Veena Subbanna

Carnatic composers (other than performing vidwans)
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Sreeni Rajarao
Posts: 1283
Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 08:19

Veena Subbanna

Post by Sreeni Rajarao »

I wonder if a book of Veena Subbanna's compositions has been published.

I have a commercial recording of R K Suryanarayana where he has performed a composition in Dharmavati (pari pAhimAm).
Sometime back, I had listened to another item performed by Prashant Iyengar that was on YouTube (could not find it again today).

Now I am wondering if a book has been published, or if Subbanna's compositions have survived only in the lineage of Subbanna's disciples (R S Keshava Murthy and others)

I am hoping Lakshman-ji, Keerthi and others would have some interesting information about compositions of Veena Subbanna who was a contemporary of Veena Sheshanna.

keerthi
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Joined: 12 Oct 2008, 14:10

Re: Veena Subbanna

Post by keerthi »

VaiNika vara-kEsari Veene subbaNNa was the son of doDDa shESaNNA, who was the son of vINa vEnkaTasubbayya, an AsthAna vidvAn of Mysore, who was the Royal steward for music [VINA BhakSi] in the court of KrSnarAja Wodeyar III. We have a saptatAlEswari gitam in rItigaUla, which records the names of vEnkaTasubbayya and his patron. The gitam is composed such that if seven people sing it, each marking one of the suLAdi tAlas [the set we use for the first seven alankara-s]; the song fits each tAla.

subbaNNa was a cousin of his celebrated contemporary Veene sheSaNNa, and they both learnt vocal music together, from the genius composer sadAshiva Rao, a disciple of Walajapetta venkaTaramaNa Bhagavatar. There are many stories narrated about the miraculous incidents in sadAshiva rao's life, that have come down to us through subbaNNa and sheSaNNa.


subbaNNa was born in an affluent family. Upon his birth, he was placed on a golden salver sent from the palace. Many scholars like DVG and Vasudevacarya [and several lesser mortals who copied from their books without acknowledging the source] have spoken about subbaNNa's taste and sophistication; about his fondness for good perfumes, silk and jewels. H e was equally reknown for his unstinting generosity. He gave away a whole cache of perfume bottles to (Bangalore) Nagaratnamma when she asked for one bottle. His gift of a bejeweled ring to mahavaidyanAthayyar inspired the remark 'If he (KrishnarAja Wodeyar) is the king of the kOTe (the inner city / fort), you are the king of the pETe (the outer city / the town)'

When he set out on concerts tours, it was most singular, in that he would shower opulent gifts on the Kings, Zamindars, pontiffs and musicians that he visited, in contrast to the prevalent practice of musicians receiving such gifts. Of course, the patrons would reciprocate in equal measure. SubbaNNa was well educated, he went to the Royal high school along with the prince [K.R. Wodeyar IV] and was very close to him; which later paved way to his stewardship as vina BhakSi. There are stories of soirees where Subbanna would sing the smaller compositions - sujana jivana (khamas), lAvaNya rAma (pUrNaSaDja) or raghunandana (suddha dEshi), and shESaNNa would play along in perfect synchrony on the veena; with the Maharaja playing on the piano or the violin.

SubbaNNa's music -

The hallmark of SubbaNNa's music was that he sang along while he played. Those who have heard it have written about the remarkable effect of his soft, high pitched voice cohering with the crisp vinA-specific gamakas. he did not have to teach music or perform for a living, and hence had few students, and also performed very infrequently.

It is said that he reveled in playing the time tested rakti rAgas, and liked to play elaborate tAnas in the sweet rAgas like kAnaDa, kEdAragauLa, dhanyAsi and surutti. His concerts had more emphasis on ManOdharma sangitam rather than on compositions. There is a story of how he and shESaNNa had an altercation, which was resolved by venkaTagiriyappa, when he arranged for shESaNNa to come (unknowingly) and listen to a concert of subbaNNa; and the tAnam in gauLa that day dissolved any coolness in their relationship.

subbaNNa was known to elaborate the tacchur composition 'kanikaramunci kAvaga rAda' in the raga pancamam [oftem mistaken to be a song of tyagarAja] and rAma nIyeDa in the dilIpakam varNa meTTu often.

His major students were (Chikka) Rama Rao and R.S.Keshavamurthy*. subbaNNa spent the last few days of his life in penury, and passed away after having ordered chikka Rama Rao to sing A daya srIraghuvara in Ahiri.

Compositions -
Swarajatis in kambodhi, karnataka kapi, kiravani
krtis in dharmavati, dhenuka, rsabhapriya, gamanasrama.
varnas in atana, purvakalyani , a ragamalika

His Atana varnam - SrinivAsa nannu was quite popular, and was published along with three other compositions by the Madras Music academy, in a slim volume prepared by tiTTE Krishnayyangar. artistes like Shobhana Rangachari and Nagamani Srinath have performed this one in concerts.

It is worth finding out if R.S.Keshavamurthy* or any other students have published a more comprehensive set of SubbaNNa's songs.


* - Corrected after Sreeni's post.
Last edited by keerthi on 23 Oct 2012, 09:51, edited 2 times in total.

Sreeni Rajarao
Posts: 1283
Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 08:19

Re: Veena Subbanna

Post by Sreeni Rajarao »

Keerthi,

Thanks for the write up!

About the disciples, I am surprised that there is no mention of R S Keshava Murthy. I have read that Subbanna gifted his personal instrument to R S Keshava Murthy and it is still in their family.

My Father has documented that Belakavadi Srinivasayyangar and vaiNika Srikantayyar were also his disciples, and that Svaramurthy V N Rao also had advanced training from Subbanna after Seshanna's passing in 1926.

I am not sure if Sri R N Doreswami is from Subbanna's school - He is definitely from Venkatagiryappa's school. Perhaps, he had his initial training under Subbanna?

rshankar
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Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Veena Subbanna

Post by rshankar »

Smt Sudha Raghunathan has also sung the aThAna varNam...at a MMA concert, IIRC.

venkatakailasam
Posts: 4170
Joined: 07 Feb 2010, 19:16

Re: Veena Subbanna

Post by venkatakailasam »

Veena Subbanna & Veena Sheshanna in 1902..

See images at http://www.myspace.com/leofernandezindi ... s/19585593

listen to Srinivasa nannu here...

http://www.inbaminge.com/t/carnatic/Sud ... m.vid.html

ajaysimha
Posts: 831
Joined: 19 Apr 2018, 18:16

Re: Veena Subbanna

Post by ajaysimha »

Hello Lakshman ji,

can you please share the list of compositions by veene subbanna?

and i also wanted the lyrics of paripahimam girijapathi in dharmavathi by veene subbanna

thanks,
ajay simha

kmrasika
Posts: 1258
Joined: 10 Mar 2006, 07:55

Re: Veena Subbanna

Post by kmrasika »

@ajaysimha @Sreeni Rajarao
keerthi wrote: His Atana varnam - SrinivAsa nannu was quite popular
Notation for the varnam (courtesy MMA journal)
keerthi wrote:published along with three other compositions by the Madras Music academy, in a slim volume prepared by tiTTE Krishnayyangar.
That is also available here.

Article from The Hindu on the composer.

Composition Renditions:

1. śrīnivāsa nīvu in kānaḍā: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yblJIlnDWuY

2.paripāhimām girijāpatē in dharmavati: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84b5hlmrOBM

kmrasika
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Joined: 10 Mar 2006, 07:55

Re: Veena Subbanna

Post by kmrasika »

@Srini Rajarao @ajaysimha @keerthi @drshrikaanth @vs_manjunath @Lakshman @meena and for those interested, AIR Ragam aired a series entitled, "Ninaada - Vainika Vaggeya Vahini" highlighting the contributions of Mysore vaiṇika vāggeyakāra composers' contributions - program includes a great number of compositions of vīṇā śeṣaṇṇa including svarajati, varṇams, kr̥tis and devarunāma, as well as some compositions of bakṣi subbaṇṇa, veṅkaṭagiriyappa, and padmanābhayya. You can listen to the program here.

Sreeni Rajarao
Posts: 1283
Joined: 04 Feb 2010, 08:19

Re: Veena Subbanna

Post by Sreeni Rajarao »

kmrasika sir,

Thank you for alerting me about the uploads on AIR Raagam channel for Sri Subbanna's, Sri Sadashiva Rao's and Sri Odeyar's
compositions!

I will definitely listen to the uploads!

Sreeni Rajarao

ajaysimha
Posts: 831
Joined: 19 Apr 2018, 18:16

Re: Veena Subbanna

Post by ajaysimha »

Thanks kmrasika, i have have been following the scheduled updates on YouTube.

it a pleasure to listen to the vintage programs by AIR.


kmrasika wrote: 13 Jun 2021, 11:35 @Srini Rajarao @ajaysimha @keerthi @drshrikaanth @vs_manjunath @Lakshman @meena and for those interested, AIR Ragam aired a series entitled, "Ninaada - Vainika Vaggeya Vahini" highlighting the contributions of Mysore vaiṇika vāggeyakāra composers' contributions - program includes a great number of compositions of vīṇā śeṣaṇṇa including svarajati, varṇams, kr̥tis and devarunāma, as well as some compositions of bakṣi subbaṇṇa, veṅkaṭagiriyappa, and padmanābhayya. You can listen to the program here.

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