Musicians of The Kingdom of Mysore - King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV (1884 - 1940)

1940)

This period, as during the time of the predecessor king, was an important era of music in Mysore, especially for Kannada compositions. The King himself was educated in Kannada, English, Sanskrit, the sciences and was knowledgeable in Tamil and Urdu as well. He was well versed in playing musical instruments including the veena, violin, mridangam, nagaswara, sitar, and harmonium as well as Western instruments such as the saxophone and piano. He encouraged his musicians to compose in the Carnatic, Hindustani and Western styles. During this period, Veena Subramanya Iyer wrote an important treatise on music in Kannada, dealing with both its theoretical and practical aspects, called Sangeeta Samayasara which was published in 1915. A very influential musician, academic and composer of this period was Harikeshanallur Dr. L. Muthiah Bhagavatar. A native of Tirunalveli (in modern Tamil Nadu), he was a scholar in Sanskrit and was trained in music by Samabasiva Iyer in Tiruvayyar. He was appointed court musician at Mysore in 1927 and was honoured by kings and notables alike. He was given the title "Gayaka Shikamani" by his patron King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. To this famous musician are credited one hundred and eight Chamundeswari kritis in Kannada, one hundred and eight Shivashtottara compositions in Sanskrit, an important treatise on music in Tamil called the "Sangeeta Kalpadrumam", and a biography in Sanskrit on the life, achievements and contributions of Tyagaraja to Carnatic music called Srimat Tyagaraja Vijaya. He wrote a total of over four hundred compositions in all, in Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil under the pen name "Harikesha" and started the "Tyagaraja Sangeeta Vidyalaya" ("Tyagaraja School of Music") in 1920. For his accomplishments, he was given the title of "Sangeeta Kalanidhi" by the Madras Music Academy and received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Travencore. Muthiah Bhagavatar died in Mysore in 1945 and is considered one of the most important composers of the post- Tyagaraja period.

Veena Shivaramiah was the son of the Mysore musician Veena Padmanabiah (of Chikkanayakanahalli taluk, Karnataka). Shivaramiah learnt to play the veena from his father and later from Mysore Karigiri Rao and Mysore Vasudevacharya and was appointed court musician in 1900 by King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. His one hundred Carnatic compositions are in Telugu, Kannada and Sanskrit, while his Western musical compositions are in English. King Jayachamaraja Wodeyar gave him the title "Vainika Praveena" in 1941. Shivaramiah was also a Kannada writer and co-authored works with such well known Kannada scholars as Devottama Jois, Anavatti Rama Rao and Krishna Shastry. Veena Venkatagiriappa, a native of Heggadadevanakote (in modern Mysore district) and a student of Veena Sheshanna, became a court musician under unusual circumstances. At the end of the very first concert that Venkatagiriappa gave in the king's presence, the king merely gave him a gift of two Indian rupees and left the concert. The musician and his family were disappointed at the king's response. Later the king learnt from one of his attendants that the musician and his family had taken the gift graciously. The king, who had been testing the musician's attitude to music, was pleased and appointed Venkatagiriappa court musician. Over the years, the king gave Venkatagiriappa more responsibility in the functioning of various schools of fine arts in his kingdom. Venkatagiriappa played the veena for fifteen minutes in a well-known documentary movie called "Musical Instruments of India" in 1935. He was given the title "Vainika Praveena". His compositions are in Kannada, Telugu and Sanskrit, and he is credited with having created a new kind of Carnatic composition called nagma, which resemble the gats of Hindustani music.

Belakawadi Srinivasa Iyengar, whose birth name was Kuppaswamy Iyengar, was a native of Srigiripura near Shivaganga (in modern Tumkur district). He came to Mysore in 1912 and was trained in music by Bakshi Subbanna, a musician in the court of King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. Srinivasa Iyengar was later appointed a court musician. He was an expert in the gotuvadya and the violin. He was given the title "Mysurina Madhurayi Pushpavanam" by the famous vocalist Subramanya Iyer. Srinivasa Iyengar was a noted dramatist and acted in such well known dramas as Babruvahana, Rama pattabhisheka, Veera simha charitre, Abhignana shakuntala, Virata charitre, and Sudhanva charitre. Unfortunately, very few of his compositions, which written under the pen name "Srinivasa", are available today. It was Srinivasa Iyengar who popularised Purandara Dasa's Kannada song Jagadoddharana by composing its notation. Chikka Rama Rao, a native of Kurudi (in modern Kolar district) was trained under Mysore Karigiri Rao. He was proficient in both the Kannada and Sanskrit languages, and among musical instruments, in the veena, glass tarang and jalatarang. He gained expertise in Western music as well. He is known to have had the gift of playing the veena while singing in a melodious voice. His talent was noticed by the "Raj mata" (queen mother) who brought this to the attention of the king. After listening to him perform, the king appointed him court musician in 1914. Along with Srinivasa Iyengar, Chikka Rama Rao acted in many dramas of the day and was honoured by King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV with the title "Sangeeta Ratna" (literally, "gem of music") and "pandit" by Hindustani music aces Abdul Karim Khan and Bhaskara Bhuva. To his credit are many compositions in Kannada, Sanskrit and Telugu.

T. Chowdiah, a towering personality in the field of Carnatic music, was born on January 1, 1894 in Tirumakudalu Narasipura (or T. Narasipura, near Mysore). At the age of seven, he received training from Pakkanna and later under T. Subbanna. At the age of sixteen, he was tutored by Bidaram Krishnappa for eighteen years at the end of which Chowdiah emerged as an accomplished violinist. The ambidextrous Chowdiah is known to have played music with all the famous musicians of his day. In 1939, he was appointed court musician by King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV and received such titles as "Sangeeta Ratna", "Sangeeta Kalanidhi" and "Ganakala Sindhu". He is credited with many compositions in Kannada, Telugu and Sanskrit under the pen name "Trimakuta" (the Sanskrit name for his home town). Dr. B. Devedrappa, a native of Ayanoor in Shivamogga district, was well versed in playing the veena, violin, jalatarang and dilruba. He was a student of the famous Veena Sheshanna and also of Bidaram Krishnappa. He was proficient at the harmonium, flute, ghatam and sitar. He was appointed as a jalatarang player in the court of King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV and served the palace orchestra as a vocalist and violinist. The titles "Gana Visharada" and "Sangeeta Kalaratna" were bestowed upon him by the king. Later, in 1972, an honorary doctorate was awarded to him. Other famous musicians in the court were Gotuvadyam Narayana Iyengar of Tirunaveli (Tamil Nadu), Tiruvayyar Subramanya Iyer, and Anavatti Rama Rao of Anavatti (in Shivamogga district) who was a scholar, poet and dramatist. The credit of translating many of Tyagaraja's compositions into Kannada goes to him.