Mysore Vasudevachar: Difference between revisions

| birth_place = [[Karnataka]],Kingdom [[Southof IndiaMysore]], India

'''Mysore Vasudevacharya''' (28 May 1865 – 17 May 1961) was an Indian musician and composer of Carnatic music compositions who belonged to the direct line of Thyagaraja's disciples. Vasudevachar's compositions (numbering over 200) were mostly in Telugu and Sanskrit. Some of his most popular kritis include ''[[Broche varevaru ra]]'' in [[Khamas (raga)|Khamas]] [[raga]], ''Devadideva'' in [[Sunadavinodini]], ''Mamavatu Sri Saraswati'' in [[Hindolam]], ''Shankari Ninne'' in [[Pantuvarali]], ''Bhajare Re Manasa'' in [[Abheri]] and ''Ra Ra Rajeevalochana Rama'' in [[Mohanam]].

<ref>{{cite book|last=Pranesh|first=Meera Rajaram|date=2003|title=Musical Composers during Wodeyar Dynasty (1638-1947 A.D.)|publisher=Vee Emm Publications|location=Bangalore|oclc=854725751}}</ref> He presided over Madras Music Academy's annual conference in 1935, when the [[Sangeetha Kalanidhi]] award did not exist. But everybody who presided over the annual conference in the 1930s was later conferred the award. He was a recipient of the civilian honour of the [[Padma Bhushan]].<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web | url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf | title=Padma Awards | website=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India | date=2015 | accessdateaccess-date=21 July 2015}}</ref>

S. Rajaram, his grandson, worked at Kalakshetra, eventually taking charge of the institution at Rukmini Devi's request. Vasudevachar had composed the music for only the first four kandas and it was left to Rajaram to finish the work. An accomplished musician and Sanskrit scholar, he was amongst the few musicians, the sole repository of Vasudevacharya's compositions. S. Krishnamurthy (1922–2015), his other grandson worked at [[All India Radio]] and translated his Vasudevachar's memoirs into English.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Govind|first1=Ranjani|title=Carnatic musician S. Krishnamurthy passes away|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/carnatic-musician-s-krishnamurthy-passes-away/article7952572.ece|website=The Hindu|accessdateaccess-date=21 April 2017|date=5 December 2015}}</ref> He has also published a memoir of his own.

He then went on to learn from the famous composer-musician [[Patnam Subramania Iyer]] supported by the Maharaja's generous stipend and imbibed the music of not only his Guru but also other great maestros of the Thanjavur-Cauvery delta. VasudevacharVasudevacharya eventually became the chief court musician (Asthana Vidwan) at the Mysore court. He was known for his madhyama-kala tanam singing which he learnt from his Guru. Patnam Subramania Iyer often requested his sishya "Vasu" to help him with the sahitya (lyric) aspects of his compositions. This aspect of his training undoubtedly helped Vasudevacharya as a composer. He was adept in all the aspects of Carnatic music especially RagaRagam Alapana,Thanam,PallaviAlapanam, NiravalTanam, Neraval and Kalpana swaramKalpanaswaram.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/04/11/stories/2008041151360100.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414210435/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/04/11/stories/2008041151360100.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 April 2008|title=A slice of musical history|work=The Hindu|date=11 April 2008|first=Aruna|work=[[The Hindu]]|last=Chandaraju}}</ref>

He published a large number of his compositions in the book ''Vasudeva Kirtana Manjari''. His compositions in Telugu have such sweetness and lilt, and beautifully blend with the tune of the raga as do the Sanskrit compositions, which are mellifluous. His songs reflect his mastery of Sanskrit and show his erudition and scholarship in Sanskrit literature. He considered his insight into Telugu as a gift from Thyagaraja (Thyagaraja's bhiksha). Unlike the Dasa kuta songs, his compositions don't have any Dvaita undertones but many have the words "Paramapurusha Vasudeva" or "Vasudeva" which means the supreme Vasudeva/Lord [[Vishnu]] which incidentally is also his mudra or signature.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/04/20/stories/09200708.htm|website=The Hindu|title=Magic of the Mysore musician|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031213225517/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/04/20/stories/09200708.htm|urlarchive-status=unfit|archivedatedate=13 December 2003|date=20 April 2001|first=Gowri|url-status=usurped|last=Ramnarayan}}</ref>

True to his Vaishnava heritage and the Thyagaraja shishya parampara to which he belonged, most of his compositions are in praise of Lord Rama. In addition to [[Kriti (music)|Kritis]]s and Keertanas, he also composed [[Varnam]]s, [[Thillana]]s, Javalis and [[Śloka|slokas]]. His admiration for the trinity of Carnatic music specially [[Thyagaraja]] resulted in ''Srimadadi Thyagaraja Guruvaram'' in [[Kalyani (rāga)|Kalyani]], ''Shri Ramachandra'' (a ragamalika) and two other ragamalikas in praise of [[Muthuswami Dikshitar]] and [[Shyama Sastri]]. Vasudevachar's compositions are thus like sugar candy which gives one instant pleasure and yet lingers on in the mind and heart long after.

<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/06/05/stories/2009060551220300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608135520/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/06/05/stories/2009060551220300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 June 2009|title=Rare composer|work=The Hindu|first=Gowri|last=Ramnarayan|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=5 June 2009}}</ref>

! ''Composition'' !! ''[[Raga]]'' !! ''[[Tala (music)|Tala]]'' !! ''Type'' !! ''Language'' !! ''Audio Links''

| ''Nannubrova rada'' || ''[[Madhyamavati]]'' || ''Adi'' || || ''[[Telugu language|Telugu]]'' ||

| ''Mama hrudaye'' || ''[[Reetigowla]]'' || ''Kanda Jati Tripura tala'' || || ''[[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]]'' ||

| ''Marachitive '' || ''Purvikalyani'' || ''Adi'' || || ''[[Telugu language|Telugu]]'' ||

| ''Bhajana Seyarada SriramuniPranamamyaham'' || ''[[DharmavatiGowla]]'' || ''RupakaAdi'' || || ''[[TeluguSanskrit language|TeluguSanskrit]]'' ||

| ''BrocheBhajana VarevaruSeyarada raSriramuni'' || ''[[Khamas (raga)Dharmavati]]'' || ''AdiRupaka'' || || ''[[Telugu language|Telugu]]'' ||

| '’Vanajaksha-'Broche Varevaru Varnamra'' || ''Mandari[[Khamas (raga)]]'' || ''Adi'' || || ''[[Telugu language|Telugu]]'' ||

| ''LambodaramavalambeVanajaksha- Varnam'' || ''[[Kambhoji]]Mandari'' || ''Tupamaros Adi'' || || ''[[Telugu language|Telugu]]'' ||

| ''Girija ramana natajana sharanaLambodaramavalambe'' || ''[[GambhiranataKambhoji]]'' || ''AdiTupamaros '' || || ''[[SanskritTelugu language|Telugu]]'' ||

| ''GokulaGirija Nilayaramana natajana sharana'' || ''[[AbheriGambhiranata]]'' || ''Adi'' || || ''[[Sanskrit]]'' ||

| ''MamavatuGokula sri sarasvatiNilaya'' || ''[[HindolamAbheri]]'' || ''Adi'' || || ''[[Sanskrit]]'' ||

''PriyaTM SistersKrishna''<ref>{{cite -web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnvGV7GtKlM''3fHEVqhre7o | title=- YouTube | website=[[YouTube]] }}<br/ref>

| ''MariMamavatu Marisri Vaccuna Manava Janmasarasvati'' || ''[[KambhojiHindolam]]'' || ''Adi'' || || ''[[Telugu language|TeluguSanskrit]]'' ||

| ''NikelaMari DayaMari RaduVaccuna RamachandraManava Janma'' || ''Kadana Kutuhalam[[Kambhoji]]'' || ''Adi'' || || ''[[Telugu language|Telugu]]'' ||

| ''NimishamainaNikela SriDaya RamayanaRadu RadaRamachandra'' || ''SamaKadana Kutuhalam'' || ''Adi'' || || ''[[Telugu language|Telugu]]'' ||

| ''Ninne NammitinayyaNimishamaina Sri RamaRamayana Rada'' || ''[[Simhendramadhyamam]]Sama'' || ''Misra chapuAdi'' || || ''[[Telugu language|Telugu]]'' ||

| ''RaNinne RaNammitinayya RajeevaSri LochanaRama'' || ''[[MohanamSimhendramadhyamam]]'' || ''AdiMisra chapu'' || || ''[[Telugu language|Telugu]]'' ||

| ''varaRa lakshmiRa namostuteRajeeva Lochana'' || ''[[GowrimanohariMohanam]]'' || ''RupakaAdi'' || || ''[[SanskritTelugu language|Telugu]]'' ||

| ''Srivara Chamundeshvarilakshmi namostute'' || ''[[BilahariGowrimanohari]]'' || ''AdiRupaka'' || || ''[[Sanskrit]]'' ||

| ''DeviSri KamalalayeChamundeshvari'' || ''[[GarudadhwaniBilahari]]'' || ''Adi'' || || ''[[Sanskrit]]'' ||