Ilayarajavin Ludes are mini Symphony !

[smss_engineer]

Ilayarajavin great prelude/interludes

As all of us know IR pioneered this art of music! While listening to the ludes, sometimes it seems to be a mini symphony.

1. Engengu sellum en ennangal (Pattakathi bairavan- what a name a film to have?) - 1979

Great prelude with grand orchestration, with that flow the vocals starts by SPB and janaki, after pallavi guitar comes with backing of violins like horses are running in ground, first interlude gets climax and saranam starts. and at the end of saranam guitar chords are played to end the scene. Though second interlude reminds the priya/uravenum puthiya song, the solo guitar makes different and takes us to another world. All over the song Bass guitar flows like a river!

Prelude- Bass guitar+Guitar+snare kits+violin+keyboard?
first interlude - Violin+Guitar+cello+bell sound instrument?
Second interlude - same as first interlude

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[smss_engineer]

2. Chittu kurivi (Chinna veedu) 1986

An inspiration from WCM but well suited to indian classical!

Only ilayaraja can extract these type of songs from WC masters.

Good use of Drums+flute+guitar

[smss_engineer]

3.paneer pushpangal (1981)

Really a classical album by meastro,

Poonthalir aada - SPB,Janaki
Kodai kala katre - MV
Anandha raagam - UR
Vengaya sambar - ?

Poonthalir aada
excellent guitar work and chorus, I have known what is chorus from this song! and very melodious song.But malaysia should have been a good choice!

Kodai kala katre
Great song with guitar. I still have an angry with IR that this song should have been sung by SPB and poonthalir aada should been by malasia vasu!

Anandha raagam
wow! a symphony like song. IR really blends Carnatic music with western classical , a great work.

Bass guitar + guitar + violin + carnatic tabla = Anandha raagam alias western symphony

[tvsankar]

Dear smss_engineer,
Nice topic. IR in indha padal,

1.Ammamma vandhadhengu singakutti from "Per Sollum oru Pillai"

Beutiful song and fine tempo.

With Love,
Usha Sankar.

[smss_engineer]

4. Sangathil paadatha (auto raaja-1982)/thumbi vaa (olangal)/Neer veezhchi (kanne kalaimane)

How many versions a tune will have? only IR can do this. But all version of songs has different feelings/effect! wow it's amazing,

Sangathil paadatha gives the feeling of soft melody duet with lover!
Thumbi vaa gives feeling like mother sings for her child!
Neer veezhchi gives a romantic girl taking look at the nature (like falls)!

Great song with perfect Bass guitar+tabla!

i can't think even now how he got blended Bass guitar with indian tabla? still mistery!

[smss_engineer]

5. Geetha sangeetha (geetha-kannada)

Even i don't know kannada i used to enjoy this song,

Like a river flows in the mountain this song flows like a cheese in mouth ,

The way he starts the prelude with single drum with bass guitar and acoustic kit is awesome!

At the end of pallavi When SPB sings the line geetha (with tension) IR releases the tension by just kitting the drum great! and violin takes us to a different world until SPB continuing!

Second interlude usual IR fusion with saxophone,

Great song, other songs in this album are also gems

Keladi nimageega - SPB
Rehash of "devadai ilam devi" , but with different orchestration.
good chorus!

Jyothiyalli jyothi - SPB
nooraavathu naal song, good to hear in kannada!

[Shankar]

1. First interlude of Raja kaiya vechA - a great lesson on counterpoints.
2. Prelude of aruna kirana - GURU

I don't want this to become another listing exercise, but the point is, he's composed so many interesting patterns which would be great pieces if taken up as a melody and worked upon.

YSR did a fabulous job on Raja's 35 second Johnny theme and made it a great theme score for 7GRC.

There are numerous other pieces that could be made into full length scores.

[irir123]

"There are numerous other pieces that could be made into full length scores."

I was listening to IR's Italian concert - and just imagined how it would be to listen to a complete orchestral version of "sangathil paadadha kavidhai/thumbi vaa" tune with counterpoints being rendered on different scales by opera-like chorus and several twists and turns in between!! oh God, wudnt that be awesome ?!

[irir123]

I recently happened to listen to a lecture-demonstration of one Ms.Janet Feder, a Denver based avant-guitarist - www.janetfeder.com

It was actually a commentary on Philip Glass and his music.

I was particularly intrigued by her remark about Philip Glass's creative endeavor of presenting Indian classical idioms in western classical notations!

just consider this - Ilayaraaja has been presenting/ interpreting Indian classical music in Western classical notations and has been following his own unique style of arrangements/ostinatos for more than 25 years of his career as a film music composer! and not much of his music is known elsewhere

and guys if you all really want to know the kind of 'kalakkals' IR can do in Hollywood, watch "The Illusionist" starring Edward Norton - the movie has a stunning soundtrack by Philip Glass, very much reminiscent of IR's style! if our guys can come up with creative stuff like "The Illusionist", for IR it will be like eating 'halwa'!

[Shankar]

Philip Glass is one fantastic composer...Like any classical music composer, he will be recognized posthumously :-(...I feel, Music afficinados will remember him in the leagues of Beethoven & Debussy.

[Hulkster]

Shankar sir that is where india failed...any country would be glad to promote their talent but india failed to do that with IR. Had they promoted him he would have been regarded amongst the WCM greats long time back. Blame the north vs south cold war :banghead:

[Shankar]

Hulkster,
The classical circles will at least recognize Philip Glass posthumously, But as you've rightly said, I'm not sure even that would happen to Raja.

Anyway, why talk about this now. Let Raja live a long and happy life.

[irir123]

"Blame the north vs south cold war" - even though that is becoming a cliche, in a major way, barriers between the north and the south are diminishing - and there is no point in repeatedly pointing this out as a major reason

What should concern us is that IR is not being recognised even in the South! that is a fact

when I say recognition, it is not to do with giving titles such as 'Isai gyani', 'raga devan' etc - the right kind of recognition IMHO, is in operationalising indepth analysis of his musical works and getting such analysis proper publicity and awareness - such things are very common in the West -

While we blindly ape many negative features from the West, such as meaningless consumerism, partying etc, why is it tat we dont ape their sense of giving genuine recognition to their artists ?

even if a widespread debate is encouraged to discuss IR's creativity, that itself should lead to many positive things!

that IR did not compose for movies in the North is not his mistake - that people in the north could never listen to his music (only because they never got to listen to his music in a big way as we have!)is not their mistake either! so either way, call it a kind-of-conspiracy played by time

in proper music circles throughout India, IR commands amazing respect - it is this respect and dignity that is important - that in itself is something!

what I dont understand is, having done an immortal composition like "TiS", why is IR sticking to composing music for some real dumb movies ? it is this aspect of this genius that baffles me!

"On October 28, 1893 Tchaikovsky conducted the first performance of his Sixth Symphony. Convinced, and rightly so, that it was his masterpiece, he was devastated by the public response at its premiere. On November 2, 1893, six days after the premiere, he died. Just six days before Tchaikovsky had conducted the premiere of his Sixth Symphony, the well-known Pathetique. The premiere was unsuccessful; the symphony's tragic ending bewildered the audience, and the tepid reception of his new work disappointed the composer greatly. When the symphony was performed again, at a memorial concert held less than two weeks after Tchaikovsky's death, the solemn finale was widely interpreted as a cry of despair"

[kiru]

I think the problem is IR is neither here nor there ie. he has not done purely classical music nor is he an out and out popular music composer. If we consider film music as the popular music of India, his music is more classical than popular music in other countries (adhering to raaga grammar). The non-filmy albums done by him fall under fusion and suffer the same fate.
I also think he also does not want to do purely classical music which will interest only a minority. So I feel he is adequately recognized as a popular musician and will be remembered for many years. If he is remembered by the likes of MSV, KVM etc that itself is a great recognition. Ofcourse, he does not have the national recognition like ARR but then again I feel ARR is the first MD to do POP music in India but IR, MSV, KVM etc all did film music which is semi-classical comparatively.
(Did I confuse you all ? :-))

[Shankar]

Kiru,
Agreed. Even Raja's HTNI, NBW are fusions and do not come under any of the classical categories. If Raja really wants to prove his mettle as a WC composer/Indian classical composer, he should target the purists and come up with an album which will satify the targetted audience.

The symphony for RPO, IMO would've done that. As fate would have, except a handful of lucky people, none of us got to listen to it.

What Raja now needs is a PR like Bharat bala who can market him well both in India and abroad.

Raja needs to come out of his comfort zone, Ditch film albums (we have arr, ysr, VS to give us good film numbers, we don't need raja) and focus on moving music to the next era.