Post by Amritha Varshini on Nov 28, 2014 6:50:35 GMT 5.5
SUBBARAMA DIKSHITAR
Ettayapuram has played an important role in the cultural renaissance of South India. The Rajahs of Ettayapuram had been ardent patrons of Sanskrit and Tamil scholars, poets and of musicians and composers. Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the music trinity of South India, spent his last years at Ettayapuram Court and passed away in Ettayapuram in 1835. His youngest brother, Baluswami Dikshitar, became the “Asthana Vidvan” of Ettayapuram Court.
Baluswami Dikshitar had a daughter named Annapurani, who was married to Sivarama Iyer of Tiruvarur and Subbarama Dikshitar was their second son, born at Tiruvarur in 1839. Baluswami Dikshitar adopted Subbarama Dikshitar as his son and gave him intensive training in music and particularly on Veena.
Subbrama Dikshitar had a son named Ambi Dikshitar, who was a Veena Vidvan. Rama Iyer of Thanjavur was Subbarama Dikshitar’s Guru. Subbarama Dikshitar learnt Telugu and music from him. The “Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini” itself contains all the original compositions, namely, Varnas, Kritis and Ragamalikas of Subbarama Dikshitar. Besides this, he wrote and compiled for beginners an introductory work in about 230 pages called the “Prathama Abhyasapustaka”, “Swaras” and “Valli Paratham”, a Tamil Drama, were also written by
Subbarama Dikshitar.
Oriental Music in European Notation
He spent four years in Madras with A.M. Chinnaswami Mudaliar who was then Superintendent of the Madras Secretariat and taught him the science and art of Carnatic Music. Sri Dikshitar spent the bulk of his life at Ettayapuram as Asthana Vidvan. Chinnaswami Mudaliar, who was a lover of Carnatic Music wanted to bring to light and publish in a scientific form the entire literature on the theoretical and practical sides of South Indian music. He had learnt Western Music and decided to harness its methods of preservation for preservating the indigenous art, for he considered, “The merits of Oriental music will never be properly recognized until its best compositions are reduced to the most popular form of European notation. One great advantage to be derived by adopting this course is that Oriental music will be placed permanently before the eyes of the whole world, instead of being addressed in a transitory form, as at present, to the ears of a few listeners; in other words, it will become universal and will no longer remain exclusive.”
It was according to him, “a matter of paramount importance to devise some simple expediency whereby the European may be initiated into the secrets and mysteries of the indigenous art and the Indian enabled to grasp the system of European notations” and towards the realisation of this tremendous task, he sought the help of Subbarama Dikshitar, an immediate successor to the great composer, Muthuswami Dikshitar.
Sampradaya Pradarsini
In 1899 Chinnaswami Mudaliar visited Ettayapuram and suggested to the Rajah that the Samasthanam bring to light the entire treasures of Carnatic music with the help of “Asthana Vidwan” Subbarama Dikshitar. The Rajah of Ettayapuram acceded to the request and Subbarama Dikshitar came forward to put down in writing everything that he knew. He worked for more than four years and the printing of his great work “Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini”, commenced towards the end of December, 1901 at the Vidya Vilasini Press of the Samasthanam.
The book was published in 1904 under the authority of K. Jaganatha Chettiar, Secretary of the Ettayapuram Samasthanam. It runs to two volumes, covering about 1700 pages. It comprises 76 biographies of eminent persons in the world of music from the time of Sarangadeva with two sections devoted to the science of music. The book reveals Dikshitar’s great learning and knowledge of music literature. “Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini” has brought to light the entire treasures of the golden age of Carnatic music. Subbarama Dikshitar passed away on 25th November, 1906 but ‘Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini” stands as Subbarama Dikshitar’s monumental service to Carnatic Music.
Ettayapuram has played an important role in the cultural renaissance of South India. The Rajahs of Ettayapuram had been ardent patrons of Sanskrit and Tamil scholars, poets and of musicians and composers. Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the music trinity of South India, spent his last years at Ettayapuram Court and passed away in Ettayapuram in 1835. His youngest brother, Baluswami Dikshitar, became the “Asthana Vidvan” of Ettayapuram Court.
Baluswami Dikshitar had a daughter named Annapurani, who was married to Sivarama Iyer of Tiruvarur and Subbarama Dikshitar was their second son, born at Tiruvarur in 1839. Baluswami Dikshitar adopted Subbarama Dikshitar as his son and gave him intensive training in music and particularly on Veena.
Subbrama Dikshitar had a son named Ambi Dikshitar, who was a Veena Vidvan. Rama Iyer of Thanjavur was Subbarama Dikshitar’s Guru. Subbarama Dikshitar learnt Telugu and music from him. The “Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini” itself contains all the original compositions, namely, Varnas, Kritis and Ragamalikas of Subbarama Dikshitar. Besides this, he wrote and compiled for beginners an introductory work in about 230 pages called the “Prathama Abhyasapustaka”, “Swaras” and “Valli Paratham”, a Tamil Drama, were also written by
Subbarama Dikshitar.
Oriental Music in European Notation
He spent four years in Madras with A.M. Chinnaswami Mudaliar who was then Superintendent of the Madras Secretariat and taught him the science and art of Carnatic Music. Sri Dikshitar spent the bulk of his life at Ettayapuram as Asthana Vidvan. Chinnaswami Mudaliar, who was a lover of Carnatic Music wanted to bring to light and publish in a scientific form the entire literature on the theoretical and practical sides of South Indian music. He had learnt Western Music and decided to harness its methods of preservation for preservating the indigenous art, for he considered, “The merits of Oriental music will never be properly recognized until its best compositions are reduced to the most popular form of European notation. One great advantage to be derived by adopting this course is that Oriental music will be placed permanently before the eyes of the whole world, instead of being addressed in a transitory form, as at present, to the ears of a few listeners; in other words, it will become universal and will no longer remain exclusive.”
It was according to him, “a matter of paramount importance to devise some simple expediency whereby the European may be initiated into the secrets and mysteries of the indigenous art and the Indian enabled to grasp the system of European notations” and towards the realisation of this tremendous task, he sought the help of Subbarama Dikshitar, an immediate successor to the great composer, Muthuswami Dikshitar.
Sampradaya Pradarsini
In 1899 Chinnaswami Mudaliar visited Ettayapuram and suggested to the Rajah that the Samasthanam bring to light the entire treasures of Carnatic music with the help of “Asthana Vidwan” Subbarama Dikshitar. The Rajah of Ettayapuram acceded to the request and Subbarama Dikshitar came forward to put down in writing everything that he knew. He worked for more than four years and the printing of his great work “Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini”, commenced towards the end of December, 1901 at the Vidya Vilasini Press of the Samasthanam.
The book was published in 1904 under the authority of K. Jaganatha Chettiar, Secretary of the Ettayapuram Samasthanam. It runs to two volumes, covering about 1700 pages. It comprises 76 biographies of eminent persons in the world of music from the time of Sarangadeva with two sections devoted to the science of music. The book reveals Dikshitar’s great learning and knowledge of music literature. “Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini” has brought to light the entire treasures of the golden age of Carnatic music. Subbarama Dikshitar passed away on 25th November, 1906 but ‘Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini” stands as Subbarama Dikshitar’s monumental service to Carnatic Music.
Article by Ettayapuram Rajamony
Courtesy - From The Hindu Article dated 21.12.1969
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