List of Carnatic composers

Pre-Trinity composers (before late 18th century)

ComposerYearsLanguagesApprox. number of compositionsSignature
(Insignia)
Other Info
Basavanna12th centuryKannada1300 (available)Kudala Sangama DevaComposed Vachanas – One of his main ragas was Kalyani
Allama Prabhu197th centuryKannada1321(available)GuheshwaraComposed Vachanas – One of his main ragas was Shivaranjani
Akka Mahadevi12th centuryKannada430Chenna MallikarjunaComposed Vachanas – One of her main ragas was Bhairavi
Jayadeva12th centurySanskritGita GovindamJayadevaPrathama Vaggeyakara(First poet-composer) of Carnatic and Hindustani music forms to compose art music (in contrast to traditional bhakti poems) involving ragas; he is praised for his contributions to dance and music by his contemporary and later musicologists in their musical treatises
Naraharitirtha1250? – 1333)SanskritNarahariComposed Dasara Padas
Tallapaka Annamacharya1408–1503Telugu, Sanskrit36,000Venkatachala, venkatagiri, venkatadhri, venkatesuCalled as Telugu pada-kavita pitamaha; composed in themes shringara(love), adhyatma(bhakti) and philosophical in 100 ragas; also author of the musical text Sankeertana lakshana
Sripadaraya1404–1502KannadaRanga VittalaComposed Dasara Padas
Vadirajatirtha1480–1600)KannadahundredsHayavadanaComposed Dasara Padas in his Ramagadya, Vaikunthavarnane and Lakshmisobanehadu
Arunagirinathar1480–Tamil760Composed Tiruppugazh
Purandara Dasa1484–1564Kannada, Sanskrit400,000, of which only around 2000 have come down to usPurandara VittalaSet the Carnatic music in its present form; composed basic exercises for practice like sarali and janta varisai, and thus known as 'Karnataka Sangeetha Pithamaha', meaning the Grandfather of Carnatic music.
Kanaka Dasa1509–1609Kannada300Adi KeshavaComposed Dasara Padas in native metrical forms such as Suladi and Ugabhoga and wrote 5 classical Kavya epics poems in Shatpadi
Muthu Thandavar1525–1625Tamil165
Kshetrajna or Kshetrayya or Varadayya1600–1680Telugu100MuvvagopalaComposed immortal padams which are even popular today in Bharathanatyam & Kuchipudi. Also the oldest composer whose tunes are available
Bhadraachala Raama daasu1620–1688Telugu500BhadradriComposed devotional songs
Narayana Teertha or Tallavajjhala Govinda Sastry1650–1745Telugu, Sanskrit200Vara Naaraayana TeerthaComposed Krishna leelaa Tarangini
Papanasa Mudaliar1650–1725Tamil
Sarangapani1680–1750Telugu220
Paidala Gurumurti Sastri17th centuryTelugu
Vijaya Dasa1682–1755Kannada25,000Vijaya VittalaComposed Dasara Padas in native metrical forms such as Suladi and Ugabhoga
Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi1700–1765Tamil, Sanskrit200Composed in complex talas like Sankeerna Matyam and Misra Ata. Also an early composer of Navavarana kritis
Arunachala Kavi1711–1788Tamil 320
Marimutthu Pillai1717–1787Tamil42
Gopala Dasa1722–1762Kannada10,000Gopala VittalaComposed Dasara Padas in native metrical forms such as Suladi and Ugabhoga
Pacchimiriam Adiyappaearly 18th centuryTeluguComposed the immortal Viriboni bhairavi ata tala varnam
Sadasiva Brahmendra18th centurySanskrit95
Jagannatha Dasa1728–1809Kannada260Jagannatha VittalaComposed Dasara Padas, and the Kavya poems Harikathamritasara in the native shatpadi and Tattva suvvali in the native tripadi meters

Trinity-Age composers (Late 18th century & Early 19th century)

These composers lived during the time of the Trinity and there are recorded instances of their interaction with the Trinity.

ComposerYearsLanguagesApprox. Number of CompositionsOther Info
Syama Sastri1762–1827Telugu, Sanskrit400
Thyagaraja Swami1767–1847Telugu, Sanskrit24000 of which only 700 are available today
Muthuswami Dikshitar1775–1835Sanskrit, Tamil 400
Iraiyamman Tampi1782–1856Malayalam, Sanskrit40
Ghanam Krishna Iyer1790–1854Tamil85
Tiruvarur Ramaswami Pillai1798–1852Tamil
Thanjavur Quartet1801–1856Telugu, Tamil, Sanskrit
Kavi Kunjara Bharati1810–1896Tamil200
Cheyyur Chengalvaraya Sastri 1810-1900 Sanskrit, Telugu 1000
Swathi Thirunal1813–1846Sanskrit, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, Braj Bhasha 300+

Post-Trinity composers (19th century)

ComposerYearsLanguagesApprox. Number of CompositionsOther Info
Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyar1882–1921Tamil230
Annamalai Reddiyar1865–1891Tamil40
Anai Ayya brothers19th centuryTamil20
Dharmapuri Subbarayar19th centuryTelugu50Composed many javalis
Ennappadam Venkatarama Bhagavatar1880–1961[1]
Gopalakrishna Bharathi1811–1896Tamil395
Koteeswara Iyer1870–1940Tamil, Sanskrit200Composed in all 72 Melakarta raagas
Krishnarajendra Wodeyar III1799–1868Sanskrit
Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer1844–1893Sanskrit, Tamil100Composed 72-Melakarta raaga maalika
Manambuchavadi Venkatasubbayyar19th centuryTelugu, Tamil50Cousin and disciple of Thyagaraja
Mayuram Viswanatha Sastri1893–1958Tamil, Sanskrit160
Muthiah Bhagavatar1877–1945Tamil, Sanskrit390
Mysore Sadasiva Raob. 1790Telugu, Sanskrit100
Mysore Vasudevacharya1865–1961Telugu, Sanskrit250
Neelakanta Sivan1839–1900Tamil300
Pallavi Seshayyar1842–1905Telugu75
Papanasam Sivan1890–1973Tamil535
Patnam Subramania Iyer1845–1902Telugu100
Pattabhiramayyac. 1863TamilComposed javalis
Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar1860–1919Telugu100Composed varnams,javalis and krithis including the famous mohanam raga varnam ninnu kori.
Shuddhananda Bharati1897–1990Tamil, Sanskrit1090
Subbarama Dikshitar1839–1906Tamil50Grandson of Baluswami Dikshitar, younger brother of Muthuswami Dikshitar. Author of the important Telugu musical treatise Sangeetha sampradaya pradarshini
Subbaraya Sastri1803–1862Telugu12Son of Syama Sastri
Tiruvottriyur Tyagayya1845–1917Telugu80Son of Veena Kuppayya
Veena Kuppayya1798–1860Telugu100Disciple of Thyagaraja
Ajjada Adibhatla Narayana Dasu1864–1945Telugu100Composed in all 72 melakarthas and a geetha-malika in 90 ragas in manjari meter called Dasha Vidha Raga Navati Kusuma Manjari; also composed in rare talams like Sankeerna chapu
M. D. Ramanathan1923-1984Telugu, Sanskrit, Tamil, Malayalam300Composed in all popular ragas; Used signature "Varada dasa"; Desciple of Tiger Varadachari

Post-Trinity composers—20th century and beyond

Other composers

Other composers in Mysore Kingdom

Other composers—Bhakti Saints

In addition to the above composers, various Bhakti saints of medieval India also composed devotional hymns, verses and songs. First six composer used ancient Tamil music[pannicai] which later evolved to the Carnatic musical tradition over the centuries.

See also

References

  1. "Music — different perspectives". 2 January 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2018 via www.thehindu.com.
  2. "rallapallisharma". sites.google.com. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
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