Prof M V Ramarathnam article

The following is from the one section of the book "A Musician's Reminiscences" by Prof. Mysore V. Ramarathnam (1917 - 2008), released on the occasion of Prof. Ramarathnam's 90th birthday in 2006. Shri Ramarthnam is my beloved father-in-law and was close friend of Sharmagaru. Shri Sharmagaru used to help Prof. Ramarathnam as a

vageyakar, by reviewing his compositions and help Ramarathnam with very valuable insight and suggestions to enhance all aspects of Ramarathnam's composition.

(1917 - 2008)

Emeritus Professor (retd.) of Vocal Music, Author, Teacher and Composer

First Principal (Retd), University College of Music & Dance

University of Mysore, India

Rallapalli Ananthakrishna Sharma (1893-1979)

Rallapalli Ananthakrishna Sharma lived in a house in Bajjanna Lane in Chamarajapuram extension. I used to go to his house with his disciple and my friend T. S. Tatachar. Sharma used to attend all the concerts which took place in Mysore. This was about 4-5 years after I came to Mysore to become a disciple of Chowdiah. Whenever, I had some doubts about some sanchara (a string of phrase that can validly come in a raga), I would approach Rallapalli and get them cleared. I heard his concert for the first time at the Bandikeri Srinivasa temple.

Rallapalli means a village of stones. This is a small village in Kalyanadurga taluk of Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. Sharma’s father Krishnamacharya was an orthodox Brahmin, well-versed in the vedas, Sanskrit, Telugu and Tamil languages. His mother Alamelamma was a cultured lady. She used to sing well. His father was his first

teacher. Sharma came to Mysore in his 12th year and became a disciple of Sri Krishna Brahmatantra Swamy of Parakala Mutt. This royal preceptor was an erudite scholar, highly knowledgeable and eminent scholar in Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada literatures. Sharma had a wonderful memory and a great thirst for knowledge. He

studied literature under the famous scholar Rama Shastri for some time. Being aware of the deep scholarship of Sharma, Prof. C. R. Reddy of the Maharaja’s College introduced him to English literature. Sharma served in the Maharaja’s College as lecturer and professor of Telugu for 37 years. If Sharma’s one face of life was literature, another face was music. He had a pleasant voice and had learnt music from his mother. After coming to Mysore he underwent further musical training with the well-known court musician Mysore Karigiri Rao and later for 4-5 years under Bidaram Krishnappa. He had an attack of influenza in 1918-19 that affected his voice. On the suggestion of his master Krishnappa, he took up and practiced violin.

Whenever I went to his residence, he would explain many things about literature and music. He would give a complete picture of the senior Vidwans Krishnappa and Seshanna. Once, he explained the 8 kalai pallavi sung by Bidaram Krishnnappa. He had great regard and love for the music of Mysore Vasudevacharya. Describing the music of Seshanna he would say that the phrases used by him were absolutely wonderful.

In 1950, the Tirupati Ventakeswara University appointed him as a reader in the Oriental Research Institute. Sharma had a great scope to carry on his research into music. He regarded all languages emanating from the tongue of Goddess Saraswathi as her gift. He was a bridge between Andhra and Karnataka. His Kannada works, are—GanaKale, Sahitya and Jeevana Kale; Telugu works are: Saraswatalokamu, Natakopanyasamu, Kavyavalo kanamu. One of his invaluable achievements has been the editing and notating the compositions of Tallapakam Annamacharya (1408-1503), who was a very great poet-musician and an ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara. Annamacharya has composed about 32,000 compositions. About 14,000 of these have been discovered in a dark

corner of Tirumala.Tirupathi temple in thousands of copper plate inscriptions. It was Sharma who edited about 9000 compositions for the first time. They have been published in 23 volumes. Sharma notated about 106 compositions and published them, with a very well researched, authoritative history of each raga for the first time. We do not find such an elaborate description elsewhere. If written by others it can be said that they are imitations of his writing.

When he was residing in Bangalore after retirement, I went to his house and showed him some compositions of mine. Singing some of my compositions, I requested him to bless me. ‘‘Keep them safely. He said - whatever you sing, the notes must be pure as well as the literary part. His invaluable suggestions were helpful in developing my music. He also sang some of his compositions for me. He told me that he supplied the literary part of Bidaram Krishnappa’s compositions. I have great regard for him.

Many awards and titles came in search of Sharma. His aim was that people should listen to good music and make their life clean. He was the vice-president of Andhra SahityaAcademy. In 1972 he received the Central Sangeet Natak Academy award, Sangita Kalanidhi of Madras Music Academy, honorary doctorate from Venkateswara University in 1972, Gana Kala Sindhu from the Music Conference in Mysore and several others. On his last day of life a strange thing occurred. At about 4 pm, a representative of TirupatiTemple came to his residence and handed

over an award—Sangita Sahitya Asthana Vidwan and the Prasadam. Sharma received all these and passed away at 7.15 p.m. Some compositions of Sharma have been published by his son R.A. Phanisayi with notation. Sharma was a devotee of both literature and music. He was well-known for his fine taste and discipline. He led a very fruitful life. Close friendship with such a noble soul has influenced my musical life and I indeed am fortunate to have known this great stalwart.