The rate at which we are losing legends is sad although the saving grace when it comes to the music world is that the greats leave behind a rich body of music that never dies. The music of violin virtuoso Lalgudi Jayaraman is immortal, embellishing memorably as it did the concerts of some of the greatest names ever in the world of Carnatic music.
He may have been an accompanist in those concerts but there was never a doubt about the quality of the understated elegance of the music of his violin that never failed to come through to the delight of aficionados.
Jayaraman’s prolific work as a composer in four languages was aided particularly by his knowledge of music gathered from his father, Lalgudi Gopala Iyer, as well as the fact that he trained also as a vocalist before finding his true métier in the violin, which he mastered to the extent of Yehudi Menuhin becoming such a fan that he gifted him his Italian violin. History records that he invented a new technique to suit best the needs of Indian classical music. This came to be known as “Lalgudi Bani”. Paeans have been sung to the lyrical beauty of his compositions as well as the pitch-perfect nearness to the human voice that he coaxed out of the stringed instrument.
Jayaraman was multidimensional to the extent of having won a national award as music director for the film Sringaram in 2006. In his life he fulfilled the promise of someone born in the lineage of a disciple of Thyagaraja.