T. Ranganathan
Encyclopedia
Tanjore Ranganathan was a Carnatic music
ian specializing in percussion instruments, particularly the mridangam.
Ranganathan began performing professionally in 1938. At the California Institute of the Arts
and Wesleyan University
he taught many non-Indians Carnatic music
, including Robert E. Brown
, John Bergamo
, Jon B. Higgins
, Douglas Knight, David Nelson, Royal Hartigan, David Moss
, Glenn "Rusty" Gillette, and Craig Woodson. He began teaching at Wesleyan in 1963, becoming that university's first Artist in Residence in Music.
Ranganathan's brother was the Carnatic flute player and vocalist T. Viswanathan
(1927-2002). The two recorded the music for the Satyajit Ray
documentary film Bala
(1976), about their sister, the bharatanatyam
dancer Balasaraswati
.
The American composer Henry Cowell
composed the Mridangam part in his "Madras" Symphony especially for T. Ranganathan.
Ranganathan died after a long illness, at the age of 62. He was survived by his wife Edwina, and sons Suddhama and Arun.
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
ian specializing in percussion instruments, particularly the mridangam.
Ranganathan began performing professionally in 1938. At the California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
and Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
he taught many non-Indians Carnatic music
Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu...
, including Robert E. Brown
Robert E. Brown
Robert E . "Bob" Brown was an ethnomusicologist who is credited with coining the term "world music" . He was also well known for his recordings of music from Indonesia...
, John Bergamo
John Bergamo
John Bergamo is an American percussionist and composer. Since 1970 he has been the coordinator of the percussion department at the California Institute of the Arts....
, Jon B. Higgins
Jon B. Higgins
Jon Borthwick Higgins , also known in India as Higgins Bhagavatar, was an American musician, scholar, and teacher known principally for his rare skill as a non-Indian in the field of Carnatic music...
, Douglas Knight, David Nelson, Royal Hartigan, David Moss
David Moss (musician)
David Moss is an American composer, percussionist and self-taught vocalist, founder of the David Moss Dense Band; co-founder and artistic director of the Institute for Living Voice, Antwerp...
, Glenn "Rusty" Gillette, and Craig Woodson. He began teaching at Wesleyan in 1963, becoming that university's first Artist in Residence in Music.
Ranganathan's brother was the Carnatic flute player and vocalist T. Viswanathan
T. Viswanathan
Tanjore Viswanathan was a Carnatic musician specializing in the Carnatic flute and voice. His brother was the mridangam player T...
(1927-2002). The two recorded the music for the Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
documentary film Bala
Bala (film)
Bala is a 1976 documentary film, by Satyajit Ray, about the Bharatanatyam dancer Balasaraswati. The film's music was recorded by Balasaraswati's brothers, T. Viswanathan and T. Ranganathan.-External links:*...
(1976), about their sister, the bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or Chadhir Attam, is a classical dance form from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, practiced predominantly in modern times by women. The dance is usually accompanied by classical Carnatic music...
dancer Balasaraswati
Balasaraswati
Balasaraswati was a celebrated Indian dancer, and her rendering of Bharatanatyam, a classical dance style, made this style of dancing of south India well known in different parts of India, as also many parts of the world....
.
The American composer Henry Cowell
Henry Cowell
Henry Cowell was an American composer, music theorist, pianist, teacher, publisher, and impresario. His contribution to the world of music was summed up by Virgil Thomson, writing in the early 1950s:...
composed the Mridangam part in his "Madras" Symphony especially for T. Ranganathan.
Ranganathan died after a long illness, at the age of 62. He was survived by his wife Edwina, and sons Suddhama and Arun.
External links
- T. Ranganathan page by David Nelson
- Obituary from The New York Times
See also
- Ramnad RaghavanRamnad RaghavanRamnad V. Raghavan was a South Indian player of the mridangam. He was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India, to P. Vaidyanatha Ayyar of Kooniyur, Tirunelveli district, and Brhannayaki....
- S. RamanathanS. RamanathanS. Ramanathan was a Carnatic music singer and musicologist.He learned music from Tiger Varadachariar, Sabesa Iyer, Ponniah Pillai, and Sathur Krishna Iyengar. He received a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, where he also taught.He had disciples who have...