Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Mysore Vasudevacharya - (1865-1961) Biography and Complete Works


Biography


Mysore Vasudevachar is perhaps the most important carntic composer of the 20th century


Vasudevachar was born in Mysore on 28th May, 1965. He was trained in Sanskrit by his maternal grand father after the early demise of his father. His intial musical training was from Veena Padmanabhayya of Mysore, but his musical lineage can be traced to Saint Tyagaraja through Manambuchavadi Venkatasubbayyar and Patnam Subramania Iyer. As a teenager, his fame reached the Maharaja of Mysore, who had him sent to Tiruvayyar to learn music under Patnam Subramanya Iyer. He learned music there and then returned to Mysore and was appointed astaana vidwan athe royal court. Towards the end of his life, he was invited by Rukmini Arundale to teach at Kalakshetra and came to Madras. Eventually he became the principal of the school of arts. His contemporaries at Kalakshetra included Tiger Varadachariar, Veena Krishnamachariar and Mazhavaraya-nendal Subbarama Bhagavatar.
He has more than 200 compositionsand published 150 himself, and now 140 are included in a set a set of 21 cassettes. His compositions include pada varnams, taana varnams, kritis, javalis, tillanas and ragamalikas, and he composed in both chaste Telugu and Sanskrit. He used common ragas and popularized ragas like abheri, behaag, and khamas (using kaakali Ni unlike Tyagaraja) with his famous compositions, but he also used unusual ragas like megharanjani, sunaadavinodini, pushpalatika, and sudda saalavi. His compositions were set in various talas. He is well known for the citta swaras he composed for his kritis. Mr.Ashok Madhav relates:
Around 1930's, Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer rendered Vasudevacharya's kriti- 'Brochevarevarura' in Khamas with much polish in his concert. Vasudevacharya, who happened to be at the concert remarked to Vishwanatha Iyer "My composition like a simple girl was metamorphosed into a beautiful damsel. That is how well you beautified the composition with your embellishments". After a long and fruitful life he breathed his last in 17th May, 1961 at the age of 96.


Genre Carnatic: Krithi, Varna


Languages used: Telugu, Sanskrit, Kannada


Mudra: Vasudeva


Compositions:


Abhimanamutho Shanmukhapriya Triputa Krithi


Bala gopalam Bhairavi Adi Krithi


Bhaja manasa Mandari Misra Chapu Krithi


Bhaja manasa Saraswati Sankarabharanam Adi Krithi


Bhajana Seyarada Dharmavathi Rupaka Krithi


Bhajare re manasa Abheri Adi Krithi


Bhavayacham Hindusthani Behag Adi Krithi


Bhavayachyutham Purvikalyani Adi Krithi


Brocheva re varura Khamas Adi Krithi


Brovarada Sri Varunapriya Adi Krithi


Chintayesham Mayamalavagaula Rupaka Krithi


Dayaleka brathiki Sriranjini Adi Krithi


Dayalelemi Rama Simhendramadhyamam Adi Krithi


Deavaki Tanaya Vasudeva Pushpalatika Rupaka Krithi


Devadi deva Sunadavinodini Adi Krithi


Devi Rammame Vasantha Adi Krithi


Devikamalalaye Garudadhwani Adi Krithi


Enda nirdaya Latangi Triputa Krithi


Enta ninne varnimte Nattakurinji Triputa Krithi


Girija Ramana Gambhiranatta Adi Krithi


Guru Raghavendran Kambhoji Adi Krithi


Gurukripaleka Pushpalatika Rupaka Krithi


Hare paripahi Kedaram Adi Krithi


Idi niku nyayama Gamanasrama Misra Chapu Krithi


Idi Samayamu Natakapriya Rupaka Krithi


Indraparakelanayya Khamas Rupaka Krithi


Janardhanam Chakravakam Triputa Krithi


Kailasapathe Mecha Kalyani Adi Krithi


Kalaye Mama hridaye Hindustani Kapi Triputa Krithi


Kalinaruluku ni Mayamalavagaula Adi Krithi


Kanikaramuto Mecha Kalyani Adi Krithi


Karunapayonidhe Surutti Adi Krithi


Karunichi nannu Navarasa Kannada Rupaka Krithi


Karuninchu brovarada Bangala Adi Krithi


Kripathonu nannu Harikamboji Adi Krithi


Kurume kusulam Kamalamanohari Adi Krithi


Lambodaram Kambhoji Rupaka Krithi


Mahatmule ne telliya Rishabhapriya Adi Krithi


Mama hridaye Ritigaula Adi Krithi


Mamava mridajaye Vasantha Adi Krithi


Mamavasu Govinda Sama Rupaka Krithi


Manasa vachasa Begada Adi Krithi


Marachithivemo nannu Purvikalyani Rupaka Krithi


Marimari ahambahye Kambhoji Adi Krithi


Na chai vidaivakura Nattakurinji Rupaka Krithi


Namami vidyathnakara Dhanyasi Adi Krithi


Namosthuthe Mecha Kalyani Adi Krithi


Nannu brova pada Madhyamavathi Adi Krithi


Narayanam namata HanumaThodi Adi Krithi


Neekabhimanamu Kokilapriya Adi Krithi


Neekenduku dayaradu Simhendramadhyamam Adi Krithi


Nera mammithi Chakravakam Adi Krithi


Ni padamule Sarasangi Adi Krithi


Ni padamulu Nayaki Triputa Krithi


Nikeladayaradhu Kathanakuthuhalam Adi Krithi


Nimishamaina Srirama Sama Adi Krithi


Ninne nammithi Simhendramadhyamam Misra Chapu Krithi


Ninne nera nammini Bhairavi Rupaka Krithi


Ninne Saranamathi Dhenuka Adi Krithi


Ninnu nammuthu Nattakurinji Adi Krithi


Ninnu vinanannu Bhairavi Rupaka Krithi


Nive gatiyani Mecha Kalyani Adi Krithi


Pahi Krishna Hindusthani Behag Rupaka Krithi


Palayasu Padmanabha Hamsadhwani Rupaka Krithi


Palita bhuvana Bahudari Adi Krithi


Palu kavemina Devamanohari Adi Krithi


Para kelanayya Sama Adi Krithi


Paratpara Raghuvira HanumaThodi Adi Krithi


Pari pahi mam Dhanyasi Adi Krithi


Pari pahi mam Subhapanthuvarali Adi Krithi


Paripahi mam Kannada Adi Krithi


Paripahi mam Ramapriya Adi Krithi


Paripahimam Jaganmohini Adi Krithi


Parulanu vedine Nagasvaravali Adi Krithi


Pranamamayaham Gaula Adi Krithi


Pranamamyaham Ranjini Triputa Krithi


Pranamathasri Kaanada Adi Krithi


Pranatharthihara Chenchurutti Khanda Triputa Krithi


Prnamami Sri Keeravani Adi Krithi


Purushothama mam palava Saveri Adi Krithi


Rama nidaya Bhairavi Rupaka Krithi


Ramabhirama Madhyamavathi Adi Krithi


Ramam namamai Vakulabharanam Adi Krithi


Rara rajivalochana Mohana Adi Krithi


Rarayanipilichithe Kharaharapriya Adi Krithi


Samarakshana mam palaya Abhogi Rupaka Krithi


Sarada pahi mam Yadukulakambhoji Adi Krithi


Sive pahi Surutti Triputa Krithi


Sri Chamundeswari Bilahari Adi Krithi


Sri Harivallabha Udayaravichandrika Adi Krithi


Sri Mahalakshmi Paras Adi Krithi


Sri Purandara guruvaram Saraswati Manohari Adi Krithi


Sri Ramachandram Jhalavarali Adi Krithi


Sri Saraswathim Ataana Jhampa Krithi


Sri Vasudevasrikantha Devagandhari Rupaka Krithi


Srikarapahi Jayantasri Rupaka Krithi


Srikesava mam palaya Bhairavi Rupaka Krithi


Srivasudeva Ramapriya Rupaka Krithi


Taramu gadura Sahana Adi Krithi


Uramululosagi Sudha Saveri Adi Krithi


Vamanam anisam Nayaki Adi Krithi


Vanajakshi ninne Mandari Adi Krithi


Vande anisham Hamsadhwani Adi Krithi


Varalakshmi Gaurimanohari Rupaka Krithi


Vasudevam anaisham Kaanada Triputa Krithi


Venkateswara Yadava Megharanjini Adi Krithi


Mecha Kalyani Adi Tillana



Ragamalikas:


Asidhvi pravaraha kaschit muttusvami - Ragamalika/Adi


Asidhvi pravaraha kaschit shyama - Ragamalika/Adi


Ati vimala sugatram - Ragamalika/Tishra Dhruva


Omkara panjara - Ragamalika/Adi Shankara guruvara - ragamalika/Adi


Shri madhyadukula - Ragamalika/Mishra Mathya


Shri rama lakshmanaviva - Ragamalika/Adi


Shri ramachandra pada - Ragamalika/Adi


Shripatim brahma rudradi - Ragamalika/Adi

7 comments:

Raja said...

Acharya Vasudevachar's father Subramanyachar was a Asthan Puranic in the court of Mummadi Krishna Raja Wodeyar. But he died just before the death of the Maharaja in 1868. As Karthik has said his maternal grand father Gopalachar took the young boy of three years under his care and approached Mr.Rangacharlu ( Later Diwan) who was in charge of the Palace then to get some pension. He literally fought with Rangacharlu and succeeded in getting some pension. He was studying Sanskrit at Maharaja's Sanskrit College at Mysore and was also learning music on the sly ( as his Grand father was against) from Subbaraya and Veena Padmanabhayya. One day he had the privilge of hearing Patnam Subramanya Iyer and Mahavaidyanatha Iyer at his college. Deeply impressed by Patnam Subramaya Iyer, Young Vasudevachar made up his mind to pursue his learning under him with the help of Palace. Knowing that Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar used to visit Chamundi Hill on every Tuesday and Friday, he started waiting for him for many days and one day took courage to request the Maharaja for help. Maharaja asked him to report to the Palace from the next day. He was given the responsibility of teaching the Royal children. After nearly an year Maharaja ultimately agreed to send him the Patnam subramanya Iyer with a personal letter and free scholarship. The rest as they say is History.

But to say his fame took him to the Palace is wrong.

N Murthy said...

Year of birth of Acharya is wrongly mentioned as 1965. Pl correct this typo.

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr. Karthik,

Mysore has produced great composers and muscians. And presently the great violinist Dr. Manjunath and Nagaraj of your clan.

Unknown said...

Dear Mr Karthik

I need info on Mys. Vasudevachar's rare sanskrit compositions.

Could you please help? Please give me your e-mail id.

Thank you

Unknown said...

Dear Mr Karthik

I need info on Mys. Vasudevachar's rare sanskrit compositions.

Could you please help? Please give me your e-mail id.

Thank you

ப.கோபாலகிருஷ்ணன் (p.gopalakrishnan) said...

i need info on mys.vasudevachar's rare ragamalika's compositions. please help? me.

anandhu said...

I need notations on mys. Vasudevachar's varnams... Please help me.