Pure and pristine
Lively swara sequences.
Madurai Mani Iyer
All India Radio recording - classical
Saregama Price: Rs. 145
A CD of Madurai Mani Iyer's music recorded by All India Radio several decades ago, has been released by Saregama. Madurai Mani Iyer was an icon in the arena of Carnatic music during the middle of the 20th century as were among others his contemporaries Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Musiri Subramania Iyer, Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer, Alathoor Brothers, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and the inimitable G. N. Balasubramaniam.
Each of them had a characteristic style of his own that enriched the musical firmament with an incandescence that defies description. Mani Iyer's art was a testament to the human spirit. Braving ill health most of his life, he never once faltered in giving of his best in each and every concert.
Hallmarks of his music
The hallmarks of his music were total sruti adherence, bhava-laden kriti versions, and above all the avartanam after avartanam of sarva lagu swara improvisations that resulted in thunderous applause.
The alapana of Bhairavi, Tyagaraja's "Koluvaiyunnade," the neraval and brisk spate of swaras, do indeed belong to a class, pure and pristine.
Mayavaram Govindaraja Pillai on the violin plays a sedate Bhairavi, and offers wholesome support in the lyrical expansion and swaras. Ramanathapuram Murugabhoopathi on the mridangam and Palghat Sundaram on the ghatam are the percussion accompanists for this composition.
The second song, "Palukavademira" in Devamanohari, precedes the Charukesi delineation that is studded with prayogas pertinent to the melody. "Aada Modi Galade" of Tyagaraja with its breezy swara passages makes an impressive impact on one's aesthetic sensibilities.
The album concludes with "Nadupai," Tyagaraja's song in Madhyamavati, embellished as usual with lively swara sequences, that promptly strike a responsive chord. It is not easy to categorise artistes of Mani Iyer's stature, but one fact is for sure, he was a legend in his own lifetime.
The other accompanists for songs 2,3 and 4 are R. S. Gopalakrishnan (violin) and Coimbatore Ramaswami (mridangam). Vocal support has been provided by T. S. VembuIyer, father of T. V. Sankaranarayanan.
S. P.
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