A Versatile Composer

REAR WINDOW K.C. THYAGARAJAN A versatile composer t came as a surprise to me to history in the feature programmes read that K.C. Thyagarajan, a they produced and aired frequently Imusic composer of rare merit, from the station. The Vallee Bharatam had composed all the songs of of Kadigai Namasivaya Pulavar, Meenakshi Vijayam in a single Kutrala Kuravanji of Tirikoota raga for Rukmini Devi, when she Rasappa Kavirayar, Rama Natakam requested him to compose it for a of Arunachala Kavi, Kumaran dance-drama. (Sruti 343, The Making – a compilation from several poets Thyagarajan of Meenakshi Vijayam by Gowri – were part of a long list. The Ramnarayan). Surely there must drama of these stories came alive dilruba, violins, and the majestic gait have been a communication chasm as aural feasts, as KCT (as he was of Misra Chapu played out on the between Thyagarajan and Rukmini popularly known) made the lyrics mridangam and khanjira. Bhavani Devi, for I have been fortunate to dance with his music and rhythm. vandanare hailed the chorus in the have seen and heard this man’s Around 1954, when he set to music top octave, while the gentle footfall creative genius in action on several Vallee Bharatam, he presented it for of the beautiful heroine Vasantavalli occasions. an invited audience at AIR-Tiruchi, was mirrored in a Kalyani that with Kumbakonam Bhanumathi seemed to glide like a swan He was a scholar in Tamil and performing the Khamas masterpiece ‘gm md dn nR RGGRS. A vivacious probably well versed in Sanskrit, swarajati Maa mohalaahiri with the Kuntalavarali captured the fun Telugu and other languages. He Soolamangalam Sisters singing for and frolic of the ball in play – loved Tamil literature and had a her. My mother Ananthalakshmi S n d S n d S n d mmm s mm p deep knowledge from the Sangam Sadagopan, who was often invited pnd. Choodaga mun kaiyil vaal age to Subramania Bharati and had to be part of the ensemble, sang the valai kandiru thol valai nindraada, set several pieces to music. Some of Aalolam in Mukhari and some other rang out the breathless lyrics as the them were recorded by AIR-Madras songs. KCT had taken care to adhere game proceeded. Years later this and were broadcast frequently in to the ragas originally employed by song recorded again with other their delectable Tamizh Manam Subbarama Dikshitar for this dance- singers and broadcast in the Tamizh programme in the mornings. The drama performed at the Ettayapuram Manam of AIR-Madras, was a Mukkoodar Pallu song Aattru court around 1900. In the absence popular repeat for several years. vellam nalai vara totruthe kuri in of notations for the songs except Navarasa Kannada, sung by Seetha for the swarajati, KCT composed the KCT had scored the background Subramanyam with another singer, music, keeping in mind the classical music in Suddha Dhanyasi for is an example of how a Carnatic values of the doyen. the song Vennilaave sung by a raga could metamorphose into a lovelorn Vasantavalli. As soon light and airy folk melody. We could I watched him with awe and as he said “One- two- three!” almost see the two maidens in the admiration as he conducted the the orchestra played a brilliant lyrics clapping and skipping in rehearsals for Kutrala Kuravanji passage, full of verve and vigour. joyful anticipation at the lightning where the music was entirely his As they paused to hear a “Sabhash” heralding the arrival of the surging own. The background music was a from him, his face was wreathed waters of the river. treat as he conducted the orchestra. in smiles. As he literally danced out With a room full of musicians poised the rising of the moon, the music rose Thyagarajan’s golden period were over their instruments, he was in soft and wistful, gentle and mellow the decades he spent at the Tiruchi his element. Waving his hand and and lo and behold, the full moon station of All India Radio. Another swaying on his feet he could enact did indeed rise in that packed great scholar Mi.Pa. Somasundaram a grand entry of the procession with room of AIR in front of our eyes. was the Producer and the duo made a glorious Kambhoji with clarionet, It was sheer magic! 62 l SRUTI October 2013 KCT was a hard taskmaster, not reads like a who’s who of Carnatic to a meditative Vakulabharanam permitting a single note on a single music in the 1960s and 70s. Some and the third in a very unusual string to waver ever so slightly of them were Maharajapuram Sindhubhairavi, all sung by my from his vision of the symphony. Santhanam, S. Rajam, R. Vedavalli, mother Ananthalakshmi Sadagopan. From 8 am to 8 pm the team would L. Krishnan, Tiruvenkadu Jayaraman, Decades later Emani Sankara go in for repeats and corrections P.S. Narayanaswamy, V.R. Krishnan, Sastri heard the Vakulabharanam until they played to his satisfaction. Gnanaskandan, Vairamangalam song and spoke very highly of its It was not all work and no play! Lakshminarayanan and A.P. Komala. music composition. I have heard Past midday, a plaintive violin These frontline singers held KCT Sindhubhairavi take on an entirely would play the film song Amma in such high regard that they would different hue and gait to match pasikkudey, taaye pasikkudey, and strive to give of their best for him and the hopping around and flight of everyone in the room would burst look for his approval. The Archives the sparrow when KCT used it into laughter. Around tea-time a of AIR would be doing a great service for Subramania Bharati’s Vittu vainika would play Kapi raga as a to operatic music by bringing out viduthalai aagi nirpai intha chittu gentle reminder, and KCT would this magnum opus as a commercial kuruviyai poley. take the hint and allow a brief recording. Some of his operas coffee break. The camaraderie among (probably in the Tiruchi and Madras KCT took pride in a unique the singers and the artists at the Archives) can be choreographed programme he devised and recorded radio station was a treat to watch. for dance without altering a single for AIR on the musical pillars in the Highly talented musicians were note. They will be a goldmine in the temples in Madurai and Tirunelveli. invited and KCT chose the voices production of dance-dramas. The pillars were a series of slender to suit the roles. T.M. Thyagarajan, vertical stone rods which produced His creations range from the weighty Tiruvarur Namasivayam, Seethamani different notes and were carved classical, to light classical, light and Srinivasan, T.S. Bhagavathi and around a square pillar. He had to folk music. A feature programme several musicians looked forward identify the notes of a raga scale, like Kutrala Kuravanji brought out to the opportunity to sing for compose a song and play it out the best in him in all these genres. him. “Thyagaraja [TMT], you himself on the pillars. The The lyrics and the context decided are comforting your dear brother AIR orchestra had to tune their the choice of raga, tala and the as though he were a child. Sing instruments to the pitch of the colour the raga would acquire in his mnndpmg “Bharata” with a little pillars and play the BGM. And hands. Meticulous in his work, more kanivu (solicitude).” KCT the pieces had to be recorded at his notations with the cues for the would demonstrate the Poorvikalyani night after the temple was closed different singers and instruments phrase and it would bring a lump to for the public. “I had to literally were ready well before the artists our throat. run around the pillars as some of arrived. the notes were beyond the bend to Later, when he was a producer my right and left,” he recounted at AIR-Madras, he produced AIR-Tiruchi once requested him to with a laugh. It is a pity that this Arunachala Kavi’s Rama Natakam set three songs of Ambujam Krishna programme was not filmed and as an opera that was serialised as light music pieces for their only the sound was recorded and with commentary by Mi.Pa. Contemporary Composer series. He broadcast. Somasundaram. The list of singers set one to a rollicking Mand, another I was too young to realise the extent of his genius and watched With his wife him for the sheer joy of the music and the fun of his creative journey. I am sure many more interacted with him and have deeper knowledge of his inimitable genius. He was a star producer of AIR and the best homage to him would be to make available his music for posterity. SUJATHA VIJAYARAGHAVAN (Writer, musician and dance scholar) 63 l SRUTI October 2013.

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