Four Score & More: The History of The Music Academy, Madras ; Published by Westland Books ; Pages 302 ; Price Rs. 2,000/-.
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The Music Academy, Madras is a landmark institution in the History of the fine arts. Its genesis can be traced to the historic All India Congress session held in Madras in 1927 where a resolution for founding an academy of music was passed. The idea took shape in 1928 when the Academy was formally inaugurated by Sir C.P.Ramaswamy Iyer on August 18, 1928. The Academy which was aimed at setting a standard for Carnatic Music was nurtured in its early years by public spirited and farsighted men and women representing diverse walks of life and different political and religious beliefs, who however, were all united in their vision of an institution that would nourish and encourage classical fine arts. Apart from providing a platform for academic discussions and debate on the arts, the Music Academy pioneered the December music festival of Madras which is undoubtedly one of the largest such festivals in the world. The Academy was where the ragas were debated upon, theory of music was discussed in detail, young talent was encouraged and senior artistes were given a platform to present their Art to the cognoscenti. A series of publications was brought out and these works have enlightened scholars and laymen. In the 1930s The Music Academy championed the cause of Classical Dance and provided a forum for discussions on the subject and more importantly, presented dance performances with a view to getting the public to see the beauties of a traditional art that was in danger of dying. In addition to South Indian music and dance, the Music Academy has also been a venue for Hindustani Music, classical dance forms from the rest of India and the world. Over the years the Academy's December Music Season became a hallmark of efficiency and music-lovers from the world over rushed to Madras to partake of the nectar provided. The book under review is a veritable biography of the institution in the past eighty years, its growth, the numerous personalities who were in charge and the incidents and episodes that were woven into this brilliant tapestry.
According to Dr. C.Rangarajan,ex--Governor of R B I , who released this book, the seeds for writing its history were sown independently by two persons who together brought out this book. V.Sriram, one of the co-authors of the book is passionate about carnatic music and is a historian of music and a prolific writer. Malathi Rangaswami, hails from a family closely associated with the Academy over the years Her Ph.D. thesis –completed in 2008 was the " History of The Music Academy." Her father-in-law Shri T.T.Krishnamachari was one of the pillars of this Academy . The Academy’s history is one that transformed the cultural scene of South India. The authors have worked very hard at putting these together to bring out a kaleidoscopic account of this iconic institution.
“Four Score and More” commemorates eighty years of an institution of which India can be justly proud. As the Academy forges ahead in its quest to meet the expectations of future generations, this book will prove an invaluable account of what went into its making, its exciting journey and its present pre-eminence. The Music Academy is synonymous with Carnatic music. The story of how this landmark institution came to be forms the subject matter of this book. In 1929, the Academy began the practice of hosting annual conferences on music at various venues including the Senate House, Mani Iyer's Hall, People's Park, old Woodlands Hotel, R.R. Sabha and P.S. High School grounds, before it found a permanent place at the current venue. The Academy completed 80 years of hosting the annual conference. In the book, musician-painter S. Rajam and committee member of the Academy, K. Vaitheeswaran, recall the 1927 conference held at Spur Tank.
This labour of love made the authors delve deep into the Academy archives; they obtained inputs from The Hindu archives, magazines such as Kalki, Ananda Vikatan, Sruti, and individuals such as Rajam and A.R. Sundaram. The book is full of anecdotes about some of the greatest names in the music and dance fields. We will restrict to one anecdote. In 1936, Veenai Dhanammal heard that T.R. Rajarathinam Pillai was taking the Academy stage for the first time, at Royapettah. Very old and with poor vision,she got into a rickshaw and went up to the awfully crowded entrance of G.P. Road. Since the rickshaw could not go further, Dhanammal got down and felt her way along the wall up to the hall. Once she reached the venue, she was recognised and led inside. After the performance was over, she was missing. For she had already reached the stage to congratulate the nagaswaram maestro. As the curtains came down that evening, the image that remained was that of Dhanammal blessing Pillai!
The book has done ample justice to the Music Academy’s service record spanning eight decades, how it has ascetically directed the destiny of the fine arts and proved its mighty role in the cause of classical music. All those who have music in them and the Indian community of music professionals will remember with justifiable pride and gratitude the hospitality extended by it.
It must be observed that the authors have held the scales even in respect of conflicts and one observes a strict fairness in the recounting of all events, big and small. The Academy has had its troubles and the causes varied from infighting among office-bearers to the idiosyncrasies of musicians and their tantrums and boycotts. When the Tamil Isai movement was in a state of frenzy, M.S. Subbulakshmi did not participate in the Academy series for a few years. Senior vidwans like Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, hurt by the perceived ill-treatment meted out to them, boycotted the function at which Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation for the Academy’s new building. There was also the tiff over Ariyakudi’s insistence on the Academy providing a concert slot for Dhanammal. The presidential years of K.V. Krishnaswamy Iyer and T.T. Vasu are significant landmarks in the history of the Academy. It was during the latter’s regime that Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer threw his weight about in the selection of Sangita Kalanidhis. After referring to one or two instances, the authors say: “Kalanidhi controversies abated somewhat though it became clear that anybody harbouring hopes of being so feted and ennobled definitely needed the blessings of the Pitamaha as Semmangudi was now styled.”
In a brief note under the heading “The Fall of Academics”, the authors note that the academic side became increasingly neglected in the 1990s and say, without mincing words, that “Slowly but steadily, the Academy was losing its grip over the scholarly side and was downgrading itself to the status of a mere sabha.” They have chronicled with affection the various developments highlighting not only the leading musicians of the times but also the various controversies that had erupted from time to time including the language issue. One also gets to know the close association of the Music Academy with the freedom movement. A stunning display of photographs, a wide variety of snippets and a wealth of information on dance and Hindustani music add to the richness of the publication. ‘Four Score and More…' is a chronicle of the Academy in the past 80 years, its growth, the various personalities who were at the helm of affairs and the incidents and episodes that went into the making of a unique cultural icon. The illustrations are apt; the language is lucid and the print is beautiful. There is no doubt that this will become a collectors’ item.
PPR
6/1/2020.
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