Musiri Subramania Iyer
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Musiri Subramania Iyer | |
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Born | 9 April 1899 Bommalapalayam, Trichy district, Tamil Nadu |
Died | 25 March 1975 | (aged 75)
Occupation | Carnatic Vocalist |
Spouse | Nagalakshmi |
Parent(s) | Sankara Sastri, Seethalakshmi |
Musiri Subramania Iyer (9 April 1899 – 25 March 1975) was a
Early life and career
Musiri Subramania Iyer was born in
Musiri Subramania Iyer learned to fluently speak, read and write in
Musiri Subramania Iyer's initial training in music was under
He made his debut in
In his career, the popularity of Musiri and his name reached every corner of India. His 78 rpm gramophone records were successful to the point that the audience would sometimes demand he sing songs in the exact way as heard on the record. Beginning with the krithi Nagumomu, everything Musiri recorded were best sellers. Nagumomu was a song that, previous to Musiri, was only sung in the Abheri raga, as India's Trinity composer Tyagaraja is thought to have composed it in Abheri. However, Musiri Subramania Iyer felt that the song sounded more emotional in the Karnataka Devagandhari raga, (a similar but subtly different raga) and he sang and recorded Nagumomu with Karnataka Devagandhari. Carnatic music is an exacting music that places large importance on tradition. Therefore, Musiri Subramania Iyer's rendition of the song in a different raga than it was originally written caused outrage in many Carnatic musical purists. But Musiri stuck to his decision. Given that Musiri was a devotee of Tyagaraja, taking liberty with Tyagaraja's song was out of freedom of spontaneous expression and not out of irreverence.
As a point of fact, Nagumomu sounded so suited to Karnataka Devagandhari raga that everyone began to perform it in the "Musiri Subramania Iyer way", artists such as
Musiri Subramania Iyer acted in the role of
Though retired from the concert circuit, Musiri Subramania Iyer was active in many Carnatic music affairs throughout India. He was appointed as the first principal of the
"Musiri Subramania Iyer was also known for his sense of humor. A single anecdote, which he himself was fond of repeating, would suffice. Once,Musiri Subramania Iyer and several other vidwans had assembled at a village for a wedding. While playing cards in the afternoon, Musiri Subramania Iyer felt thirsty and woke up his host's cook and asked for some warm water. The old woman, annoyed at having been disturbed in her siesta, muttered loud enough for him to hear "Does he think he is M. S. Subbulakshmi? Why does he need warm water?"
The Hindu, Musiri Subramania Iyer for Bhava
In another instance, during a function, Ganesan Iyer, a leading lawyer during that time in Dindukkal also an ardent Karnatic rasika happened to sing in the presence of Musiri Subramania Iyeri. After he completed his song, someone had asked Musiri Subramania Iyer to rate the performance. Not quite impressed by the performance, Musiri Subramania Iyer wittily said his singing was comparable to how Musiri Subramania Iyer would have performed as an advocate. This was quoted by Ganesan Iyer on many occasions.
Place in Carnatic music
Renowned for his high pitched voice and tonal purity (known in Carnatic music as
"Bhava was the keynote of his music represented by a leisurely portrayal of the raga. While singing, he identified himself with the spirit of the composition. He was one of those musicians who could invest their music with emotional appeal."
The Hindu, Musiri Subramania Iyer for Bhava
In the All India Radio archives catalog, this introduction was written: "Vocalist of mesmerizing melodies Musiri Subramania Iyer, was the repository of pathos, piety and poignancy. He was more at home in the pristine heights of upper octave than at any other. The enlightened and the lay had always rushed to the concert hall to hear the soulful melody of Musiri Subramania Iyer which had become the subject to talk in innumerable households. His audience got soaked in emotions and feelings that were at once human and divine."
Musiri Subramania Iyer was not only a respected musician but also a sought-after teacher. His special contribution is the number of disciples he trained in his own home, all of whom have attained distinction in their own right. In fact his shishya parampara is so well recognized, his style of rendering krithis has come to be known as the Musiri School. Well known disciples include M S Subbulakshmi,[6] N. Rajam, Musiri M.R.Gopala Rathnam, T. K. Govinda Rao, Bombay Sisters C. Saroja & C. Lalitha, Thylamba Krishnan, Mani Krishnaswamy, K. S. Venkataraman, Suguna Purushothaman and Suguna Varadachari. The Musiri Subramania Iyer Bani is carried out to the next generation by these great Vidwans and Vidushis. Some of the students under Musiri Subramania Iyer Bani are Vocalists Kum K. Gayatri, Kum. Vidya Kalyanaraman, Sakuntala Narasimhan, Sri. Prasanna Venkatraman, Jayam Venkateshwaran and others.
Awards
Before the
References
- ^ "Musiri Subramania Iyer". www.sruti.com. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
- ^ "Musiri Subramania Iyer - Classical Singer". Chennaiyil Thiruvaiyaru. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
- ^ "SPIC MACAY Great Master Series : Featuring Sangita Kalanidhi Mahavidwan Musiri Subramania Iyer | SPIC MACAY". spicmacay.org. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
- ^ "Sustaining Sampradaya 2020 — Tribute to Musiri Subramania Iyer". www.aradhana.org. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
- ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
- ^ "MS & Other Musicians – MS Subbulakshmi Biography".
Further reading
- V. Sriram. Carnatic Summer: Lives of twenty great exponents, pp. 49–62 East West Books, Madras 2004 (2007 Edition)
- The Hindu: Musiri for Bhava[dead link] Friday Review Chennai and Tamil Nadu, 24 March 2006
- Ramanathan, Dr. R.[1][permanent dead link] Sruti Magazine, The intellectual Approach, January 2010
- MusicIndiaOnline [2]