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Analysis of Maestro Ilayaraaja's works

Topic started by Music fan (@ 208.154.130.13) on Tue Oct 10 14:34:19 EDT 2000.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Dear fans of music

Of late, there have been many threads in this forum discussing about IR and his music in general. I don't deny that. But many have been just discussing his new albums, his new projects or in general very superficial which does not delve much into the analysis of his compositions. Maestro Ilayaraaja is a peerless composer and he is one of the very few to compose around 4000+ songs and compose music for around 800 movies. He writes music and his creations show his ingenuity. In this topic, I request the musically learned people to analyze some of his great works.

As a starter, please analyze the song "thendral vandhu theendum bodhu" from Avatharam. Please let us know the intricacies the Maestro has used to create this number. Since I am a lay man in music, I do not have much to say about this song, except that the song is in the lines of western classical music. The song is harmonious and great to listen to.

Needless to say, I believe this topic is never a waste of time. Not many have the opportunity/skill to analyze a great composer's music. So, on behalf of music lovers and fans I request people to participate here and analyze many of the gems given by Maestro.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: rjay (@ 208.51.40.112) on: Wed Oct 11 12:13:43 EDT 2000
  
  Talking of balance, a good composition balances
  short notes with long notes, soft sections with
  bright sections, slow sections with fast sections,
  low pitch with high pitch, bass with treble
  and so on. In this composition, try to listen
  for the silent sections vs louder sections,
  slow sections with fast sections and so on. You
  will begin to see the compositional genius. This
  dramatic use of dynamics and the use of silence
  as a concentrating device is a key style of Raja.
  
  
• From: aruLaracan (@ 134.124.160.10) on: Wed Oct 11 13:15:49 EDT 2000
  
  PG,
  
  mundhikkittiyE, i was planning to write a similar note but ... :-)).
  
  rjay,
  
  good show. please keep continuing.
  
  
• From: rjay (@ 208.51.40.112) on: Wed Oct 11 13:41:33 EDT 2000
  
  Let us look at the basic groove of the song during
  pallavi. It is quite simple but is a pacy groove.
  It is built from a simple congo drum rhythm.
  (is also used in "chengamalam chirikkudu")
  There is a strong bass line and a acoustic guitar
  which pretty much reinforces the congo rhythm.
  (This is my listening, could be wrong). Check
  with my arrangement of it in the midi file.
  
  Once the pallavi finishes, the guitar or a bell
  plays an arpeggio movement that ends in a
  repetitive loop echoing itself. The flute plays
  a solo again, this time little more gamakams
  are used. And the congo/guitar loop/flute provide
  a flowing feel, which is abruptly broken by the
  flute's single note calls. It is as if, someone
  running smooth got caught into this feeling and
  is stunned! The flute calls are now
  responded by the string quartet. In style this
  is very similar to the girl/choral call response
  in pallavi. Here it is flute/string call response.
  
  But look at the way the chords change. I invite
  Srikanth to decipher the chords, because I just
  play by the ear without much theory of harmony.
  But there is a key change, the chords seem to move
  more and more out of context until the long note
  is played in a key very different from the main mood of the song! It is an amazing disruption of balance. A very similar device is used by
  Mozart in his Night music.
  
  Silence. Solo acoustic guitar picks up the key and
  elobarates. Again series of chord change. This
  kind of harmonic progression is another key style
  marker of Raja. Due to the key and also due to the
  guitar solo nature, this solo is really an expression of a painful mindstate often brought
  about by adolescent love!
  
  
  Strings try to lighten the mood, by playing a
  relaxing and more baroque (crisp) ending to the
  BGM.
  
  Notice how the BGM itself is a song with a distinct
  beginning middle and end. In fact if you look further, each of these sections themselves have
  a beginning, middle and end. This is the fractal
  structure of music (parts reveal further structure).
  
  Again test for our balance principle.
  Soft voice (flute) juxtaposed with majestic
  (string section) and pulse like rhythms (initial
  ostinati and later String stabs during flute calls) along with longer note themes (string ending piece).
  
  Wow! This man is magic!
  
  
• From: rjay (@ 208.51.40.112) on: Wed Oct 11 13:43:27 EDT 2000
  
  And what happens to the percussion section?
  It starts off the BGM briskly and is abruptly
  switched off to allow for the flute solo, then
  comes up during last section to lead into the
  charanam.
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 63.89.188.210) on: Wed Oct 11 13:57:37 EDT 2000
  
  Prasad Gopal,
  I'm surprised IR left out "Ilam Pani Thuli Vizhum Neram" from Aaraadhanai; a colossal piece with spectacular orchestration. Another one to add to that list would be "Niram Piriththu Paarthaen" from TIME.
  
  
• From: fan (@ 216.190.255.35) on: Wed Oct 11 14:05:02 EDT 2000
  
  Rjay,
  Can you tell me where can i find the song ?
  I can try telling you the chords by hearing it.
  I dont have it right away,
  also i am searching for the avatharam song "thendral vandu", I searched few site, but most of them are closed. Can some one tell me where to find it. That song needs to be explained, it has lots of stuff even tranied ears dont understand at the first go. It is a very peculiar song, the movement is out of the world.
  
  
  
  (for arul, others - sorry about it enoda rombanal adangam)
  Arul since you are here after 10 days :), why cant you guys request raja to do private albums,
  
  Just take these clipping from here and show him,
  make him read, make a genuine attempt. I know many have tried, but someone should make him agree, I will do it somehow if I can.
  
  Requeste him to browse this site, I tell many musicians I have close contact with to read reviews from here.
  He just needs to tell the producers he is ready to do, Why Pyramid Sony will come running after him. I am 100% sure it will be a sure hit, Bharathi has gained lots of popularity. so this is the right time to make a come back via private WC classical based albums.
  
  Some one give the song links, we will discuss.
  
  
• From: rjay (@ 208.51.40.112) on: Wed Oct 11 14:11:52 EDT 2000
  
  fan
  
  The recording I listen to for Aedho moham
  is from my mind! I listened to it from a casette closely a 100
  times when I was sequencing the midi. I am searching for that and Thendral vandhu.
  
  A request to Raja and Rajangam. Please create
  a page with high quality mp3s of 10 of Raja's alltime bests. I dont think it will cut CD sales,
  but will provide the marketing muscle and serve as a showcase. And provide
  an opportunity for us to learn and share the
  'isai lakshanangal' that he refers to.
  
  rjay
  
  
• From: aruLaracan (@ 134.124.160.10) on: Wed Oct 11 14:26:11 EDT 2000
  
  fan,
  
  as rAjAji mentioned a couple of days ago, we cannot tell out what's all happening with rAjA. if you get a chance to talk to him, please tell him how much you appreciate the songs you appreciate and urge him to come up with new albums. he listens to "youngsters".
  
  
• From: fan (@ 216.190.255.35) on: Wed Oct 11 14:36:24 EDT 2000
  
  Arul: I tried in chennai, I was not able to meet him, when i called someone told me he is gone to the US, enaku ore emathama pochu,
  Frankly if i have contacts with raja like you guys have, I would have somehow convinced him.
  
  How about calling and talking to Ir directly
  A group of people like you, RajaG,Rjay can try.
  I am ready to join, Can you coordinate?
  
  BTW:thanks for grouping me under "youngsters". :)
  
  
  
• From: Music fan (@ 208.154.130.13) on: Wed Oct 11 14:44:01 EDT 2000
  
  Rjay, Venkatesh, PG, fan and others:
  
  Thanks for contributing for this topic. I really am happy that there are so many interesting things shared about technalities in music from Maestro's works.
  
  I agree with rjay. My request to raajangahm is that they can upload a good number like "thendral vandhu" and other great songs in MP3 format so that we can hear that and analyze it.
  
  I came across a video cassette which had collections from the very first concert that Raaja and his team did in Singapore way back in 80s. In that programme, Raaja says that he has done innovations in the following songs.
  
  1. Thamthana Thamthana thaalam varum (the tune does not change anywhere in the song - it goes like this:
  thamthana namthana thamthana nam thana namthana nam
  thana namthana namthana namthana nam
  thana namthananam thananamthanam thana namthana
  namthana namthana thana thanana
  
  namthana namthana namthana nam
  thana nam thana nam thana nam thana nam
  namthana namthana namthana nam
  thanam thanam thana namthana nam
  ...
  
  And this tune does not end anywhere in this song.
  
  2. Poomalaiye thol serava and Kanmaniye kaadhal enbadhu - Raaja says he has used counterpoint in this song :
  (Raaja explains counter point like this - two notes sounded together is harmony - two melodies sounded together is counterpoint - Music gurus, correct me if I am wrong).
  
  He explains counterpoint with a song created live - He asks Chitra and G.Surendar to render a song.
  
  He asks Surendar to sing the following:
  "Pon thaan nee"
  
  He asks Chitra to sing:
  "Manjam arugil varalamo"
  
  Both the lines above have different tunes altogether. But when they both sing, the song seems like one melody.
  
  But finally, Raaja says that not only the song is a counterpoint but the lines of both the songs are mixed they give one meaning like:
  "Pon manjam arugil nee varalamo".
  
  There was a great applause from the audience.
  
  There were very many songs that he quoted and I couldn't recollect everything. I will watch the video cassette and add more.
  
  IMO, Raaja has experimented with each one of his songs and Music gurus here can dissect each and every number of his to arrive at a theory behind it.
  
  
  
• From: rjay (@ 208.51.40.112) on: Wed Oct 11 14:49:22 EDT 2000
  
  The charanam is a free flowing rendition with
  the same mood and pace set by the congo groove.
  But it has two distinct features.
  
  1. The emotional singing of Janaki and Jesudas(?)
  
  2. The choral girls singing harmony throughout.
  This is not a note for note harmony, but
  more like a counter melody sung along with and
  in response to the singer. You see a call response here too. And look at the melody directions and balance.
  
  At vidiyacholli kozhi koovudhu, there is an
  abrupt stop of the rythm and that line is
  dramatically presented along with singalong
  harmony. This is stylistically very similar
  to the way the flute call stops the rhythm
  section during the first BGM.
  
  
  Thinking back I realize the composer gives
  a preview of what is going to come in charanam
  during BGM1.
  
  The second BGM also reinforces the same structure.
  The long note low voiced strings carry the pace of
  the congos until abruptly, a string quartet plays
  a harmonic eighth note based theme (staccatto, stablike). Then there is a chord progression on strings that takes you to another key, (this section is also embellished by rising arpeggio
  played on an orchestral harp. Then there is a
  obsessive flute call repeating itself.
  Then again the silence from the intro re-established by the guitar ostinata. Here the guitar
  plays same note over and over again, creating
  an almost silence. Flute plays a solo that is
  very folk style (distinct from the western style
  play during intro and first BGM).
  
  I have not talked about the bass track through
  out, it primarily plays the root note of the chord
  of the measure, on a rhythm that flows with the
  congo. At one or two places, like the second BGM
  flute ending, it plays passing notes that lead into measures, it is heard prominently.
  
  Similarly the chord/rhythm guitar plays a pace setting role, There are only two or three types of
  strums used. One during Pallavi and another during
  charanam. It creates a filling sound and I suspect
  it is a simple acoustic (nylon or steel string) guitar.
  
  
• From: rjay (@ 208.51.40.112) on: Wed Oct 11 14:58:07 EDT 2000
  
  Music fan, thanks for sharing the composer's notes
  on the songs. Tham thana is another milestone in
  Raja's repertoire. It also has a long pallavi -
  Raja commented during Mannil indha kaadhal that
  he has already done longer pallavis in thamthana
  and in Kanmaniyae kadhal and people didnot take
  notice until the 'breathless singing' gimmick was
  highlighted in Mannil indha.
  
  Your (Raja's) description of counterpoint is very good. Counterpoint is two melodies playing together and is tougher than simple harmony because, the two
  layers should sound as good melodies and also play
  together harmonically.
  
  

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