From: srini@engin.umich.edu (Srinivasan Pichumani)
Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.classical
Subject: Re: Bringing Appreciation of MDR to the conscious level
Date: 23 Jul 92 22:18:53 GMT
Article-I.D.: engin.GFS-Gs
Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor

In article <1992Jul23.151736.14043@athena.mit.edu> krish@athena.mit.edu (Viswanathan Krishnan) writes:
>1. Who is MDR's guru/ Which school did he belong to?
>2. Does MDR have any disciples? Did he compose any songs?
>3. Was he a professional musician? Or was music just his avocation?
>

MDR had completed his initial music training and studies (he had a B.Sc 
in Engg Science) before he joined KalAkshetra at Madras for the 
"shiromaNI" (?) course; the title is awarded after an intensive study.
When he auditioned for admission to the degree in the 40s, 
Tiger VaradAchariar was one among the judges. He was impressed by MDR's 
voice and musical talents and took him as his disciple (apparently, 
Rukmini Devi or some other judge had observed that MDR's voice lacked 
clarity; Tiger anyway made his decision and that was final).
For about 15 years or so, MDR was Tiger's disciple; and he imbibed
all the best qualities of Tiger's style -- the foremost of which was 
singing true to one's own self and to one's own satisfaction. Another key 
aspect of this style was its emphasis on vilamba kAlam (slow tempo).
Only senior mrdangists like TVG, Sivaraman, Ramabhadran etc could
accompany MDR well in his ultra-slow tempo music. 
                
Other giants like the composers Mysore VAsudevAchAr & PApanAsam Sivan, 
vainikas like KAraikudi SAmbasiva Iyer, were associated with KalAkshetra 
when MDR was a student there. The non-strident nature of such people's
music, their intense devotionalism, and bhAva-oriented music, and their
lack of concern for mass popularity in the pursuit of their musical ideals,
must have had a lasting effect on someone like MDR; his style 
definitely showed it.

[of course, wrt vilamba kAlam and bhAva-oriented singing, there were others
like Musiri Subrahmania Iyer too who were very famous; in fact, of the
previous generation (1890s-1960s), Musiri was most famous for these qualities;
and was apparently a terror to many accompanists because of his preference 
for the slow/ultra-slow kAla pramANam or tempo. One has to listen only to
his rendition of a kriti like "samukhAna nilva" to understand this]

[Also, MDR was not all slow-tempo; I have heard him rendering a blistering
pace "JagadAnanda kAraka" in NAttai, and a similar "heccharigaga rArA" in
yadukulakAmbhoji, of all kritis. It was his way of lightening up the mood!]

In addition to these stylistic traits, MDR's bass voice also added quite a 
bit of charm to his music. His voice kept sinking over the years, from a
low pitch to begin with, to the depths. 

MDR was a professional musician and a teacher/principal of the music
department at KalAskhetra all his life. I don't know the names of his 
disciples. He did compose quite a few varnams, kritis, tillAnas etc (about 300
or so is the number I have seen mentioned); he used the mudra "varadadAsa(n)".

The broadcast of his music on AIR in the morning 7-7.15am slot was 
something I always looked forward to. They would play 2 songs -- 
"paripAlaya paripAlaya paripAlaya raghunAtha" in rItigoula and "rAma rAma
rAma rAma" in nIlAmbari. The first one is a TyAgarAja kriti belonging to
the utsava sampradAya genre; a beautiful one in which the composer 
describes his own body as the residence of the Lord, and describes the
pUja vidhis (the worship rules/rituals) one by one.

>Also, just curious, why was MDR not awarded the sangitha kalanidhi in
>his life time?

Strange are the ways of men! That is my answer.
Actually the list of musical greats who are non-Sangita Kalanidhis -- 
RAjaratnam Pillai, MAli, MDR, BAlachander, Lalgudi JayarAman etc --
is slowly increasing to the point where the award might lose its prestige.

What happened was that after 1981, when violinist T.N.Krishnan
blatantly canvassed the Experts committee of the Music Academy for the 
title, the Music Academy Awards committee instituted a somewhat quixotic rule 
-- that one from each of the Southern States will be awarded the title in 
succession (I guess, regardless of their overall merit, seniority, & service 
to the cause of Carnatic music); and the awardee, I think, was to be
chosen by ballot, with all the members of the Music Academy participating.
MDR was in contention for the award in the 83-84 season; however,
he was overlooked and the award went to Sripada PinAkapANI [the guru
of NedanUrI, Voleti, NUkala Chinna SatyanArAyaNa etc]; and MDR passed away
in May 1984.

--Srini.
Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.classical