Alathur Venkatesa Iyer
Encyclopedia
Alathur Venkatesa Iyer was a teacher of Carnatic music
. Venkatesa Iyer practised Carnatic music in the style of the composer Tyagaraja
. Venkatesa Iyer later developed a unique style that is known as the "Alathur style" of rendering kriti
s. Venkatesa Iyer was also accomplished in playing the harmonium
.
Iyer gave the world of Carnatic music its star duo of the 20th century, the Alathur Brothers
. This duo consisted of his son, Sivasubramania Iyer, and another student, Srinivasa Iyer of Aangarai near Tanjore. Following the grand tradition set by their guru, the duo excelled in the authentic version of Carnatic music bringing together its technicalities to develop a taste for this patantara in the audience, both the experts and the laymen, alike. Venkatesa Iyer accompanied the Alathur Brothers on the harmonium in their first concert, which was held in 1928 at the Tyagaraja Aradhana at Tiruvaiyaru. Veteran mridangam exponent Pudukottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai
accompanied them on the mridangam on that occasion.
Venkatesa Iyer was a Baktha of Saint Tyagaraja and popularized his krithis in large numbers.
Venkatesa Iyer was also a great admirer of Muthuswamy Dikshitar's compositions and he constructed a memorial for the great composer in Tiruvarur
where Dikshitar's house had stood.
Venkatesa Iyer was instrumental in bringing out a large number of krithis of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal of Travancore. He shined and polished rare compositions of great composers like Meesu Krishna Iyer of the preceding century. He brought such compositions out on the concert platform through the Alathur Brothers.
Iyer's name is associated with acts such as Kancheepuram Naina Pillai, Konerirajapuram Vaidyantha Iyer, Pudukottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai and Pazhani Muthiah Pillai, all giants of an earlier era in Carnatic music. He sought out the nuances of their music and taught them to his students. The effect of such a training is evident in the music of the Alathur Brothers. A strict disciplinarian and an unflinching traditionalist, he taught students such Sarojini Sundaresan, Trichy J. Venkatraman, Chengelput Ranganathan, Clarinet A. K. C. Natarajan, who though numbering few, have in good stead been the torch bearers of the Alathur style.
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
. Venkatesa Iyer practised Carnatic music in the style of the composer Tyagaraja
Tyagaraja
Kakarla Tyagabrahmam , colloquially known as Tyāgarājar and Tyagayya was one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music or classical South Indian music. He, along with his contemporaries Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastry, forms the Trinity of Carnatic music...
. Venkatesa Iyer later developed a unique style that is known as the "Alathur style" of rendering kriti
Kriti
-Structure:Kritis typically contain three parts#Pallavi. This is the equivalent of a refrain in Western music.#Anupallavi. The second verse, which is sometimes optional....
s. Venkatesa Iyer was also accomplished in playing the harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
.
Iyer gave the world of Carnatic music its star duo of the 20th century, the Alathur Brothers
Alathur Brothers
Alathur Brothers Srinivasa Iyer & Sivasubramania Iyer were Carnatic vocalists. The world of Carnatic music knows them as the star duo of the twentieth century....
. This duo consisted of his son, Sivasubramania Iyer, and another student, Srinivasa Iyer of Aangarai near Tanjore. Following the grand tradition set by their guru, the duo excelled in the authentic version of Carnatic music bringing together its technicalities to develop a taste for this patantara in the audience, both the experts and the laymen, alike. Venkatesa Iyer accompanied the Alathur Brothers on the harmonium in their first concert, which was held in 1928 at the Tyagaraja Aradhana at Tiruvaiyaru. Veteran mridangam exponent Pudukottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai
Dakshinamurthy Pillai
Dakshinamurthy Pillai lived during 1875 to 1937. Apart from Khanjira he was also a renowned mrudhanga vidhwan. His learnt his lessons from Pudukottai Mavudia Pillai. He was influenced by the concerts of Thanjavur Krishna Bhagavathar , Thanjavur Pakkari and Narayana Pai. He was ardent devotee of...
accompanied them on the mridangam on that occasion.
Venkatesa Iyer was a Baktha of Saint Tyagaraja and popularized his krithis in large numbers.
Venkatesa Iyer was also a great admirer of Muthuswamy Dikshitar's compositions and he constructed a memorial for the great composer in Tiruvarur
Tiruvarur
Tiruvarur is a town and a municipality in Tiruvarur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Tiruvarur is the administrative headquarters of Tiruvarur district. Tiruvarur is one of the oldest towns which has been popular as cultural head quarters for many centuries...
where Dikshitar's house had stood.
Venkatesa Iyer was instrumental in bringing out a large number of krithis of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal of Travancore. He shined and polished rare compositions of great composers like Meesu Krishna Iyer of the preceding century. He brought such compositions out on the concert platform through the Alathur Brothers.
Iyer's name is associated with acts such as Kancheepuram Naina Pillai, Konerirajapuram Vaidyantha Iyer, Pudukottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai and Pazhani Muthiah Pillai, all giants of an earlier era in Carnatic music. He sought out the nuances of their music and taught them to his students. The effect of such a training is evident in the music of the Alathur Brothers. A strict disciplinarian and an unflinching traditionalist, he taught students such Sarojini Sundaresan, Trichy J. Venkatraman, Chengelput Ranganathan, Clarinet A. K. C. Natarajan, who though numbering few, have in good stead been the torch bearers of the Alathur style.