Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Books on Carnatic Music and those for / by / on musicians.
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mahanara
Posts: 19
Joined: 29 Aug 2007, 23:45

Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by mahanara »

Can someone recommend a good book in English or Tamil on Saint Thygaraja's life history. It would be interesting to also read about the history behind some of his compositions. I have heard a few stories but a comprehensive book is what I'm looking for.

Lakshman
Posts: 14019
Joined: 10 Feb 2010, 18:52

Re: Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by Lakshman »

Prof. P Sambamurti has written a book titled Great Composers II-Tyagaraja. It should be available at Karanatic Music Book Centre in Chennai.
In the Ramakrishna Math publication, The Spiritual Heritage of Tyagaraja, the first part is a comprehensive analysis of Tyagaraja kritis by Dr.V.Raghavan and the second part has Tyagaraja kriti lyrics in devanagari with meaning.

vasanthakokilam
Posts: 10956
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:01

Re: Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by vasanthakokilam »

http://www.austin-thyagaraja-aradhana.com/tyag.pdf

Book: William Jackson, Thyagaraja: Life and Lyrics (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1991

I have not read the book myself, I have heard good things about it.

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by rshankar »

Bill Jackson retired as professor of Religious Studies at IUPUI - I have met him when I was in Indy; he is a wonderful gentleman - to my eternal regret I was never able to get my copy of his book autographed. Talking to him gives one a tiny glimpse into the glorious world of CM in the 1950s and 1960s, when he was privileged to see the plam leaf manuscripts in the Sarasvati Mahal library, and interact with so many of the legendary performers, teachers and composers. I simply love the book.

mohan
Posts: 2806
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 16:52

Re: Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by mohan »

vasanthakokilam wrote: Book: William Jackson, Thyagaraja: Life and Lyrics (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1991
I can also recommend this book. It is a well-researched and nicely written account of Thaygaraja's life and the period he lived in but I don't recall it going into detail about the stories behind various compositions.

vgovindan
Posts: 1865
Joined: 07 Nov 2010, 20:01

Re: Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by vgovindan »

Yes,
There are many cock and bull stories also - one about 'tera tIyaga rAdA' - the moment it was sug by tyAgarAja, the screen opened immediately at tirupati. There are similar stories about Dikshitar also - that his wife wanted gold ornaments and Dikshitar prayed to lakshmI - 'hiraNmayIm lakshmIm' and his wife had a dream and regretted her demand - as if Dikshitar was updating his status hourly on twitter and facebook. This blackberry wielding generation needs some hard facts and depth. But what we find is only horizontal proliferation. Thanks to quiz-mastering.

agala uzhuvadinum Azha uzhu - tiruvaLLuvar.

hemanth
Posts: 34
Joined: 19 Oct 2010, 16:42

Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja which is available

Post by hemanth »

KMBC:The Book is readily available on our online book shop
kindly follow the link which is given below
http://www.carnaticbooks.com/product_in ... cts_id=280
http://www.carnaticbooks.com/product_in ... cts_id=346

cmlover
Posts: 11498
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:36

Re: Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by cmlover »

VGV
That reminds me of the stories concocted for sthala puranas to create sanctity (and glories) to local temples. In my own memory I have spoken to folks who composed such stories (in elegant sanskrit verses) to some of the lesser known temples . While miracle-mongering stories on T are not in dearth there is also no lack of lesser known negative stories describing him as a penitent lecher or cheat based on his own "confessions' in verses like Dudukugala etc.,

vasanthakokilam
Posts: 10956
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:01

Re: Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by vasanthakokilam »

Let us keep this thread for books on Thyagaraja.. I can see the thread going in a controversial direction.. We can do that in a different thread.

mahanara
Posts: 19
Joined: 29 Aug 2007, 23:45

Re: Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by mahanara »

Thanks for the recommendations! I'll check out the books that have been suggested.

shibi
Posts: 37
Joined: 11 Apr 2010, 21:06

Re: Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by shibi »

You might look at this book.

The spiritual heritage of Tyagaraja : Text in Devanagari & English translation of the songs of Tyagaraja by C. Ramanujachari & an introductory thesis by Dr. V. Raghavan


I found it an incredible treasure trove of information on Tygaraja and his songs. V Raghavan was (can somebody confirm this?) a noted Sanskrit scholar.

Regards.

RaviSri
Posts: 512
Joined: 10 Apr 2011, 11:31

Re: Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by RaviSri »

Spiritual Heritage of Thyagaraja is a wonderful book by Dr. Raghavan on Thyagaraja's works. It gives a brief account of his life as taken from the palmleaf manuscripts of Thyagaraja's disciple Walajapet Venkataramana Bhagavatar as also from the notebook of the latter's son Krishnaswami Bhagavatar. The songs in Devanagari and the meanings are by C.Ramanujachari who was a multidisciplnay scholar. Dr.Raghavan was a Sanskrit scholar and Secretary of the Madras Music Academy for several years.

There is another book by William Jackson, 'Thyagaraja: Tradition and Transition' which gives anecdotes from all available biographies of Thyagaraja. But most of the books, especially the ones by Sambamurti are simply hagiography and nothing valuable can be gleamed from them.

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by rshankar »

RaviSri wrote:There is another book by William Jackson, 'Thyagaraja: Tradition and Transition' which gives anecdotes from all available biographies of Thyagaraja.
Is this different from the one discussed in posts #2, #3, and #4?

RaviSri
Posts: 512
Joined: 10 Apr 2011, 11:31

Re: Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by RaviSri »

Yes, this book I have mentioned is different from the ones mentioned earlier by others.

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by rshankar »

RaviSri wrote:Yes, this book I have mentioned is different from the ones mentioned earlier by others.
Do you have any idea who the publisher is? Thanks!

RaviSri
Posts: 512
Joined: 10 Apr 2011, 11:31

Re: Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by RaviSri »

Sorry, the actual title of the book is: Tyagaraja and the Renewal of Tradition: Translations and Reflections
Hardcover: 320 pages, Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass; 1st edition (January 1, 1994)

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Recommendation for a book on Thyagaraja

Post by rshankar »

Thank you! I will try to pick this up when I am in India next.

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