|
"Today I am transferring
to this young
man whatever learning
I have in music,
and pray that
the rasikas should
bring him up and
keep the torch
of our music tradition
burning."
---
Shri.Tiger Varadachariar
on MDR's inaugural
concert in 1949
"He
did not get due
recognition when
he was alive,
They rave about
Him years after
his death"
---
Indian President
Abdul Kalam
"M
D Ramanathan!
Many people are
crazy and i plead
guilty to deem
crazy about hearing
M D Ramanathan.
He is a peculiar
phenomenon. He
is some kind of
an extraordinary
institution and
he is a school
of music by himself
in Kalakshetra.
This amalgam of
a man is at one,
an artist and
a scientist, a
purist and an
experimentalist,
and a singer &
composer of songs.
This blend is
difficult to find
ordinarily in
any field of art."
---Honorable
Justice Shri.V.R.Krishna
Iyer [Former Justice,
Supreme Court]
"M.D.
Ramanathan had
an excellent voice
(saareeram) with
a lot of depth.
I still remember
his Yadukulakambodi
in Trivandrum."
---
Semmangudi Srinivasa
Iyer (Source:
Semmangudi looks
back - at 90 http://www.flonnet.com/fl1522/15220650.htm)
"In
spite of all his
accomplishments,
Narayanaswamy
has remained a
simple and modest
person. His modesty
is such he told
SRUTI that, if
his Kerala compatriot
M.D. Ramanathan
were still alive,
he would have
told the Music
Academy that it
should award the
Sangita Kalanidhi
title to him first.
"
---
Shri. K.V. Narayanaswamy
in an interview.
"Once,
I was playing
in Bangalore at
a festival in
honor of Lord
Rama with M.D.
Ramanathan, an
excellent singer
with a marvelous
bass voice. It
was hard to accompany
him, not because
of the sonic quality
of his voice,
but because of
the tempo at which
we performed...it
was very slow.
During the concert,
one particularly
serene song overwhelmed
me...I tried to
match my patterns
with his melody
and it sounded
fine, although
for some reason
I was not pleased
deep inside. The
music continued
to evolve and
at one point,
I simply stopped
playing so I could
concentrate on
the music. I was
totally overcome."
---
Shri. Trichy Sankaran
http://www.musicoftheworld.com/profile_trichy.html
"It
was inspiring
and elevating
to be seated in
the auditorium
to share M.D.Ramanathan's
exposition, to
witness the translation
of his thinking
into music amazingly
deep-toned. The
mosaic of sound
was always enthralling
in resonance and
amplitude."
---
S.V.K - The Hindu,
Sunday, May 6,
1984
"In
1998, when we
performed it in
Hyderabad for
SICA, an old gentleman
came backstage
after the program
and asked me if
I knew M D Ramanathan.
He said, "In nannuvidachi
I can see M D
Ramanathan in
you". It is true
that M D Ramanathan
was my inspiration
because his rendering
on Thyaagaraaja,
especially that
number, used to
be so emotional
and every time
I do that portion,
I think only about
M D Ramanathan.
I have heard that
song hundreds
of times to get
into that devotional
mood."
---
Dancer V.P.Dhananjayan
"IThe
eminent vocalist
M.D.Ramanathan,
the most well-known
of Sri Tiger Varadhachari's
disciples, had
the courage -
and the vision
too - to adopt
a chowka Kalapramana
for most of his
Kriti renditions.
He opened magic
casements that
made his listeners
palpably aware
of the transfigured
inspirational
moments of composers
like the Trinity.Towards
the end of his
life - unfortunately
cut out rather
prematurely for
one with character
and excellent
habits - this
writer had a few
meetings with
him, the only
topics discussed
had nothing to
with "loukeegam".
He used to expatiate
on the conspicuous
features of the
Trinity's music
- their different
approaches to
Sahitya, incorporation
of raga bhava
and special tala
features. "
---
Shri. K.S.Mahadevan
"M.D.Ramanathan:
Quite in contrast
with Ariyakudi
Ramanathan had
his own different
format As a slow
singer he had
remarkable depth
in his voice and
would put the
ablest accompanying
violinist to nullity.
The leisurely
pace and accompanying
wisdom had an
erudition, which
could be explained
as "common sense
to uncommon degree".
He would stay
at thew lower
octaves longer
and put the wealth
of his voice to
the best use.
It used to immense
and titanic. There
was at the same
time profound
peace. The listener
was given sufficient
time to ruminate
over every sangati.
He could delve
in dritakala sancharas
too; but they
used to be always
limited. His alaapana
sang music and
poetry at one
and the same time.
It was one to
dream about for
the rest of our
lives."
---
BRC Iyengar in
Alapana
"In
his later years
he was the Principal,
and the post acquired
dignity thanks
to his personal
qualities and
his inner light.
The fact that
he was learned
took nothing away
from MDR's capacity
to make people
laugh. His nature
was welcoming
and never intimidating.
As a teacher he
had certain strict
policies, such
as never allowing
his students to
take written notes
in class. This
was of course
in the ancient
tradition of the
classical arts,
which must be
absorbed into
the disciple's
experience and
cannot be bound
in a notebook.
But if this seemed
difficult, his
entertaining way
of teaching ensured
that the student
had plenty of
tricks to remember
the lesson by.
Sometimes he would
sing the musical
phrases in such
a way as to give
them a meaning
in Tamil. 'Ni
dha pa ma' became
'nee thappammaa'
('You are wrong
my dear'), and
'ga ma, ga pa,
ga ni' with an
innocuous nasal
prefix (unga amma,
unga appa, unga
anni) turned out
to be a list of
relatives. Rather
than giving his
students a charted
course to follow,
he taught them
to observe and
perform sadhana
and equipped them
with the means
to find their
own path. Surely
this is the greatest
gift a guru can
bestow."
---
G.S.Rajan (Student)
http://www.artindia.net/mdr.html
"Way
back, a Carnatic
vocal recital
by the late Vidwan
M.D. Ramanathan
at Chennai. MDR
as he was affectionately
called, sang,
no recited 'Sangeetha
Gynanamu bhakti
vina' in ragam
Dhanyasi. He sang
it at such a vilambit
laya, that it
seemed like he
was talking to
us about bhakti
and music. And
each swara was
in its place,
shining pure and
pristine. These
are all memories
that are so deeply
etched in my mind."
---
Kala Ramesh Hindustani
Classical Musician
|
