music
> Academy a while back..
>

You may be referring to the papers of K. V. Ramachandran (written in the
'50s). In a recent article [1], Srini Pichumani refers to these.

[1] "Why arent rakti ragas being created?", Srini Pichumani, CMANA
Silver Jubille Journal, p. 44 .

muthu
Nur der BvB!

Rajan P. Parrikar

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May 19, 2002, 9:08:34 PM5/19/02

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rama...@musician.org wrote:
>
>Thanks for the nice compilation...
>
>Regarding Nalinakanthi, I read somewhere (in the net, I think) that
>there was evidence that thyagaraja was inspired by Marathi theater. I
>believe there was a paper presented to this effect at the Music
>Academy a while back..

The first Marathi drama, I believe, was written in Tanjavur.
Quite a few of the early nATyageetas are, in fact, take-offs
on Tyagaraja's kritis as well as those of other Carnatic
composers. Marathi drama composers such as Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale,
Govindrao Tembe et al were familiar enough with Carnatic music to
adapt the tunes from the kritis to their metier.

Btw, here's another adaptation by Abdul Karim Khan in Raga Saveri.
I understand this is a kriti of Patnam Subramania Iyer.

http://www.sawf.prohosting.com/tyaga/akk_saveri.ram

Warm regards,

r

shishya

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May 20, 2002, 10:54:27 AM5/20/02

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Rajan P. Parrikar <parr...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:<ac9ia...@drn.newsguy.com>...

> Btw, here's another adaptation by Abdul Karim Khan in Raga Saveri.
> I understand this is a kriti of Patnam Subramania Iyer.
>
> http://www.sawf.prohosting.com/tyaga/akk_saveri.ram
>

That is indeed a composition of Patnam Subramanya Iyer. It is 'enta nErchina'.
That was a very good rendition. Gave a new flavor to the krithi

Ajay Nerurkar

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May 23, 2002, 9:07:38 PM5/23/02

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Rajan P. Parrikar <parr...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> The first Marathi drama, I believe, was written in Tanjavur.

Shaakuntal written by Kirloskar and first staged in Pune in 1880 was
written by him in Thanjavur? Where did you come across this piece of
information? Kirloskar was based in Pune at the time and his day job
was in the revenue collector's office, I believe. I've always thought
that Pune was where he wrote all his three (well, 2.5 actually) plays.

Ajay

naniwadekar

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May 23, 2002, 9:21:50 PM5/23/02

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"Ajay Nerurkar" <ajayne...@yahoo.com> wrote -

>
>
> > The first Marathi drama, I believe, was written in Tanjavur.
>
>
> Shaakuntal written by Kirloskar and first staged in Pune in 1880 was
> written by him in Thanjavur? Where did you come across this piece of
> information? Kirloskar was based in Pune at the time and his day job
> was in the revenue collector's office, I believe. I've always thought
> that Pune was where he wrote all his three (well, 2.5 actually) plays.
>
>

Vasantrao Deshpande, in his two-cassette ALURKAR release, told
Va Pu Kale that Annasaheb Kirloskar can only be said to have written
the first drama for what became professional theatre. Wasn't it Vishnudas
Bhave whose Marathi dramas were being performed as early as 1840s?

- dn

naniwadekar

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May 23, 2002, 10:13:02 PM5/23/02

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"naniwadekar" <nan...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OAgH8.96584$Po6.1...@rwcrnsc52.ops.asp.att.net...

I should guess that this alleged Tanjavur drama
predates even Vishnudas Bhave. (Forgot to add this.)

- dn

Rajan P. Parrikar

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May 23, 2002, 10:06:19 PM5/23/02

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Dr. Ajay Nerurkar <ajayne...@yahoo.com> muses:

I remember reading it in a book long ago, probably Ranade's.

Bal Samant's "Marathi Natyasangeet" opens with this (my translation):

"The paramparA of Marathi drama dates back to Dnyaneshwar's time,
so say the vidwAns. The late V.K. Rajwade came upon a handwritten
copy of of the nATak "ShreeLakshmi Narayan Kalyan" which was written
c.1690 in a Ramdasi Math in Tanjavur. Using this evidence of the
transcript the historian Rajwade has established that the tradition
of Marathi drama goes back to Dnyaneshwar's time..."

Warm regards,

r

naniwadekar

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May 24, 2002, 12:05:26 AM5/24/02

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"Rajan P. Parrikar" <parr...@spamstermanyahoo.com> wrote -

>
> Bal Samant's "Marathi Natyasangeet" opens with this (my translation):
>
> "The paramparA of Marathi drama dates back to Dnyaneshwar's time,
> so say the vidwAns. The late V.K. Rajwade came upon a handwritten
> copy of of the nATak "ShreeLakshmi Narayan Kalyan" which was written
> c.1690 in a Ramdasi Math in Tanjavur. Using this evidence of the
> transcript the historian Rajwade has established that the tradition
> of Marathi drama goes back to Dnyaneshwar's time..."
>

Dnyaneshwar was active around 1290 AD. And this is very common
knowledge. Rajwade may have found references in the said transcript to
drama in Dnyaneshwar's time. (Ramdas, whom Shivaji called his guru,
was a 17th century saint.)

- dn

Ajay Nerurkar

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May 24, 2002, 1:50:19 AM5/24/02

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naniwadekar wrote:

> Vasantrao Deshpande, in his two-cassette ALURKAR release, told
> Va Pu Kale that Annasaheb Kirloskar can only be said to have written
> the first drama for what became professional theatre. Wasn't it Vishnudas
> Bhave whose Marathi dramas were being performed as early as 1840s?

Yes. It was in 1843 that the tradition of modern Marathi theatre was
inaugurated with the staging of Bhave's SitaSwayamvar. They even
celebrated its centenary in 1943. But, the genesis of the Marathi
sangeetrangabhoomi was definitely Kirloskar's Shaakuntal. Bhave's
version was mostly a one-man show with the sutradhaar (usually Bhave
himself) being assigned all the songs and the other characters only
serving as accessories.

Ajay