Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer

venkatakailasam · Post by **venkatakailasam** » 25 Jul 2014, 10:03

Concert 242-Theme Concet-Swathi Thirunal Compositions- SSI-TNK-UKS
Semmangudi- Birth day to day 25-07-2014
Listen at:
http://myblogkumara.blogspot.in/2014/07 ... rt-ix.html

Audio courtesy: Shri KL Karthik…
Concert details:
1977
1 - Deva Deva Kalayaami - Mayamalavagaula - Rupaka - Svati Tirunal

2 - Narasimha Maamava - Arabhi - Khanda Chapu - Svati Tirunal

3 - Paripaalaya Saraseeruha - Pantuvarali - Adi - Svati Tirunal

4 - Paahi Tarakshupuraalaya - Anandabhairavi - Adi - Svati Tirunal

5 - Pankajalochana - Kalyani - Misra Chapu - Svati Tirunal

6 - Paarvati Naayaka - Bauli - Adi - Svati Tirunal

7 - Bhavati Visvaaso - Mukhari - Misra Chapu - Svati Tirunal

8 - Aanjaneya Raghuraamadoota - Saveri - Adi - Svati Tirunal

9 - Jaya Jaya Padmanaabhaanujesa - Manirang - Adi - Svati Tirunal

10 - Paahi Janani - Nattakuranji - Misra Chapu - Svati Tirunal

11 - Kanakamaya - Huseni - Rupaka - Svati Tirunal

12 - Kaantanodu - Neelambari - Rupaka - Svati Tirunal

13 - Alarsaraparitaapam - Suratti - Misra Chapu - Svati Tirunal

14 - Bhogeendrasaayinam - Kuntalavarali - Khanda Chapu - Svati Tirunal

15 - Jaya Jagadeesa - Yamunakalyani - Adi - Svati Tirunal

16 - Mangalam - Madhyamavati

venkatakailasam · Post by **venkatakailasam** » 31 Oct 2014, 08:07

concert 282-Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer
Remembrance day 31-10-2014..

Listen at:
http://myblogkumara.blogspot.in/2014/09 ... art-x.html

01-Vallabha begaDa with LGJ-TS-Vinayagaram-Dikshitar
02-Srikanthanee bhAva priya with LGJ-TS-Vinayagaram-Tyagaraja
03-Raamaneesama kharaharapriya with LGJ-TS-Vinayagaram-Tyagaraja
04--RTP-yochana-jesi trilOchanuDa-Varali with LGJ-TS-Vinayagaram
05-OmSaravana ShaNmukhapriya with LGJ-TS-Vinayagaram
06-Kinthucheyvu kalyANi with LGJ-TS-Vinayagaram
07-Entha vizhayya_Reethi Gowla
08-Inthaparaka-Mayamalavagowlai
09-With MSS-Dakshinamurthe_Shankarabharanam_MJhampa
10-Ananda_naTam_AduvAr-pUrvikalyANi with LGJ-TS
11-mayai ennum iravil
12-Slokam rAgamAlika-with LGJ-TS-Vinayagaram

S.NAGESWARAN · Post by **S.NAGESWARAN** » 30 Nov 2014, 18:40

Enjoy the Video of enthusiastic music from Sri SSI.
Important musicians and VIPS are listening to the music.
The drop box link is given below.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/35498660/5SSI.DAT

S.NAGESWARAN.
30.11.2014.

venkatakailasam · Post by **venkatakailasam** » 01 Dec 2014, 10:24

Watch it here:

Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer-with VVS and UKS..

Aditto · Post by **Aditto** » 03 Dec 2014, 18:13

Thanks for the wonderful upload

Can you please post the rest of the concert !

Pasupathy · Post by **Pasupathy** » 25 Jul 2015, 20:55

A Tamil article about Narayana Theerthar written by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer in 1938.

http://s-pasupathy.blogspot.com/2013/01/9.html

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 26 Jul 2015, 02:08

Item #7 is enda vidattil yAn arindu in rItigauLa by Lingappa Naidu.

sankark · Post by **sankark** » 23 Apr 2016, 22:08

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLuQIAjWH74

So SSI is weaving his magic is given. But who are the violinist & mridangist? That elevates the overall effect to ethereal heights. And whenever SSI goes ..ttti or srngaaara the accents that mridangist bring out is a joy to behold errr.. what is the aural equivalent for behold?

shankarank · Post by **shankarank** » 24 Apr 2016, 08:05

The nadai, sarva laghu gives away the Mridangist - that is Sri Vellore Ramabhadran. And it is also a kucchi Mridangam.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 24 Apr 2016, 23:37

A different question on the SSI rendition of Chetulara. I assume the youtube title is wrong, it is not karaharapriya but bhairavi right?

But the way SSI sings 'jēsi' of ''cētulāra śṛṅgāramu jēsi" sounds quite Karaharapriyaish to my ears. It is probably me, would not dare to question the doyen,

Checked the Ramani version here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6BABhzyquE and that phrase comes across more bhairavish.

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 25 Apr 2016, 09:48

I thought SSI sang it in Natabhairavi.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 27 Apr 2016, 16:18

I referred to someone who can identify the swaras. He says that second daivatham or higher is sung. Can it be natabhairavi?

Pasupathy · Post by **Pasupathy** » 27 Apr 2016, 16:54

S Rajam always sang this in Natabhairavi; used to say that is how Papanasam Sivan .... a traditionalist ...taught him.

RaviSri · Post by **RaviSri** » 27 Apr 2016, 18:05

The problem with 'chEtulAra' is this: In the Walajapet list of about 800 songs which I have seen at the Music Academy library, 'chEtulAra' is listed as Nata Bhairavi. Thyagaraja must therefore have composed it in Nata Bhairavi. Nata Bhairavi probably morphed into Bhairavi in particular schools and into Karaharapriya in certain others. What Semmangudi does is to show a bit of Nata Bhairavi in the beginning and then he moves on to Bhairavi. Though the Walajapet list shows it as Nata Bhairavi, Brinda-Muktha sang and taught this song in Bhairavi only.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 28 Apr 2016, 06:11

OK, thanks all.

One question then. The way SSI sings 'jēsi' of ''cētulāra śṛṅgāramu jēsi" , is that more Karaharapriya or natabhairavi or it can fit either one equally well?

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 28 Apr 2016, 08:29

@RaviSri, Coming from a parampara that is the closest thing we can get to a time machine, you all should share the versions of the compositions you know with the world. The things you speak of are probably not available in any recordings anywhere and in today's age, it is a real loss if history forgets them.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 28 Apr 2016, 16:24

Exactly what I have asking both Sri Ravi and Sri MKR to do....
Even if they record their memoirs on a tape recorder, there will be people lining up to transcribe and edit them...
So, PLEASE.......

RaviSri · Post by **RaviSri** » 28 Apr 2016, 17:58

Of course I will. Always ready to share whatever I know. If anyone of you lives in South India, Tamilnadu in particular, you can meet me at my place with a recorder. You can mail me to know where I live. It is not far from Madras.

The way SSI sings 'jēsi' of ''cētulāra śṛṅgāramu jēsi" , is that more Karaharapriya or natabhairavi or it can fit either one equally well?

It does fit both as far as I can decipher.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 29 Apr 2016, 01:24

RaviSri, both from the swara perspective as well as gamaka and characteristic phrases?

RaviSri · Post by **RaviSri** » 29 Apr 2016, 17:43

Only swara perspective. I dont know where SSI picked up this song, not from Brindamma certainly, probably from the nAgaswara vidvAns.

RaviSri · Post by **RaviSri** » 30 Apr 2016, 17:58

The Tiruveezhimizhalai Bros, Subramanya Pillai and Natarajasundaram Pillai, nAgaswaram maestros were known for their exquisite rendering of Thyagaraja kritis with due importance to sahitya bhava. They got their collection of Thyagaraja kritis rather in a strange way. They sent their younger brother Kalyanasundaram Pillai to Kanchipuram to do gurukulavasam under Naina Pillai. Kalyanasundaram was a student of Naina Pillai along with Brinda-Muktha, Chittoor Subramanya Pillai and N.S.Krishnaswamy Iyengar. Kalyanasundaram, when he went on leave to his village, would sing the songs to his elder brothers and they learnt it from him. For a long time Naina Pillai was not aware of this arrangement until, once, he heard the Bros play Thyagaraja kritis at a marriage. He expressed surprise to the Bros that their version of the kritis corresponded with his, upon which the Bros had to let the cat out of the bag. Naina was amazed and exclaimed, "Oh, what a way to learn!" This is only a prelude to the next moving story.

Needamangalam Meenakshisundaram Pillai who was hailed as Abhinava Nandi was the stock tavil accompanist for the Tiruveezhimizhalai Bros. Their playing of 'chEtulAra' in the company of Needamangalam was exquisite and was looked forward to by rasikas and vidvans alike. When Needamangalam died in 1946, the Bros felt they were orphaned. They stopped playing 'chEtrulAra' in their programmes. When pressed they would say that Needamangalam had taken the song away with him and that without him, their playing of the song would just resemble a skeleton.

bhakthim dehi · Post by **bhakthim dehi** » 30 Apr 2016, 19:28

Ravisri, can you mention the book or manuscript which says chetulara must be sung in natabhairavi?
I am raising this question as Valajapet version was in karaharapriya. The magnum opus Oriental music in European notation by Sri Chinnasvami mudaliyar lists this kriti as karaharapriya. Also he has notated the same. We very well know the source for Mudaliyar is a Valajapet disciple. So it would be of great help if you can say the source of this information which you have given.

RaviSri · Post by **RaviSri** » 02 May 2016, 18:21

I think I have already mentioned that the Music Academy library has a list of Thyagaraja's compositions from the Walajapet manuscripts. I have seen it at the Academy library sometime in the 1980s. Therein chEtulAra is mentioned as being in naTa bhairavi. The list must originally have been in Telugu script but the Academy copied it from Saurashtra Sabha, Madurai and transcribed the list into English. The song 'sattalEni dinamunu' is mentioned as being in sAmantA and the song abimAnamu is mentioned as being in mAnji (This song is notated in AndhALi in the Thillaistanam book and Balamurali sings it in AndhALi). Of course sItamma mAtammA in lalitA, jnAnamosgarAdA in ShaDvidamArgiNi etc are some of the other songs mentioned. There are other such ragas, which I forget now. Those who have the time can visit the Academy library and take a look at the list.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 03 May 2016, 09:01

btw, I am quite confused as to what raga the SSI version of Chetulara is. I listened to it again today. Other than that 'jēsi' of cētulāra śṛṅgāramu jēsi' which sounds quite karaharapriya'ish, rest of it has a strong Bhairavi slant but not deeply so, which left some room for doubt in my mind. I do not know nata bhairavi much at all and so I thought may be it is NB. But that all evaporated when SSI sings 'jutti' of sura taru sumamula siga niṇḍa juṭṭi ( towards the end, around the 7:50 to 8:10 mark ) it sounds unmistakably Bhairavi to me. Do you all hear it that way too?

varsha · Post by **varsha** » 03 May 2016, 09:40

I do not know nata bhairavi much at all and so I thought may be it is NB. But that all evaporated when SSI sings 'jutti' of sura taru sumamula siga niṇḍa juṭṭi ( towards the end, around the 7:50 to 8:10 mark ) it sounds unmistakably Bhairavi to me. Do you all hear it that way too?

A bit like Ogden Nash here , you are VK

A gourmet challenged me to eat
A tiny bit of rattlesnake meat, Remarking “Don’t look horror stricken.
You will find it tastes a lot like chicken”.
It did.
Now Chicken I cannot eat,

Because it tastes like Rattlesnake meat.

Purist · Post by **Purist** » 03 May 2016, 14:25

vk- out of curiosity I listened to 'jesi' portion you are debating upon, a couple of times. To me it sounded more
Bhairavi and could not trace a Kharaharapriya there. (nearest comparble to the phrase/sangatis of "Koluvai" pallavi line towards its end).
Quite intriguing, is it like the story of the blinds holding parts of the elephant...?

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 03 May 2016, 21:00

Jesi is sung as : M,PM-M, G, R,GR-R, S - RSN .... --- this can be done in both ragas. But that M,PM-M, G, R,GR-R, phrase is such a key phrase in Kharaharapriya that it could give you that impression since there isn't enough of Natabhairavi out there.

Now that I've listened to it fully, unless it comes from an era when D2 didn't exist in Bhairavi, SSI's version is Natabhairavi through and through. There isn't a D2 or a S G2 R2 G2 phrase anywhere in the rendition. But there is a G2 M1 P with that wide kampita that is characteristic of Bhairavi in it, and that phrase from S N2 D1 P at some places that is sung almost exactly like Bhairavi. That's about it.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 03 May 2016, 21:47

Thanks Srinath. That initial KHP phrase and the S N2 D1 P are what I was referring to that was throwing me off.

Interesting how NB has this delicate existence. I don't know the raga lakshana other than some vague recollections of vaLLi deva senA pati . I will listen to it again to see how much Bhairavi I sense there. My sense now is VaLLi deva senApati 's aesthetic is more aggressive and bold along the lines of its cousins like Shanmukhapriya on the other side of the madhyam divide, compared to Bhairavi's pliant and more nuanced demeanor. But I will listen to some more NB to refresh myself

I posted the link to the Ramani version. His jEsi does not sound that much KHP to me.( but then his version may be the fully morphed one in Bhairavi )

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 04 May 2016, 09:32

In fact @vk, it sounds overall like what would happen if you took the Kharaharapriya version and replaced every D2 with D1 -- I dare say that if you tried this inf reverse, you could get away singing the whole thing in Kharaharapriya. In fact quite a few more phrases in SSI's version would be perfectly ok in Kharaharapriya too.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 04 May 2016, 10:11

Got it, Srinath.

I would expect that layering gamakas and characteristic phrases on top of the swaras would eliminate such big ambiguities and crossovers.

I listened to Bombay Jayasree rendition of vaLLi deva sEnA patE https://youtu.be/Si4k_zwqY1g

There is no KHP or Bhairavi overlap or ambiguity here. In fact, as I remembered about this song, this has a lot of aesthetic similarity to Shanmukhapriya

bhakthim dehi · Post by **bhakthim dehi** » 05 May 2016, 19:01

I think I have already mentioned that the Music Academy library has a list of Thyagaraja's compositions from the Walajapet manuscripts. I have seen it at the Academy library sometime in the 1980s. Therein chEtulAra is mentioned as being in naTa bhairavi. The list must originally have been in Telugu script but the Academy copied it from Saurashtra Sabha, Madurai and transcribed the list into English.

Are you sure those were the translation of manuscripts preserved at Madurai sabha? I know there was some tie-up between GOML-Madras and the Madurai sabha way back in late 1950 s and they too did some transcription. This is a news to me. Now, you cannot find any more manuscripts like this in the Academy library.
I raised this doubt as sattaleni dinamu is mentioned as Naganandhini in the book by Sri. Chinnasamy Mudaliyar. Secondly, in a book by Sri SA Ramasvamy Iyr, the raga for sattaleni is mentioned as Nagananhini an chetulra as Karaharapriya. He was a disciple of both Valajapet Krishnasvamy Bhagavathar and Umayapluram Krishna an Sundara Bhagavathar.

RaviSri · Post by **RaviSri** » 06 May 2016, 18:12

Are you sure those were the translation of manuscripts preserved at Madurai sabha?

Yes I am sure about this.Because I asked SRJ about this sometime after I saw the MS in the library and he assured me that it was indeed the Walajapet list from the Madurai Saurashtra Sabha.

One thing we will have to remember is that Thyagaraja did not name his ragas. This was done much later by probably several people including the direct disciples. The confusion arises perhaps from this.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 06 May 2016, 18:20

RaviSri wrote:One thing we will have to remember is that Thyagaraja did not name his ragas.

WOW! That is something I did not know. A major difference between him and say, Sri Muttusvami Dikshitar, right?

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 06 May 2016, 18:57

Does it mean that he did not give a raga mudra in the songs or that he sang regardless of what raga it might be? The comments I hear about how he has started thodi krithis in different swaras etc. seem to rule out the latter possibility. Who named the ragas he introduced?

bhakthim dehi · Post by **bhakthim dehi** » 06 May 2016, 21:11

It is sad that we have lost those translations.
Yes,he didn't reveal the name of apoorva ragas. It doesn't mean he is unaware of the ragas or not interested in adhering to the lakshana of any particular raga. Later disciples named those songs by referring to lexicons that they had.
I too agree that there might have been a confusion in naming the ragas.
This problem can be solved either by referring to the notations of the direct disciples or by referring to the book in which these disciples were involved by a third party.
In the examples I cited, one was written by the direct disciple (SA Ramasvamy Iyer) and the one by a third party involving the direct disciple (AM Chinasvamy Mudaliyar). There is no discrepancy in both the versions.
Also in the transcripts of Valapet manuscripts, I remember seeing as Naganandhini and Shadvidamargini.

raghusrinivas · Post by **raghusrinivas** » 18 Jul 2016, 01:20

Hi ,
Is there a recording of semmangudi signing viriboni ?

Thanks
Raghu

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 29 Jul 2016, 07:12

I wish I had listened to him atleast once , only heard him speak. Lovely tribute by VVS on the doyen semmangudi
http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday ... 911456.ece

Pasupathy · Post by **Pasupathy** » 29 Jul 2016, 07:29

Notations for two songs ( given in the 40-s) by Semmangudi ( in Tamil)
http://s-pasupathy.blogspot.com/2016/07/80.html

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 26 Dec 2016, 14:34

A brief biograpahy of SSI in Tamih by V Sriram (from twitter):

http://ippodhu.com/%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%86%E ... %E0%AF%8D/

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 02 Feb 2017, 12:17

Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer singing simmhendramadhyamam (natajana by KV Srinivasa Iyengar). SSI singing simmhendra madhyamam is a rare rendition and I assume since it had to be recorded in a 78 rpm in circa 1930's, semmangudi raced more than his usual electric speed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPG8Ym5K1tw

kraghu · Post by **kraghu** » 01 Aug 2017, 06:46

I would like to know who the accompanying musicians are in this concert:
https://www.sangeethamshare.org/muralid ... Concert-2/

I found the same Anandabhairavi song here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pkuSGJeo1g

Thanks.

MaheshS · Post by **MaheshS** » 01 Aug 2017, 19:13

kraghu wrote: ↑01 Aug 2017, 06:46 I would like to know who the accompanying musicians are in this concert:
https://www.sangeethamshare.org/muralid ... Concert-2/

The violinist is T N Krishnan, not sure about the mridangam.

MaheshS · Post by **MaheshS** » 01 Aug 2017, 23:00

MaheshS wrote: ↑01 Aug 2017, 19:13
kraghu wrote: ↑01 Aug 2017, 06:46 I would like to know who the accompanying musicians are in this concert:
https://www.sangeethamshare.org/muralid ... Concert-2/
The violinist is T N Krishnan, not sure about the mridangam.

OK, I am going to put my head out and say Trichy Sankaran. Can anyone confirm one way or the other please?

semmu86 · Post by **semmu86** » 02 Aug 2017, 22:10

Definitely not Shri. Trichy Sankaran. Shri UKS it is.

Pasupathy · Post by **Pasupathy** » 03 Aug 2017, 03:27

Notations by Semmangudi ( in Tamil )

http://s-pasupathy.blogspot.com/2017/07/783-128.html

shankarank · Post by **shankarank** » 19 Sep 2017, 08:35

Found an inspiring rendition by disciples :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wcU40xEDuo - cEtah SrI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd7LwfWLPhI - YK svarajati
and that should float up other such videos.

CRama · Post by **CRama** » 19 Sep 2017, 11:14

Thanks for pointers to the excellent renditions by the disciples of SSI. There are the three swarajatis and Chetasree. I could spot PSN,VS, Palai Ramachandran, P.R.Kumarakerala Varma, Sitha Rajan, Kalyani Sharma (my guess). Any body to identify the artistes. One person sitting in the balcony very much looked like SSI. Is he his son.

shankarank · Post by **shankarank** » 29 Oct 2017, 01:08

The video mentions - this is by his daughters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjiDwpIh61E

sankark · Post by **sankark** » 31 Dec 2017, 16:47

http://sureshs65music.blogspot.in/2008/ ... s.html?m=1

Jigyaasa · Post by **Jigyaasa** » 02 Feb 2018, 03:50

Ramasubramanian M.K wrote: ↑05 Sep 2010, 19:51 TKI was born in Marathurai near Pandanallur.TKI had his early training in music under his father and later with Kothavasal Venkatrama Iyer a renowned composer of Tana Varnams( Jalajakshi in Hamasadhwani,Sarasuda in Saveri,Era Na Pai--I always thought this was Patnam Subramania Iyer's-forumites need help in clarifying this--, and some lesser known varnams like Swami Ninne Nata and Ninne Kori in Gowla--have any of the forumites heard the last 2 varnams and if so who has sung them?).

@Ramasubramanian M.K , hearing this varNam for the first time! Here: https://youtu.be/pq_0fqDuVHs?t=46