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Whatever happened to Illayaraja's symphony?

Topic started by Swaminathan N (@ infosys.inf.com) on Wed May 14 15:38:06 EDT 1997.
All times in EDT +9:30 for IST.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Shashi (@ eed01773.mayo.edu) on: Wed Mar 10 16:59:30 EST 1999
  
  Hello Anand Mahadevan
  
  Your suggestion that there may exist a company that has legal rights over the symphony is a good one. If what you say is true, RPO performed the symphony written by Raja but there was a recording company (Pyramid? or Anonymous?) who recorded this performance and now hold the rights for its release.
  
  This explanation however raises another question? If a recording company holds the rights--they should have produced the performance; meaning they should have paid RPO (or its artists) & John Scott (conducter) and possibly negotiated royalty benefits from the sale of this recording with Raja.
  
  But, from Geetha's posting, it seems that Raja paid the RPO artists. It would not be difficult for Raja to hire a recording engineer to record the performance at the same time when he paid the artists who performed the symphony.
  
  There is still another possibility!! Lets assume a "particular recording company" promised royalty and requested Raja to compose and record a symphony. They may have given him a starting lumpsum amount like a 'signing contract' and promised him the money he spends on getting the performance recorded as per his choice after this was completed. In that case, Raja may have spent a considerable amount of his own money and paid the RPO artists and recorded the performance. After its completion the "recording company" for some reason could not complete the contract as promised (?unknown problems) and that is why Raja has taken legal action to get his money back as per the contract?
  
  Ultimately to proceed further (with anykind of a plan on getting the symphony released) we need more information such as:
  1. Was there a recording company involved in the production of 'the symphony'?
  2. If yes, which company? and how to contact them and find out further details about legal rights etc?
  3. If no, (i.e Raja soley owns the rights) then the option of coercing Raja into a live performance in the US with a reputable WCM orchestra (as people have been suggesting) may be a good plan of action.
  4. Finally, I am not 100% certain about this but I would appreciate other comments on the following suggestion. If Raja modifies the recorded symphony even by a few bars, modifies a few instruments etc it does become a new composition (music copyright laws are rather weak in this area--that is my understanding); Raja can then record this modified symphony with another company who are more willing to release it!! Offcourse, he would have to pay another orchestra to play it, but, if TFM-DFers in the US manage to arrange for a live performance with one of the well known orchestra's (of this modified symphony)--it could be recorded then and could be released.
  
  And as Udhaya says--please keep commenting and coming up with suggestiions. Eventually we may end up with some sort of a game plan!!
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 205.218.142.217) on: Wed Mar 10 17:34:27 EST 1999
  
  Raja Fan,
  Great going with your e-mails. I applaud your initiative. Just a caveat, kurai solvathaaga ninaikka vaendaam, please try to avoid superlatives when trying to pitch an unknown figure in the west. Genius, the greatest, maestro, these addages are cool to use in this forum but when reaching Westerners, they may take the whole matter lightly as if it is a single, crazed fan's anointment rather than a serious fact about a professional musician.
  
  
• From: Guruprasad (@ brf3.pharm.uic.edu) on: Thu Mar 11 01:21:11 EST 1999
  
  Udhaya
  
  Could you please reply to my posting...hope you read it....thanks
  
  Guruprasad
  
  
• From: raja (@ ws-209-201-91-141.icon.com) on: Thu Mar 11 08:56:56 EST 1999
  
  Has anyone seen any influence of IR's symphony (when he wrote it - 1993) in his film songs from that period?
  
  It is nice to see the effort of all his fans in getting his symphony released-I remember when I was in India last yr and had read in DF about the symphony being released on Tamil NYear, checking up if it was released and ended up frustrated. Was the symphony played in madras by RPO and what were the reviews? - any info on this?
  
  
• From: Venkat (@ 208.224.119.242) on: Thu Mar 11 09:49:51 EST 1999
  
  This post is not, strictly speaking, related to the Symphony, but this is the best thread to post this. So here goes...
  I know a lot of IR Fans are looking to popularize IRs work. I have an idea, which kind of stems from my having spent a lot of time surfing cdnow.com ( http://cdnow.com - one of the largest CD shops on the web) and well, this site :-). Why dont we get cdnow.com to stock IRs HTNI,NBW and other instrumental works? We could conduct a survey on this site first to see if people would be interested in buying them if CDnow carried IRs work, and then send the survey results to cdnow
  
  The site carries ARRs Vande Matram, after all (well, it was released by a major label, but still...). How will this popularize IRs work, you ask? Well, if the CD is a reasonably big seller, they might advertise him in their world music section. Just a thought...Granted, this idea is not as fabulous as the lets-get-him-to-conduct-a-symphony-in-the-US deal, but just another option to explore.
  
  What say?
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 205.218.142.217) on: Thu Mar 11 12:14:29 EST 1999
  
  Sashi,
  I liked your post. We can start off our symphony endeavor on the 4 points you have suggested. Once we answer these questions the path narrows considerably and the rest would be just taking care of details.
  
  Venkat, great suggestions, man, don't be so bashful. I was thinking of sending a concise write-up (like the one Madhan wrote) to record companies such as BMG, Columbia Records, I will add cdnow to the list.
  
  Guruprasad, I don't live in Chicago. You can send me an e-mail (udhayak@yahoo.com)regarding other queries.
  
  
• From: Swami (@ cacher-ext.wise.edt.ericsson.se) on: Thu Mar 11 16:38:16 EST 1999
  
  I just have one question. Is there any possibility that either Mr.IR (or) KR (or) YSR (or) Bava had browsed thro' this forum. Well they shouldn't be so WWW ignorant. In that case, if any of the siblings had see/seeing this page, please, tell you dad or atlest tell us some info about the symphony.
  
  >>Swami
  
  
• From: Senthil (@ 204.164.207.66) on: Fri Mar 12 19:22:12 EST 1999
  
  Folks some more information on the symphony.It seems to me like, IR is entirely responsible for releasing his work. There a lot of Maestro's in London, and their concert's are held almost every month(info from my friend din London). Its not like in India, where one is genuis and all others are copycats. There is lot of talent available in western countries, just tune to western classical channel in ur town (if you're in USA), it gives lot of information.
  
  Now to the mail..
  
  From: "Tim" Save Address Block Sender
  To: "'senthil_vinay@hotmail.com'"
  Subject: RE: FW: Hi symphony information required.
  Date: Wed, 10 Mar 99 11:15:20 +0000
  MIME-Version: 1.0
  From andrewst@rpo.co.uk Wed Mar 10 04:14:00 1999
  Received: (qmail 24409 invoked from network); 10 Mar 1999 12:13:55 -0000
  Received: from rpo.easynet.co.uk (HELO rpo.co.uk) (195.40.50.229)by
  fig.mail.easynet.net with SMTP; 10 Mar 1999 12:13:55 -0000
  Sender: "Tim"
  
  Reply Reply All Forward Delete Previous Next Close
  
  Thank you for your enquiry.
  
  I have investigated your question and discovered that the RPO has never performed the symphony. I have forwarded your other enquiry to my colleague who will let you know more details if she has any.
  
  
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  From: "senthil vinayagam"
  [SMTP:senthil_vinay@hotmail.com]
  Sent: 09 March 1999 03:54
  To:
  Subject: Re: FW: Hi symphony information required.
  
  I really appreciate you for replying to my mail.
  One more query, Was the symphony played in the Albert Hall. If so, why was it not commercially released. Is it the responsbilty of Illayaraj to release it?.
  
  Advance thanks and wish you a wonderful day!
  
  Senthil
  
  The good news is Tim never replied there was no symphony. Even his reply has the word "symphony".
  I don't think we are going to get more info from RPO. IR has to open his mouth. I wento a concert in New Haven(conneticut)near Yale university. I spoke to one of performer there. He gave the info about RPO. From him, I understood that IR will not be able to make evne the kind of money he his making by accepting some 'dappa' offers in TF's.
  He will be able to make money only in the long run,that after spending lot of money from his pocket.
  
  For example, When Zahir Hussian played tabla in LA symphonic hall in some 1995. He was paid by hour, approximatley around $1000-1500 per hour. That nothing for a musician flying from India. Its the name that the look for from perfoming these orchastra's. Everybody knows Zahir is more famous than IR. It means nothing. But IR is not going in TFMer direction. His in his own direction...
  
  Pray for good.
  
  Senthil
  
  
• From: Senthil (@ 204.164.207.66) on: Fri Mar 12 19:26:19 EST 1999
  
  Pardon me for the all the grammatical and spelling mistakes. I'm in a hurry
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 205.218.142.217) on: Fri Mar 12 20:02:20 EST 1999
  
  Oru idaiserugal: Let's say IR does agree and we manage to get him to the US to inaugurate his symphony. . .wouldn't it be great to do it on New Year's eve? Imagine ringing in the new millenium with his symphony...
  
  All right, back to reality!
  
  
• From: aruLarasan. (@ psiphi.umsl.edu) on: Fri Mar 12 21:01:02 EST 1999
  
  udhaya,
  
  appa nAn indiyA pOlAmnu irukkEn. indha mAdhiri fantasy ellAm keLappi udaRIngaLE :-(
  
  :-))
  
  
• From: bb (@ schubert.crhc.uiuc.edu) on: Sat Mar 13 22:44:58 EST 1999
  
  aruL: appo new yorklle vendaam, kamaraj memorialle vachikkalaam:-)
  
  
• From: Anand Mahadevan (@ tnt01-abe-078.fast.net) on: Sun Mar 14 09:12:30 EST 1999
  
  Am sure IR's symphony was'nt played in Albert Hall.It was played in a church by RPO.
  
  
• From: Srinath (@ ss08.nc.us.ibm.com) on: Mon Mar 15 15:12:58 EST 1999
  
  Would IR agree to perform with ARR on stage ? I am sure they'll only benefit from each others'presence. Hmmmm....we could add our own gimmicks letting IR remix/modify ARR's compositions and vice-versa ! That would be an output worth listening to !
  
  
• From: Mr.Kuzapam (@ 206.139.13.135) on: Mon Mar 15 16:21:19 EST 1999
  
  Srinath : Velaie illaiya...
  Entha podu podareega..
  
  

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