Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 24 Apr 2006, 00:13

Ariyakudi, Chowdiah and Mani Iyer

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 24 Apr 2006, 00:53

Ariyakudi, TNK, Mani Iyer

bala747 · Post by **bala747** » 10 May 2006, 14:14

ARI has to be a vidwan whom I can never appreciate beyond a certain level. I don't know, his singing just sounds too contrived and devoid of spontaneity to me and it often seems to me that its PMI Who is carrying the show. Also, to me a kutcheri with 10 different major ragas not even reaching 2 1/2 hours is like eating a only a mouthful of dishes at a huge buffet. Not satisfying (work with my analogies here please!!)

I don't know. I would rather hear SSI (who idolised ARI), or Somu, MDR any day.

Mahesh · Post by **Mahesh** » 10 May 2006, 16:21

I agree with Bala, I've never been able to appriciate his concerts, maybe because there are only a very limited amount of his concerts in circulation.

Oh, in the first pic above, I *think* it's [a young] KVN on the thambura.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 10 May 2006, 17:00

I know a well known vocalist with whom I sometimes discuss about CM. Once I told him .
I understand that ARI is credited with the Kutcheri structure , that is a phenomenal achievement.Apart from that I feel he was just lucky to be born in 1890, and since brightest stars like GNB/MMI/SSI/PMI were born in 1910's hence I postulated that age group difference of + 20 years has been the reason for these later stars to awe the musical aspect of Ariyakudi.I compared Shri Ariyakudi like the eldest male child in a family, where SSI/MMI/PMI/GNB's are the younger siblings .

The vocalist said , you have not fully understood ARI much . He is the only musician to sing all RAgas in <u>pure Absolute terms(everything in exact proportion , no overdoing and staying long in one RAga and there is always a sense of Viruvirrupu( a sense of urgency)).

Perhaps many rasikas like me find him little less appealing and hyper esoteric (In one concert singing atleast 3 ghana ragas like Bhairavi,Todi,KalyAni and Shankarabharanam...) . But maybe the performing community connects better ! For sure I need more time to fully assimilate ARI.

sriucl · Post by **sriucl** » 10 May 2006, 19:24

The reason for more songs in his concerts was due to the fact, that he was too good in assessing the audience and would lower his standard of performing by being simple and short with ragas and swarams and sing more songs instead.

But in the chamber concerts and small private gatherings, my guru recalls, that he had many occasions just listening to him sing in a small hall of 30/40. Those concerts and his performance used to be so good , a contrast to his more public/temple and esp.marriage concerts singing. His ragas would be quite long and more interesting swarams then.

Srivathsan

param · Post by **param** » 20 May 2006, 16:56

check this

http://www.geocities.com/~maniiyer/pict ... kudi1a.jpg

jaisree · Post by **jaisree** » 28 Nov 2006, 12:14

A live concert album of Shri. Ariyakudi with TNK and PMI is being relased by Carnatica on Dec. 3rd, along with a live concert recording of Ariyakudi's disciple Alleppey Shri. P. Venkatesan. There will also be a concert performance that day by Shri. Venkatesan accompanied by Shri. MA Sundareswaran, Shri. Raja Rao and Shri. Sundarkumar.
(See http://rasika.carnatica.net)

vsnatarajan · Post by **vsnatarajan** » 28 Nov 2006, 22:05

coolkarni wrote:Ariakudis SUBRAMANYAYA NAMASTHE-with all its grandeur sets up the frame for me , .

Dear Coolkarni.
is there any chance you may have ARI's Ariakudis SUBRAMANYAYA NAMASTHE?. I have renderings from other legends like Chembai, GNB and the immitable DKP.

There is an anecdote where kanchi Swamigal invited ARI and requested him to sing this song.
would apprecaite ur reply

padren68 · Post by **padren68** » 29 Nov 2006, 09:51

Sri VS Natarajan
Pls check this link:
http://www.sangeethapriya.org/Downloads ... svpmi.html
This has the kriti you requested.

padren68 · Post by **padren68** » 29 Nov 2006, 09:51

If the link does not work, let me know I will u/l and send u the link to your email.

vsnatarajan · Post by **vsnatarajan** » 29 Nov 2006, 18:36

padren68 wrote:If the link does not work, let me know I will u/l and send u the link to your email.

Dear sir,

the link you mentioned does not work.
is there any way you can point to some other resource?
Apprecaite your help.

meena · Post by **meena** » 30 Nov 2006, 00:26

vsnatarajan

i just checked u can d/l the file from megaupload.com or individual tracks (right click and save)

jaisree · Post by **jaisree** » 30 Nov 2006, 20:00

Here's the Ariyakudi 3-CD album that will be officially released on Dec. 3rd:

http://carnatica.net/shoppingarcade/Prd ... php?id=196

vsnatarajan · Post by **vsnatarajan** » 30 Nov 2006, 20:28

hi thnaks.
have to buy that.
But no Subramanyaaya namasthe there
the other links are all dead.

let me see.

meena · Post by **meena** » 01 Dec 2006, 00:51

Deleted

vsnatarajan · Post by **vsnatarajan** » 01 Dec 2006, 07:58

Dear Meena.

I frankly had given up on hearing this ARI rendering of this Dikshidhar's magnum opus.(rather one of his many)

Thanks for giving me the link. i just down loaded it and listening to it

stumbled on this site by destiny and relishing it.

Appreciate your help.

Good day to you

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 01 Dec 2006, 08:02

Does anyone have the details about the controversy between Ariyakudi and Papanasam Sivan regarding Karthikeya Gangeya in Thodi?

meena · Post by **meena** » 14 Jan 2007, 06:33

Deleted

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 14 Jan 2007, 06:57

Excellent article Meena. Has that endearing personal touch. Thanks for posting it.

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 14 Jan 2007, 07:00

Excellent article, its a huge article in today's newspaper (front page of magazine section)

mahesh3 · Post by **mahesh3** » 14 Jan 2007, 07:25

Whether it was his ..............Or the "fractional non-alignment of sruthi."

First, with intense discipline and practice he developed a large repertoire: it is rumoured that he knew the most number of songs, almost a hundred, in thodi alone!

That could very well have described the TNS of today...he must know atleast a 100 songs in thodi....

baboosh · Post by **baboosh** » 14 Jan 2007, 09:06

Though Ariyakudi was credited with the designing of present Katcheri paddathi,Veenai Dhanammal and Rangaramanuja iyengar who compiled the Kritimani malai were not very happy about that.When somebody quipped to Dhanammal that Ariyakudi was given a title as "sangeetha ratnakara"she had a dig that she thought it was a name of a book.

meena · Post by **meena** » 14 Jan 2007, 10:17

DRS

vsnatarajan · Post by **vsnatarajan** » 14 Jan 2007, 14:45

how I wish he was in this generation.

God comes in all forms to uplift us, through the venerable ARI too.

so much to tread and travel to reach, even mortal heights for me

gravikiran · Post by **gravikiran** » 14 Jan 2007, 15:22

the extract is from the book Voices Within published by Sri TM Krishna and Smt 'Bombay' Jayashree. btw, it was formally launched on the 12th of this month at the rashtrapathi bhavan, new delhi. the first copy was received by our Honorable President Sri APJ Abdul Kalam. there is a Chennai launch of the book which would be followed by the Bangalore launch on the 3rd of February at the Bangalore Gayana Samaj.

meena · Post by **meena** » 26 Jan 2007, 06:48

Deleted

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 26 Jan 2007, 09:47

Meena, after visiting the link above, I'm not sure whether Ariyakudi has become Gurucharan, or the other way round - haha.

meena · Post by **meena** » 26 Jan 2007, 09:53

chembai
hee hee i've corrected, thanks.

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 18 Feb 2007, 04:05

Tirukkodikaval Krishna Iyer is mentioned as a guru of Ariyakudi. Was this before ARI became Poochi's shishya?

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 18 Feb 2007, 08:19

Ramanathapuram (Poochi) Srinivasa Iyengar was Ariyakudi's main guru. He may have learnt a few pieces from others such as Tirukkodikaval Krishna Iyer.

See Ariyakudi's own article at http://www.narada.org/ariyakudi/tradition.html where he mentions his gurus in the second paragraph.

chalanata · Post by **chalanata** » 18 Feb 2007, 08:57

tirukodikaval krihnayyar was SSI's uncle and I guru. i do not remember to have seen any information indicating iyer as iyengar's guru.

thenpaanan · Post by **thenpaanan** » 20 Feb 2007, 23:52

mohan wrote:Ramanathapuram (Poochi) Srinivasa Iyengar was Ariyakudi's main guru. He may have learnt a few pieces from others such as Tirukkodikaval Krishna Iyer.

See Ariyakudi's own article at http://www.narada.org/ariyakudi/tradition.html where he mentions his gurus in the second paragraph.

A couple of places in the article caught my attention:

SriAriyakudi wrote:"In vocal concerts today, certain changes are perceptible which, if allowed to grow unchecked, may spell ruin for our great tradition of Karnatak music, and eventually result in the total disappearance of sampradaya. This is all the more regrettable when our music is claiming hundreds of adherents in the West."

I did not realize that this complaint that our sampradaya could or will disappear if we are not so careful is so old. I am sure that the first Harappan writings that are deciphered will be to the effect "... surely we are on the road to ruin, no one pays attention to tradition anymore ..." Besides, the juxtaposition of the complaint with the second line "all the more regretabble when..." is interesting. What does the first thing (disappearance of tradition) have to do the other (expansion in the West)? Is it that after a while only adherents in the West will be upholding sampradaya?

SriAriyakudi wrote:Karnatak music took its final shape and form from the time of Purandaradasa....

Final shape? *chuckle*

SriAriyakudi wrote:In early times, the musician used to sing in sthayi sruti; now they have lowered it, owing to several exigencies.

A couple of questions: what exigencies? The appearance of electronic amplification *permitted* singers to sing softly and with lower sruthis, but surely it was not forced on them. As far as I can tell, singers seem to have organically chosen a lower sruthi, so what are these exigencies mentioned here? Second question: does the word "sthayi" without qualifiers mean higher pitch? These days we use the term "mEl sthAyi" or "hecchu sthAyi" -- are these usages equivalent?

Best regards,
Then Paanan

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 06 Mar 2007, 03:32

A vintage moment to cherish forever!

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 06 Mar 2007, 05:53

I think those in the photo are:
Ariyakudi with students B Rajam Iyer and Madurai N Krishnan accompanied Lalgudi Jayaraman (violin), Umayalpuram Sivaraman (mrudangam) & TH Vinayakaram (ghatam). Don't know the man with the glasses at the back.

jayaram · Post by **jayaram** » 06 Mar 2007, 13:19

Thank you, Mohan.

krishna212001 · Post by **krishna212001** » 06 Nov 2007, 14:38

Sri Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar is famous for his Andal Tirupavvai.

I would still love to hear the Alapana in Nattai Marghazhi Thingal piece in Andal Tirupavvai rendered by him.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 16 May 2008, 22:48

Interesting to hear about copyright issues then too !!!
http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/05/16/stor ... 270400.htm

neelotpal.m.s · Post by **neelotpal.m.s** » 29 May 2008, 23:24

ariyakudi's MUKHARI is riveting.the niraval in the tyagaraja kriti 'entani varnintunu sabari bhagyamu' can be one of best that i've heard.KANULARA SEVINCHI is the line.

neelotpal.m.s · Post by **neelotpal.m.s** » 29 May 2008, 23:35

can any one comment on ariyakudi's voice quality? i've heard lovely exposition of purvikalyani and his guru ramnad srinivasa iyangar's kriti'paramapavana rama'.'saraguna palimpa' in kedaragowla, with swarams in charanam is one of the best ramnad iyengar .one can hear this in 'legends' series casette 4 of HMV records on M.S.SUBBULAKSHMI amma.ramnad iyengar was a sishya of 'begada' patnam subramanya iyer. Sri patnam's favourate raga is begada. in telugu there is a saying'begada migada' which literaly means begada is as tasteful as milk cream.patnam iyer excelled in this rakti raga.

SSK · Post by **SSK** » 16 Jan 2009, 23:30

Seems like the emperror of musicians Shri Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyeagar, needs to be understood better. His music is one perfection in every aspect. The following a section on Ariyakudi from the book "Reminescences of a Musician by Prof. Mysore Shri V. Ramarathnam released in 2007 on accout on Prof. Ramarathnam's 90th birthday. It is long and it contains real life experiences of Prof. Ramarthnam and his close association the emperror. Please take time to read and listen his concerts repeatedly. I will guarantee personal enjoyment and heightened awareness of what good carnatic music is supposed to be.

On a side note Vidwan Semmandudi Srinivasa Iyer was interviewed by Frontline Magazine on account of his 90th birthdat. One of the question for Semmangudi was "what do you want to be in your next life?". Semmangudi answered by saying that, he didn't want be born as a musician because he endured very hard life, but if got has that in store for me, Semmangudi said, I want to come back in my next life and sing like "Ariyakudi".
Here is the article:

"
Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar (1890-1967)

Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar graced the world of Carnatic music for more than five decades like an emperor. He was the epitome of the elegance, greatness and style of Carnatic music. His concerts were educative to both scholars and lay people. He was the musician of the Mysore royal court. My guru T. Chowdiah and Ariyakudi were close friends. Their admiration, affection and regard were mutual. Whenever I accompanied my guru on concert tours, I had the fortune to listen to many concerts of Ariyakudi as well as sing in front of him, to his satisfaction.
Whenever Ariyakudi visited Mysore for Ramanavami concerts, he would stay in my GuruÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s house and I used to take him around Mysore city to visit important places. Chowdiah always made sure a Brahmin cook and other servants took care of Ariyakudi and others. Over time, I developed a close association with Ariyakudi. After becoming a musician of the Mysore royal court, Ariyakudi would stay in Mysore for nearly a month each year. I used to meet him almost daily in the afternoon and he used to teach me various kirthanas, and fine tune the compositions that I had learnt from others. During his stays, I had the good fortune to listen to many of his concerts with my guru on the violin and Palghat Mani Iyer on the mridangam.

One day Iyengar asked me to sing ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‹Å“Sangita GyanamuÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ in the raga Dhanyasi composed by Saint Thyagaraja. After listening to it, he sang the composition himself, corrected me and showed me how to sing and render it in a better way. Whenever I met him he always had some points of guidance and advice for me. I remember his words even todayÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Â

divakar · Post by **divakar** » 17 Jan 2009, 01:07

Thanks SSK.
It was nice to read through the text about Sri Ariyakudi and Sri Ramarathnam's association with him.
Thanks for sharing this article from the book.

balusatya · Post by **balusatya** » 17 Jan 2009, 23:17

I have heard of a rare quality of this great musician being told to me through SKA.Chingleput Ranganathan.In one of his Tiruvaiyaru visits during Aradhana one (probably less known) musician asked ARI "Anna ! yennatheriyarada?(Do you recognise me?) ARI after nodding had started asking shema nalangal of his family. The vidwan had told yennoda thoppanar(Father) poyittar(expired).ARI felt sad and told him "oru kaduthasi podappdatha vanthirupene?(If you had intimated by a card, I would have come for condolence).After consoling him and enquiring about his other family members and their whereabouts he called SKA Chigleputmama (after the vidwan had left) Yaruda ivan? Chattunu Ghabagathirku varalaye?(Who is he? I am unable to recollect.)soon after clarifying Chingleput mama had dared to ask him" Yen mama neengale avarai kettirukkalame?(You could have asked him straightaway?)ARI had reportedly told him "He will get hurt"That was his gesture -I have heard.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 19 Jan 2009, 02:37

Just listened to the ARI TNK PMI Charsur release with the famous Chathur Raga pallavi. What a concert, and what brilliant accompaniment! I don't generally "get" ARI's music, but this concert was really something else and I had a sense of traversing through everything that is good in CM in those 3 hours.

Ragjay · Post by **Ragjay** » 19 Jan 2009, 22:39

Bilahari Please listen to his Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan concert with the same set All major ragas sung and a brilliant Khamboji RTP and brilliant violin and mirdangam playing . Probably one of the best recordings in circulation Raghavan

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 19 Jan 2009, 22:58

Ragjay, is that one commercial as well or on Sangeethapriya? Thanks for the recommendation.

divakar · Post by **divakar** » 20 Jan 2009, 00:08

I wonder if there exists a video clipping of ARI in a concert.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 20 Jan 2009, 01:10

I too wonder if there's any video of ARI. MMI is another I'd love to see a video of.

Ragjay · Post by **Ragjay** » 20 Jan 2009, 20:43

Hi Bilahari I think an abridged version is a commercial release. In fact I got the original concert from One Mr Nair at Ahmedabad working for Calico Mills in the 70s. I recorded it in two parts one up to the rtp and the remaining separately.I shall try to digitise it and post the same in full in sangeethamshare.Bye Ragjay

pgaiyar · Post by **pgaiyar** » 21 Jan 2009, 07:25

To:Ragjay

Please upload this concert with the RTP. God bless you.

Regards

Guru
21-01-09