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The Carnatic Trinity
Three near-contemporary composers, born in Tiruvarur, who shaped the Carnatic repertoire.
Three composers, near-contemporaries born in Tiruvarur, shaped the Carnatic repertoire in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Together they are known as the Trinity.
The three voices
- Tyagaraja — prolific Telugu kritis in devotion to Rama; signature Tyagaraja.
- Muttuswami Dikshitar — Sanskrit kritis on temples and deities, with expansive raga treatment; signature Guruguha.
- Syama Sastri — expressive songs to the Goddess, with intricate talas and svarajatis; signature Syama Krishna.
Each used a distinct language emphasis, deity focus and compositional signature (mudra); between them they set the shape of the modern kriti.
Related: Tyagaraja · Muttuswami Dikshitar · Syama Sastri
Beyond the Trinity
Purandara Dasa belongs to the earlier Haridasa devotional tradition. He is not a member of the Trinity; his music offers another point of entry into the Carnatic repertoire.
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