Tanjore Quartet & Ponniah Pillai

Carnatic composers (other than performing vidwans)
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Gladfan
Posts: 56
Joined: 04 Jan 2011, 07:22

Tanjore Quartet & Ponniah Pillai

Post by Gladfan »

I thought I would begin a thread to discuss the Tanjore Quartet (Thanjavur Quartet or Thanjai Nalvar). Their compositions form a large body of work, but due to their pre-eminence in that particular time period, many javalis, padams, varnams become generally attributed to the quartet and not necessarily correctly. Distinctions are rarely drawn between the compositions of Sivanandam from Chinniah from Ponniah from Vadivelu.

Furthermore, many of their works are misattributed to Ponniah Pillai (1888-1945) and vice versa.

I was wondering if anyone had any links to Tanjore Quartet compositions. Or could people please list and discuss them in this topic.

I will begin a list here, but please add and make corrections to what is provided below:

Compositions attributed to the TQ generally:
jatIswaram (sAvEri - rUpaka)
shanmukha kauthvam (shanmukhapriya - Adi)
varnam: mannavi chekOna (shankarAbharanam - Adi)
varnam: sakhiyE inda vElaiyil (Anandabhairavi - Adi)

Compositions of Tanjore Chinniah:
jAvali: celinEnEtlu saginthunE (parasu - Adi)
jAvali: elarAyenE (bhairavi - Adi)
jAvali: sakiprAna (cenjurutti - Adi)
tillAna (kApi - Adi)

Compositions of Tanjore Sivanandam:
kAppaduvE (Anandabhairavi - rUpaka)

Compositions of Vadivelu:
sabdam: sarasi jakshulu (rAgamAlikA - misra cApu)

Compositions of Tanjore Ponniah:
amba nIlAmbari (nIlambari - Adi)
tillAna (shankarAbharanam - Adi (tisra gati))
ranganAtudE (saurAshtram - rUpaka)
varnam: mOhamAna (bhairavi - rUpaka)
kAli kauthvam (gowlai - rUpaka)

Compositions of Ponniah Pillai:
tillAna (bEhag - misra cApu)
pAhimAm sri (kalyAni - Adi)
bhaktapalana (kIravAni - rUpaka)

thenpaanan
Posts: 635
Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 19:45

Re: Tanjore Quartet & Ponniah Pillai

Post by thenpaanan »

'sakhiprANa" is attributed to Dharmapuri subbarAyar, not to the TQ.

-Then Paanan

satyabalu
Posts: 915
Joined: 28 Mar 2010, 11:07

Re: Tanjore Quartet & Ponniah Pillai

Post by satyabalu »

*Mayathirtha swarupini-mayamalava gowla.
*Sadaya aiyeka thalaja-Chakravaham.**
I think both are Ponniah Pillai composition.
BTW is "Tanja Brahadiswara "their common Mudra ?I know it is there in **above.

satyabalu
Posts: 915
Joined: 28 Mar 2010, 11:07

Re: Tanjore Quartet & Ponniah Pillai

Post by satyabalu »

thenpaanan wrote:'sakhiprANa" is attributed to Dharmapuri subbarAyar, not to the TQ.

-Then Paanan
Has SSI handled TQ.kritis often/at all?
*jAvali: celinEnEtlu saginthunE (parasu - Adi)-One owes DKJ for popularising this -his spuritham duly reponded by mridangist was a treat to watch in a MA concert!accompanists do not remember-Violin might be VVS.

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Tanjore Quartet & Ponniah Pillai

Post by rshankar »

satyabalu wrote:*Mayathirtha swarupini-mayamalava gowla.
I think Sri Ponniah Pillai describes the dEvi as one whose form (svarUpiNi) is beyond (atIta) all forms of mAyA. mAyA+atIta = mAyAtIta, so it should be mAyAtIta svarUpiNi, and not mAyAtIrtha, right?

Ramasubramanian M.K
Posts: 1226
Joined: 05 May 2009, 08:33

Re: Tanjore Quartet & Ponniah Pillai

Post by Ramasubramanian M.K »

Is'nt BRIHADAMBA(Sankarabharanam) a Ponniah Pillai composition--SSI used to popularise it. as also the Neelambari krithi.

Lakshman
Posts: 14019
Joined: 10 Feb 2010, 18:52

Re: Tanjore Quartet & Ponniah Pillai

Post by Lakshman »

brhadambA kadambA is by Ponniah Pillai. So is sadata ika tALA jAlanurA.
celi nEnETlu is by Pattabhiramiah. Some people attribute it to Chinniah.

keerthi
Posts: 1309
Joined: 12 Oct 2008, 14:10

Re: Tanjore Quartet & Ponniah Pillai

Post by keerthi »

http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2613

There is a thread, in the name of tanjore Ponnayya. Should we merge them?

Any audio clips from the cakravaka piece 'sadaya ika?'. The notation looks lovely, but I've never heard/ seen it performed. Apparently, Smt. Vaijayanti mala used to perform it.

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Tanjore Quartet & Ponniah Pillai

Post by rshankar »

If the quartette's jatisvaram in cakravAham is any indication, I am certain 'sadaya ika' will also be lovely!

satyabalu
Posts: 915
Joined: 28 Mar 2010, 11:07

Re: Tanjore Quartet & Ponniah Pillai

Post by satyabalu »

I think Sri Ponniah Pillai describes the dEvi as one whose form (svarUpiNi) is beyond (atIta) all forms of mAyA. mAyA+atIta = mAyAtIta, so it should be mAyAtIta svarUpiNi, and not mAyAtIrtha, right?[/quote]
THQ Sankar! I have/am corrected.

mohan
Posts: 2806
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 16:52

Re: Tanjore Quartet & Ponniah Pillai

Post by mohan »

This was what Jon Higgins wrote in his thesis on the music of bharatanatyam:
Many of the dance compositions which now enjoy great popularity can be ascribed to one or other of the four brothers. Vadivelu is said to have created almost all the padavarnams which are used today, and Ponniah is credited with compositions which cover the entire dance program. But many pieces have simply been attributed to the Tanjore Quartet, so similar was the musical and poetic style of these four brothers.

satyabalu
Posts: 915
Joined: 28 Mar 2010, 11:07

Re: Tanjore Quartet & Ponniah Pillai

Post by satyabalu »

*Kappaaduve undubaram-Anandabhairavi-Ponniah Pillai avl in TVG download album 01 1801-Rama Ravi-Podigai-Nice chiitaswaram.

acejetjay
Posts: 12
Joined: 14 Nov 2017, 10:30

Re: Tanjore Quartet & Ponniah Pillai

Post by acejetjay »

Hello,

Can anyone help me with the lyrics for the thillana in shankarAbharanam (Talam - Adi (tisra gati)) by Sri Ponnaiah Pillai (Tanjore Quartet)?


Thank you,
Jaya

Lakshman
Posts: 14019
Joined: 10 Feb 2010, 18:52

Re: Tanjore Quartet & Ponniah Pillai

Post by Lakshman »

Is this the one?
tatta dhIm (t). rAgA: shankarAbharaNa. t/Adi tALA. Ponniah Pillai.

P: tatta dhIm tadhIm tana dhiranA dhiranA tom dhrutAni
A: tattara tAni tanam tanam tana dhiranA dhiranA udana
tom tom tanam tillAnA tana dhiranA tadingiNatOm
C: santatamun cintanai purindiDa varam tandaruLvAi brhadIshA
enran tIdaravE unran pAdAravindam IndaruLa samayamiduvE

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