Analysis of Maestro Ilayaraaja's works

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Analysis of Maestro Ilayaraaja's works 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.

Responses:

Old responses
From: MS (@ 129.252.23.185) on: Tue Oct 24 13:17:46 EDT 2000

pg:

When I sing a song to myself, I concentrate on the tune. When I want to have a literary analysis, I go for the lyrics. In fact I hardly remember the lyrics except for a few songs. Lyrics dont make a great impact on me unlike tunes.

So it is essentially kalyani and not bharathi which I have chosen to deal with.
From: rjay (@ 208.51.40.112) on: Tue Oct 24 17:37:51 EDT 2000

Before getting onto next analysis of Raja's song
I am analyzing MSV's Pattathu Rani in the thread
Review of Old songs. You are welcome to participate
there. The song is a masterpiece.
From: vikram chander (@ 202.9.149.61) on: Thu Oct 26 07:52:08 EDT 2000

Friends,
One topic I have been longing to discuss is the BGM of Raja.I enjoy and appreciate his Bgm more than the songs.Especially I was thrilled with the BGMs of Sethu and Heyram.I had
never heard a Bgm like that of HR before.
From: kk (@ 198.4.92.5) on: Thu Oct 26 10:58:53 EDT 2000

vikram.
there was a thread on IR BGM some time ago..try to retrive it.
From: kiru (@ 192.138.149.4) on: Fri Oct 27 10:50:23 EDT 2000

REPOST

„h Indian Classical (eg. Sindhu Bhairavi type songs)
„h Western Classical (eg. Ennulle)
„h POP/Dance
„h POP Indian (eg. AttamA theRottama)
„h 3b) Pop Western (eg rAjA rAjAthi rAja)
„h Fusion - Indian Classical + WCM
„h Fine grained (eg. Deva Sangeetham)
„h Rough grained (only interludes or WCM touches here and there - many songs will fall into this category. If the pallavi or charanam is minimally orchestrated..the interludes are rich WCM orchestrations).
„h Fusion - Folk + WCM (eg. Thendral vandhu theendumbOdhu)
„h Folk (eg. mangkuyile ..poongkuyile )
From: kiru (@ 192.138.149.4) on: Fri Oct 27 10:51:27 EDT 2000

REPOST (again)
- Indian Classical (eg. Sindhu Bhairavi type songs)
- Western Classical (eg. Ennulle)
- POP/Dance
- Fusion - Indian Classical + WCM
- Fusion - Folk + WCM (eg. Thendral vandhu theendumbOdhu)
- Folk (eg. mangkuyile ..poongkuyile )
From: kiru (@ 192.138.149.4) on: Fri Oct 27 10:52:49 EDT 2000

I have reposted the proposed categories for the songs. Lets start proposing songs to the list.
From: IR_FAN (@ 24.4.252.137) on: Sun Oct 29 09:48:13 EST 2000

guys, please can you clarify if the song "Ninnai Charan" ( Ilayaraja version ) sounded like P.B.Sreenivas voice. One of my friend refused to believe that it was sung by ilairaja. He says in the Bharathy CD, may be PBS sang the song. It's a question of morality. I respect my friend's authenticity in identifying the old singers and old songs as he grew up with old singers like PBS and etc., He claims that the initial humming could be ilayaraja but not the whole song. But it's been very difficult for me to take it that IR could do such a trick just to market his album.
After that discussion, it really convinced me that IR didnot sing in his usual style but just more like PBS. Please get me right that I am an ardent fan of IR.

guys, please can you clarify if the song "Ninnai Charan" ( Ilayaraja version ) sounded like P.B.Sreenivas voice. One of my friend refused to believe that it was sung by ilairaja. He says in the Bharathy CD, may be PBS sang the song. It's a question of morality. I respect my friend's authenticity in identifying the old singers and old songs as he grew up with old singers like PBS and etc., He claims that the initial humming could be ilayaraja but not the whole song. But it's been very difficult for me to take it that IR could do such a trick just to market his album.
After that discussion, it really convinced me that IR didnot sing in his usual style but just more like PBS. Please get me right that I am an ardent fan of IR.
From: Venkatesh (@ 206.49.110.156) on: Sun Oct 29 10:33:43 EST 2000

Hi Folks

I request you to take up 'Adho andha nadhiyoram' from Ezhai Jaathi for our review. It has got excellent orchestration and worth analysing.
From: peeps (@ 202.54.13.6) on: Mon Oct 30 09:52:13 EST 2000

can we analyse the song "poomalaye thool serava"
please
From: eden (@ 61.1.250.224) on: Tue Oct 31 04:42:01 EST 2000

Have anyone noticed the three types of percussion arrangement used in the song `kELadA mAnidanE'? For the starting and during the later portion of saranam it is Mridhangam while it changes to tabala elsewhere. During interlude (I think the second one), it is some folk drums (may be thavil also used)...It's supposed to be some ragam based still one feels it's a folk song overall & quite light...rjay, MS & fan - analysis please
From: kiru (@ 192.138.149.4) on: Tue Oct 31 10:57:15 EST 2000

eden, it starts with a mridhangam but I think mridhangam and tabla play thoughtout the song (?). In the second interlude it is surely thavil. IR has done even dappAnkuththu songs in carnatic rAgams. I think thats his way of saying I know where these music forms come form. Re: percussion arrangement he has done western drums+tabla/mridhangam in so many movies. Songs do not become a hit for many reasons. So even in non-hit songs of his you will lots of musical ideas, for eg. pudhiya rAgam has western drums used for classical carnatic like song.
From: Venkatesh (@ ) on: Wed Jan 17 03:18:06 EST 2001

rjay and other experts:

Revived with the hope to get analysis of the songs - adho andha nadhiyoram and poomalaye thoL serava
From: rags (@ 162.48.138.249) on: Wed Jan 17 08:41:03 EST 2001

friends,

u hav missed out on these great no from IR...

1. poovey illaya poovey from the film kozhi koovuthu
2. aanandha raagam - paneer pushpangal
3. manadhil enna - patta kathi bayravan
4. kalai thendral - uyarntha ullam
5. chinna thayaval - thalapathi
6. oru raagam - aanandha ragam
and i v fav one....

"raasavey unnai thaan" from the film thani kaatu raaja....this is an excellent song sung by sp shailaja...and every program she comes...she used to tell that its her fav one...

am a lay man in music..pls do take these songs for ur analysis...
From: Shankar (@ 192.135.244.69) on: Wed Jan 17 08:43:36 EST 2001

manadhil enna - from poondhaLir
From: rags (@ 162.48.138.249) on: Wed Jan 17 12:07:54 EST 2001

shankar,

thanx....

hope then its "engego sellum" is from pattakathi bairavan
From: kupps (@ 156.153.255.195) on: Thu Jan 18 01:35:37 EST 2001

two more...please

vaidhehi raaman from pagalil Or iravu and
dhoorathi nana kanda from nizhalgaL
From: Shankar (@ 192.135.244.69) on: Thu Jan 18 02:04:35 EST 2001

rags,
engengo sellum is from PKBairavan...one more from the same movie..."dEvadhai..oru dEvadhai"
From: GKV (@ 203.199.236.198) on: Tue Jan 23 15:36:38 EST 2001

Let it be anything! Be it IR composing, writing or getting music from the skies. At the moment he has to do one little thing. He has to stop singing his own melodies. It is like a babe conceived and killed by the mother mercilessly. Adding to the tragedy his children Bhavatharini and KRaja are also doing the same. There is a criteria meant for singing. This mistake which he commits makes one think that 'even greats make mistakes'.

All through his songs have become monotonous with the same base voices and similar voices. It is difficult to say which is SPB, Mano, Arulmozhi and whatnot. Same happens with KJJ,Unnimenon,Raghavendaretc. This has to change completely. He should give a variety. Remeber the proverb "Aanaikkum Addi Sarukkum".
From: V (@ ) on: Wed May 9 04:46:53 EDT 2001

Revive.
From: Raja rasikan (@ 206.49.102.6) on: Wed May 9 05:05:43 EDT 2001

Posting from another thread (courtesy RJAY).

Raja's masterpiece in my list is Poongathavae Thazhthiravai - for the sheer variety, the excellent melody, feel, harmony, rhythm everything.

If you want to choose one song to showpiece his great talents in instrumentation and composition, I would choose it. It begins with a breezy soft string quartet, grows into a symphony with its increasing pace and climaxes with a crash, within 1 minute!

Well the intro is not done, surprisingly you get a soul lifting veenai ambience, and an ultimate flute call, then they play against each other, teasingly, the string section punctuates their interplay and neatly transitions into the pallavi.

Listen to the intro again, the way the totally different feels (majestic string symphony, veenai-flute dialog) have been neatly merged amazes me every time I think about it. Nothing but genius can see that they can be put together seamlessly.

Pallavi's simple tune, but the gamapa theme and gamakams of classical South Indian. The
single mridhangam beat in the accompanying percussion (Congo set) sets a neat pace to the whole section, providing a vibrant backdrop.

First BGM introduces a piano theme (calls), very staccato-ish, and unbelievable solo violin
responds very Carnatic manner. Then they play together and string section takes over
and plays a transition against which Tamil folk flute makes a statement and what a surprise, it plays a bach-ish western classical solo and still surprise, we hear a small song from the nadaswaram and thavil duo. My god, it is a song on its own, a statement, an elaboration, a climax and a resolution
(30 seconds?). Listen to the thavil's play along. Charanam singing, you see the second voices singing beautiful counterpoints and melodic responses to the lead singer. And it flows as if the entire tune is one long beautiful melody.

Second BGM, string section transitions play and piano/synth single note punches provide
a backdrop suggesting movement to new worlds, which is bordered by a beautiful echoing
harp arpeggio, and a solo violin in the style of western masters plays a heart-tendering
theme, to which the flutes play subtext, and the solo violin turns more and more mellow
and transforms un-aware into a carnatic gamakam piece. The second charanam and the fadeout ending use the fugue like repetition and interplay very well, and keep the mood so well.

Is it possible in this song to separate out any idea (melody, harmony, instrument, singing,
rhythm) and discuss? Or can you delete a small section and not feel the loss?
Only in a musician's mind, who has absorbed the vibrations of all past music, and seen their
one-ness, can such a wide-ranging styled, yet well integrated song can occur.
From: mahabs (@ 203.197.138.165) on: Fri May 11 11:34:42 EDT 2001

i would like to hear experts' views about the song 'sevvanthippookkalil seitha veedu'. one of all time greats if IR.

anbudan

mahabs

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