And so here are the answers to the questions I posted yesterday. I have had some interesting feedback, some said it was too tough, others said they got half correct, but all have said it was a good compilation. Thanks all.

  1. Before he published his Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini, Subbarama Dikshitar published another book. Which one? Pallaki Seva Prabandha. Apparently the old man was disappointed with the response and so swore off from printing, until AM Chinnasami Mudaliar turned up to convince him. He then swung back, and how!
  2. If we were to follow the raga names we found in the copperplate inscriptions of Annamayya, which is the raga in which the bulk of his songs would be sung? Gundakriya apparently. The late Suguna Purushottaman went off into peals of laughter at a lecdem while stating this and speculated on how it would have been so tough on tunesmiths if they had to adhere to the raga names given.
  3. Which among the following is a temple not visited by Purandaradasa? Srikalahasti. There are no known compositions of his on this temple.
  4. What was Bhadrachala Ramadasa’s real name? Kancherla Gopanna. The other names in the choices were not imaginary though. Linganna was his father and Akkanna and Madanna were his two powerful cousins, who in my opinion, actually organised his release.
  5. We are told that Tyagaraja has an evil brother by name Japyesa. In reality there was none of that name. How many brothers did Tyagaraja have? Two – named Panchanadayya and Panchapagesayya.
  6. In which kriti of Muthuswami Dikshitar does he extol the Lord for being an alchemist? I realise I repeated this question in the audience round. The answer is Sarasa Sauvira, composed in the raga Sauviram at the temple in Thirupoovanam, near Madurai. The relevant line is rasavAdakara samasta puShpavanAdhipatE
  7. Which among these is the oldest award instituted by the Music Academy? haha – I bet you thought it was the Sangita Kalanidhi. The oldest is actually the Sangita Kala Acharya, awarded once in the 1930s to Mysore Vasudevachar (I think). It was resurrected in the 1990s once more. The Kalanidhi came in 1942.
  8. If Varadadasa was the Mudra of MD Ramanathan, whose was Padmapuri Varada? Again a repeat, and in the main quiz in the Food for Thought round. I am becoming practically senile I think. The answer is Veenai Krishnamachariar.
  9. What was Arunachala Kavi’s profession? He was a pawnbroker.
  10. On Arunachala Kavi again. As is well known, his Rama Natakam is heavily influenced by Kamba Ramayana. He acknowledges it by saying that Kamban is a Garuda while he himself is a? Mosquito – the relevant line is garuDan parakka oru kosuvum paranthArpOlE (PizhaiporukkavENum periyOrE – madhyamAvati/Adi)
  11. One of the most important modifications to the tavil in recent years has been the introduction of steel belts in place of leather. Who is credited with these? Poraiyaru Venugopala Pillai
  12. Whose Mudra was Tyagesa? King Shahji
  13. Which of these wrote a book denying the existence of vivadi ragas? Madurai Ponnusami Pillai. Titled Poorvika Sangita Unmai, he presented it as a paper in the 1927 Music Conference that saw the birth of the Academy. It was agreed that it would be published as a book by the new organisation but they never got around to it. Ponnusami Pillai then had it published at his expense.
  1. Complete the sequence 

Muthuswami Dikshitar- Koteeswara Iyer

Tyagaraja – Ramanathapuram Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar

Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar -Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar

Annie Besant?

The names on the right all had songs in their praise by names on the left. Besant was the subject of a composition by Papanasam Sivan. Devi VasantE, set in Vasantha, was a prayer of the Besant School.

15. Which of the following helped in setting to tune songs to be sung at church? Harikesanallur L Muthiah Bhagavatar. The lyrics were by Abraham Pandithar’s son, Jothi Pandian.

  1. Find the odd one out 

A. Musiri Subramania Iyer

B. Papanasam Sivan

C. Kanchipuram Naina Pillai

D. MD Ramanathan

It is MDR. The other three have streets named after them.

17. While the M in MS Subbulakshmi was for Madurai, D in DK Pattammal was for Damal and M in ML Vasanthakumari was for Madras, NC Vasanthakokilam was from Irunjalakuda but had the initial N. What did it stand for? Everything about this lady, including her death is mysterious. The N stood for Nagapattinam and her real name was NC (which was for Chandrashekhara Iyer) Kamakshi.

18. Which among these composers has created pieces in the genres of kriti, svarajati, tillana and varnam?  Mayuram Viswanatha Sastry. This unsung genius was something else altogether.

19. In honour of which flautist is the song Chetulara played on the flute at the Tyagaraja Aradhana? Palladam Sanjeeva Rao. Long before the pancharatnam-s became customary, each musician had a favourite piece that they would perform at the samadhi. Sanjeeva Rao invariably played Chetulara and that became the rule.

20. Which of the following has composed a song on Narasimha of Namakkal? Ayyo! Another question repeated in the final. The answer is Bangalore Nagarathnamma. The song is matADa bAradEnO in khamAs.