Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer
Encyclopedia
Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer (1896–1970) was one of the great India
n Carnatic
vocalists. He won several awards including Sangeetha Kalanidhi
and Sangeetha Bhupathy.
He was trained initially by Umayalpuram Swaminatha Iyer, a direct disciple of Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer
. Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer had learnt from a direct disciple of Tyagaraja
and thus Viswanatha Iyer represents the fifth generation of the Tyagaraja School. Young Viswanathan also learnt from Thanjavur Rangappa Iyer, a ghatam exponent.
elaboration in great detail. The raga alapana
of Mohanam
was one of his specialties. His has been hailed as the success of 'kalpana sangeetha', music rich with imagination in raga elaboration and swara singing, a specialty of his.
He had several prominent disciples including Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer
, Mannargudi Sambasiva Bhagavatar, and his own son Maharajapuram Santhanam
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Carnatic
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...
vocalists. He won several awards including Sangeetha Kalanidhi
Sangeetha Kalanidhi
Sangeetha Kalanidhi or Sangita Kalanidhi is the title awarded yearly to an expert Carnatic Musician by the Madras Music Academy. This honour is considered one of the highest awards in Carnatic music.-----Sangeetha Kalanidhis:-External links:*...
and Sangeetha Bhupathy.
Early life and background
Viswanatha Iyer was born in Chennai to Rama Iyer, a singer.He was trained initially by Umayalpuram Swaminatha Iyer, a direct disciple of Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer
Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer
Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan was a composer of Carnatic music. He was a great exponent of extemporaneous singing. He also composed a ragamalika with all the 72 melakartha ragas....
. Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer had learnt from a direct disciple of 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...
and thus Viswanatha Iyer represents the fifth generation of the Tyagaraja School. Young Viswanathan also learnt from Thanjavur Rangappa Iyer, a ghatam exponent.
Singing career
A unique feature about his music was his great success in ragaRaga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
elaboration in great detail. The raga alapana
Alapana
Alapana is a form of melodic improvisation that introduces and develops a raga in Indian classical music. As a term that is Sanskrit in language, alapana means "to speak, address, discourse, communicate". The flavor of the raga is outlined in the alapana by rendering the raga's permitted notes in...
of Mohanam
Mohanam
Mohanam is a rāgam in Carnatic music . It is an audava rāgam . It is a janya rāgam , as it does not have all the seven swaras .The equivalent of Mohanam in Hindustani music is Bhoop Mohanam is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is an audava rāgam (or...
was one of his specialties. His has been hailed as the success of 'kalpana sangeetha', music rich with imagination in raga elaboration and swara singing, a specialty of his.
He had several prominent disciples including Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer
Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer
Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer is considered to be one of the greatest Carnatic vocalists of the twentieth century...
, Mannargudi Sambasiva Bhagavatar, and his own son Maharajapuram Santhanam
Maharajapuram Santhanam
Sangeetha Kalanidhi Maharajapuram Santhanam , was one of the great Carnatic music vocalists of the 20th century. He was born in Sirunangur, a village in the state of Tamil Nadu. He followed the footsteps of his father Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer who was also a Carnatic singer.- Profile :Besides...
.