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Birmingham orchestra seeks Rahman's guidance

Topic started by h (@ 210.210.36.37) on Wed Feb 25 04:32:27 EST 2004.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Birmingham orchestra seeks Rahman's guidance

London, Feb 24 (IANS) The West Midlands town of Birmingham may be best known for its recordings of Mahler and Stravinsky, but the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra has now enlisted the help A.R. Rahman to broaden its repertoire.

In a fortnight's time, Rahman will take the baton for two successive nights of themes from the Indian film industry, including many of his own works.

The CBSO, which achieved international status during the tenure of conductor Sir Simon Rattle, is seeking to find new audiences closer to home, by persuading Indian and Pakistani audiences into its Symphony Hall headquarters.

Tickets for the 2,200-seat auditorium are already selling fast among the city's south Asian population and, according to the orchestra's chief executive, Stephen Maddock, the Bollywood nights promise to pull in the largest ever non-white audience for a mainstream British orchestra.

Rahman is best known to western music fans as the composer of "Bombay Dreams", the West End musical.

But to his South Asian followers he is a cult figure who, at the age of 38, has already sold nearly 200 million albums and worked on more than 50 films, including "Lagaan".

He recently agreed to score the stage musical version of "Lord of the Rings", which is due to open next year.

Maddock told the media that the orchestra was setting out to attract non-traditional audiences.

Birmingham expected to have a non-white majority by 2010, making it one of the most multicultural cities in Britain. Yet the CBSO's core following was still largely from middle-class areas of the city.

"We have a responsibility to provide a range of musical activities," he said.

"Our audiences are much less extensively white than you might expect, but it is true to say that right across the world classical music tends to appeal to a predominantly white audience."

The Bollywood initiative forms part of a year long-series of Classic Asia concerts at Symphony Hall.

Rahman took his first rehearsal with the orchestra last week, and said he was nervous at the prospect of his first orchestral engagement on such a scale.

Piali Ray, the Indian dancer and choreographer whose Sampad dance company will perform with CBSO later in the year, praised Birmingham for creating an environment in which community arts could flourish.

Sampad broke new ground with its recent collaboration with the city's Royal Ballet. Birmingham also hosts Samyo, effectively the national youth orchestra for South Asian music.

"There are large sections of the Asian community who are very interested in the arts, but sometimes haven't felt welcomed. Or may be they don't even know there are things that will interest them," she said. "This is really heartening."

The fact that most tickets had already gone showed lessons had been learned on both sides.
http://www.musicindiaonline.com/news/articles/24022004-1.html

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: thiru (@ 210.214.131.49) on: Thu Mar 11 10:39:03 EST 2004
  
  Cn,
  "Yeah, people fund IR to get some new music. You people keep paying again,again,again and again"
  
  i don't think they are funding him enough proof lies in TIS thread where somebody requests for donation atleast twice a day.
  Atleast we are paying again again and again to show our loyalty whereas legion of IR fans only talk about him they don't open their wallets.
  Look at ambleen, he vomits everywhere but in TIS thread, he makes sure he's away cos somebody will ask him Paisa.
  
  
  
• From: * (@ 161.114.64.75) on: Thu Mar 11 12:25:41 EST 2004
  
  Fantastic!
  
  Paavam, if CBSO had known ARR already has a fan like thiru(dan), they wouldnt have asingapaduthified him like this!
  
  
• From: C~P (@ 61.2.224.229) on: Thu Mar 11 13:08:39 EST 2004
  
  Ennapa oru symphony-kaaga yaen ellarum ippadi harmony-a vittutteenga?
  
  seri podarthu dhaan podareenga...innum balaththa sandaiyaa podunga! :p
  
  
• From: C~P (@ 61.2.224.229) on: Thu Mar 11 13:09:44 EST 2004
  
  CORRECTION...
  *Sandai podarthu dhaan podareenga
  
  phew..Ferrari wud be sleeping now!
  
  
• From: thiru (@ 210.214.132.87) on: Thu Mar 11 14:25:55 EST 2004
  
  *,
  ennakavadu thirudan oru per sonnenga, ungaluku appa amma per vaikalaya?
  anathaya, aiyoo pavam.
  atleast arr has the courage to accept he made mistakes not like IR after being thrashed, dumped by all major directors, not giving good hits still has the courage to publicise as pithamagan of music, isai alais illayaraja, isaignani. ithuku per than alpam.
  Empty vessels make noise. great people accept their mistakes.
  
  
• From: thiru (@ 210.214.132.87) on: Thu Mar 11 14:27:54 EST 2004
  
  u may say the producers are doing it but if he is modest and knows what is his true position in tfm he should strictly say no to such things.
  thats why he is called alpam or maha alpam.
  
  
• From: Karthik S (@ 164.164.82.29) on: Thu Mar 11 22:02:18 EST 2004
  
  I expected sarcastic comments anyway when I posted it. But the point is, it's better to attempt it-and-let others comment-and-then learn, than attempt-not let any soul listen-and-still crow about international cross-overs.
  
  And this sounds very similar to the India Shining campaign. Finally we get to showcase our growth (whatever little it is - even if its done for political mileage) and opposition shouts that there's no growth. The feel good factor need not be when we're number one. It could be when we are on the way - so it helps us be optimistic about our position. In that sense, a Tamilian has done us proud by storming a pre-dominantly British bastion and here we've people sniggering at him saying he's goofed big time. Yes he did, and he had the modesty to accept it and says he'd come back with better stuff next time. If you can only think of ridiculing this attempt...I've got only thing to say..."kani yiruppa kaai kavarndhattru".
  
  
• From: ambleen (@ 203.117.10.18) on: Fri Mar 12 02:56:47 EST 2004
  
  So i guess it's exposed for a second time that ARR is not fit for orchestra or any real composing.
  
  
• From: ambleen (@ 203.117.10.18) on: Fri Mar 12 03:01:59 EST 2004
  
  "Well, he was modest and gracious enuf to admit his mistake in front of a capacity crowd..
  and yeah, Do u know that people actually paid to come to the concert... yeah.. they paid to attend the concert, not fund him to compose it!"
  
  does he have a choice after the mess up?
  
  
• From: rajasaranam (@ 210.210.34.103) on: Fri Mar 12 05:57:32 EST 2004
  
  Karthick S,
  
  ithu nalla irukae 'kuzhanthayum killi vittuttu, thottila aatradhu' :-)
  SO u hope he may come back with better stuff nxt time. what else can u do inspite of knowing a mediocre MD rising to greater heights due to 'HYPE' and good marketing skills. If ur so hopeful lemme too hope for some original stuff coming frm ARR without anybody else's inputs.
  
  thiru,
  
  IR dumped by all major directors?????
  kamalhassan, fazil, balumahendra, bala, thankar bachaan,cheran ivengellam yaaru???
  balachandar ethukku IRoda tunes avaroda tele serialukku use pannittu nandrinnu title la podraar?
  Barathirajava dump pannathu IRthaan neenga nenaikira madri illa.
  ippa irukura major directorsla Manirathnam thavira ARRkku projects kudukarathu yaaru???Aytha ezhuthu kku piragu intha combinationum mudinjidum. tamizh cinema la ARRkku oru saavu melam with dance pottuttu sandhosha pada porom...
  
  athellam sari vidunga intha thread oda title paarunga CBSO seeks ARR's guidance itha padichittu kooda ungalukku sirippu varalaena nejamaavae ungalukku ennamo problem irukku, konjam kovatha korainga, sirithu vaazha pazhagikoonga.
  
  
  
• From: thiru (@ 210.214.128.1) on: Fri Mar 12 11:52:52 EST 2004
  
  Rajasaranam,
  Sathan vedam othuthu.
  "konjam kovatha korainga, sirithu vaazha pazhagikoonga. "
  
  Sir, unga pattikattula venna avar tamil pattu kekama irukalam, pavam newspaper illatha gramam pola eruku, avaroda International projects ellam ungaluku enga theriya povuthu, pavam.
  Punai kanna mudina ulagam erundutuma.
  Ithula ungaluku alpa sandhoshama, thriupi thirupi sollunga, aana onnu, enge irukaravanga naraya per vettula paper varum :)
  
  Amam sir IR is not dumped by any director, IR has 5 international projects and 7 hindi projects. Even he is going to be knighted :)
  People are pouring money for TIS.
  Sandhoshama.
  
  Hey i am not too good in comforting crybabies, hope you're ok now.
  Lollipop sapadariya, choclates venuma?
  Papa, look appa amma illatha pothu summa net log on panni key board press pannakudathu, ok.
  Be a good boy, you have a lot to learn, muthalla ABCD, apparam Ulaga arivu, most important keeping abreast with News, ok.
  Poi thungu. Nan oru IR pattu paderen.
  Varam than samiku....lali lali.
  
  
  Karumam da!
  
  
• From: thiru (@ 210.214.128.1) on: Fri Mar 12 11:59:04 EST 2004
  
  Nalla vela ARR Bashing perla
  Kathirkavayum communismayum idiyappam noodles valiya kothu sony varyum thakkama intha moriyavathu direct attack panningale, aana enna we miss your that kinda jokes.
  En sir time illaya or creativity gone ah?
  Please keep your "Narasimha" kinda work.
  
  
• From: anonymous (@ 158.140.2.102) on: Fri Mar 12 14:54:14 EST 2004
  
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/music/2004/03/rahman_review.shtml
  
  
• From: anonymous (@ 158.140.2.102) on: Fri Mar 12 14:58:05 EST 2004
  
  If someone has Times online Subscription could probably get the article...
  
  By doing seach for "ar rahman" at http://timesonline.co.uk
  
  
• From: Note Man (@ 35.9.20.119) on: Fri Mar 12 15:20:07 EST 2004
  
  
  Karthik S,
  Good point of view. Whether many people agree or not ARR has got the talent of giving music which can appeal across borders. Also, due to the reason that his paradigm of music is based on the west's paradigm for hip hop popular music it appeals instantly. He does this in style by integrating an Indian element somewhere and that is brilliant I would say. We will cherish ARR's songs for days to come ahead and its a myth that ARR's songs don't stand the test of time.
  
  
  thiru,
  ...still this does not mean IR is a lesser composer since he does not have international projects. He has been there done that and he is a legend beyond compare. If ever there were to be a comprehensive course for western classical music or carnatic music or how to fuse these two, we can just pick a 100 of IR's songs or BGM as the syllabus. That is IR. Like Sherlock Holmes (sic) who brought scientific discipline to the art of deduction, IR has brought the same element of scientific discipline to the art of BGM. There is almost nothing he has not explored and still he comes up something new every other movie, that is true genius. There is no other composer who has cried, laughed and felt a thousand emotions in a thousand scenes along side with the audience, through his wonderful BGM. This is something we cherish about IR. Unfortunately, his is a subtle genius and which will go unnoticed by the masses, like many behind the scenes work by other technicians and will be appreciated only by people who know its worth and by only those who know that the God is in the details.
  
  ARR is diligent talent. IR is natural genius.
  
  
• From: thiru (@ 210.214.128.69) on: Fri Mar 12 16:33:05 EST 2004
  
  Mr.Noteman,
  That was a sarcastic reply given to the great Rajasaranam.
  I agree 100% IR is a great music director but at the same time, there are some flaws with him, which i have said already in various posts.
  But that doesn't stop him from being a Great MD.
  IR may be natural talent but after reading ARR's biography you must accept he got a scholarship at trinity Music College just in his teens, he's no dumb head.
  Yes, he works harder than any music director, no wonder he goes places.
  
  Rajasaranam,
  As forumites, we must make this place better, just because we love one MD more than the other we must make this a war place, i will stop these meaningless replies to you or anybody.
  I feel you can do the same, illa kozi sandai mari adichukanam meaningless way la i am ready as long you want.
  I'll go one step further.
  i am sorry for all the things that irritated IR fans, will you stop such meaningless bashing.
  
  
  

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