Home   Forum   Wiki   Notes   Register   FAQ   Sitemap   About Us   Contact Us  

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.

---

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Raja Fan (@ spider-wj063.proxy.aol.com) on: Tue Mar 9 22:52:21 EST 1999
  
  Just for information, friends I have been sending emails to the following:
  
  RPO, BBC, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmoni, Sony, EMI and even E! The content of the email will be laid out for your interests only if I get some positive replies. The subject matter is catchy, Ilayaraja: Ultimate Music Genius.
  
  
• From: Guruprasad (@ brf3.pharm.uic.edu) on: Tue Mar 9 23:53:37 EST 1999
  
  Udhaya
  It was a fantastic suggestion by you of having IR playing symphony in Chicago, NY etc. i am in Chicago and am willing to contact the Chicago symphony group and let you know about the details....there is no necessity that only Indians have to attend the function....this kind of music would well be appreciated by Americans too....let me know if you or anybody else are from Chicago too so that we can coordinate...the Chicago art Institute invites people from India to give Bharatnatyam performances....so then why not Symphony by IR ???? Great suggestion....please let me know asap...
  
  
• From: Srinath (@ spider-tf042.proxy.aol.com) on: Wed Mar 10 00:11:25 EST 1999
  
  Udhaya:
  You've got a good thing going there. But there have been so many ideas thrown around in the DF and none of them have developed into anything of substance. The problem lies in organization. I openly declare my inability and weak knees when it comes to taking charge. Both are due to the fact that I may not be interested or sincere enough to carry this out to completion. But surely there are other more enterprising souls out there who can take the lead. In fact, I think the TFM Team should take itself more seriously and represent us by approaching IR on an official level. Trust me when I say that this is never going to be accomplished by wide-eyed fans of IR.
  
  At the very least, the TFM Team can appoint someone (with a credible background) as an official representative and talk business with IR. Since this might cost something, the DFers could contribute a very nominal amount (say $10). Once sch a person is appointed/hired, he/she/they can work out a viable business proposition with IR to perform in the U.S.
  
  But then, we were not even able to arrange a get-together of DFers even on a regional basis. I doubt if we shall ever go past the stage of wishful thinking.
  
  
• From: Raja Fan (@ spider-tr041.proxy.aol.com) on: Wed Mar 10 00:42:02 EST 1999
  
  Some doubts as I ponder over the creation of the symphony. If IR's symphony was brilliant as Anand Mahadevan has learned, then why did not the word spread from the RPO to various music companies? If it was really brilliant, then IR would have been swamped by requests to compose more or would have been commissioned by various orchestras. This does not jell. Again, if IR did get great encouragement, he would have quit film music totally to concentrate on other types of projects. RPO is like the gateway to London music elite. Almost all the illustrious singers, performers, conductors, arrangers have had their music done in orchestral type by the RPO. So, IR should have had no trouble in being swamped by offers. I don't get this whole 6 years of silence. Something is not right at the heart of all this.
  
  Talking of Srinath's situation, the first and the only person we should contact in a symphony world is Zubin Mehta. Anyone knows the email address? I just sent an email to Zubin@3tenors.ucla.edu. It was a closed account and so my email came back. Anyone in New York of LA may know where Mehta lives. Fix an appointment and find out or give address.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• From: pae (@ globalb25.citicorp.com) on: Wed Mar 10 09:53:06 EST 1999
  
  RajaFan, you can try the following link to contact Zubin Mehta:
  
  http://www.artsinfo.com/zubin/docs/abtsite.html
  
  He can be contacted at artsinfo@artsinfo.com
  
  
• From: Srinath (@ ss07.nc.us.ibm.com) on: Wed Mar 10 11:04:29 EST 1999
  
  Raja Fan:
  I was thinking more along the lines of a PR or Marketing/Sales person or even better a person who has a past history of hosting/organizing public events either in India or in the U.S. If there is some amount of payment involved it would give some sort of seriousness to the task at hand. I doubt Zubin Mehta will be impressed enough to take on IR just like that. We need a person who can speak money amounts. Payments. Schedules. Advertising. Marketing. Taxes. Legalese. In general, a person who has some experience organizing shows. One of my uncles helped organize an IR night for some Delhi Tamizh Assoc. (I attended it) in N.Delhi a few years back (I was too young to realize how lucky I was). I will try to find out from him how IR can be approached for a program. But even in that program it was GA who was doing most of the hosting and IR just stepped out a few times to sing or say a few words. So GA might indeed be the right person to approach. But considering his mercurial relationship with IR, I don't know how feasible this is...
  
  
• From: Anand Mahadevan (@ freedum.proxy.lucent.com) on: Wed Mar 10 11:26:55 EST 1999
  
  More than anything else we need to get to the company which has the legal rights on this composition.If somebody at UK can reach out that will be of great help.
  I think the biggest contribution from we guys could be to sort out the leal mess this composition has gotten into.Both financialy and otherwise.I think there are some external forces blocking this release.
  
  Following is the official web site of RPO.Nothing much, but atleast they have the tel # and address.
  
  http://www.rpo.co.uk/
  
  srinath:Organizing shows with IR is far fetched and he does'nt subscribe to this view.He is not a flaunter and with his PR and business acumen it will fall flat.Lets accept IR for what he is and listen to his music.He will be the last person willing to budge to idiosyncrasies of the organizers and we will have to play the game on his terms, which will not be commercially viable.
  
  
  
  
  
• From: Srinath (@ ss07.nc.us.ibm.com) on: Wed Mar 10 11:43:36 EST 1999
  
  Anand:
  From Sendhil's mail, I understood that IR had the full rights as he has paid for it. Doesn't that make IR the only reason for the Symphony not coming out ? I don't know how useful it would be contacting RPO again and again :-( when they have specifically said that IR has the master copy of the Symphony.
  
  
• From: Anand Mahadevan (@ freedum.proxy.lucent.com) on: Wed Mar 10 12:14:12 EST 1999
  
  srinath,
  I am sure his rights are curtailed viz-a-viz releasing and enjoying the profits.He does have the master copy but he has no rights on the release.If the recording was done in India ,he could have given two hoots to copyright and released it.
  The international scene is different as recording companies can really come after you if you violate their agreement.
  One has to be really careful in entering into deals with recording companies outside India as they can really hit you hard on copyright violation and they are mighty powerful.
  
  
• From: SitaRam (@ portal.ameritech.com) on: Wed Mar 10 12:51:20 EST 1999
  
  It is possible that IR is waiting to acquire as much publicity before the release of his album. If it is an earth shattering symphony then that is good enough publicity. My best symphonies are: Beethoven's 5th and Mozart's 25th. (Really the only two that are simply the best in western classical music that IR needs to contend with!) If IR has done a symphony that will rank beside these two, then what is IR' problem?
  
  If it is a recording company issue, I know the Pyramid company in Singapore started this all. So, the rights must be still with them. They introduced RPO to IR and vice versa. So, it should still be Pyramid that is in the middle of this. Or, the best possibility is: IR is waiting to start his studio (does it exist at all?) and then release the symphony in his own company name.
  
  Nothing like introducing to the world his new studio in such a Indian way! I hope this is the truth of it.
  
  Can anyone of our friends in Chennai do some snooping? VS Narasimhan is the best person to talk to. Anyone can find him in the lunch time strolling out for a walk at the LVP studios.
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 205.218.142.217) on: Wed Mar 10 13:22:27 EST 1999
  
  Srinath and Anand,
  
  I share your concerns about the magnitude of such an undertaking. I have voiced them before. We do need PR visionaries to step in and organize this. We can fund the venture and all pitch in with our strengths. I'm willing to pitch in some money and my time to cull up and organize a "Newsletter or Press release" to commemorate the event. In this manner each one of us can do something that comes naturally to us, whether it's coercing information over the phone, or networking in Kodambaakkam or London, I'm sure all interested parties can pitch in somehow and make this work like a potluck gathering.
  
  We should definitely consult or work with powerful Thamizh Mandrams. They have the backing to pull TFM megastars overseas for concerts, why don't we get them to organize a symphony show? We could help them sell tickets, finance the deal, etc.
  
  And another thing, guys, don't get discouraged by this mulling over of ideas. It seems like we're just throwing ideas but after much brainstorming, the issues will become clear and we can nail down a plan of action. Already, I see the ideas here becoming more pragmatic and less illusory. Let's keep going. If we make a concerted effort to not get sidetracked and focus on the possibles, we can do this. And Srinath, I really like the idea of getting TFMpage group to flex their muscle in this. Ravi, Rajaraman and Co. come on guys, you brought us all here, now there's a greater calling for you. Rise to the occasion.
  
  
• From: SitaRam (@ portal.ameritech.com) on: Wed Mar 10 13:35:14 EST 1999
  
  I do agree with Anand. In fact, I too thought about it. Is IR willing to spend his energies on any publicity work? He needs all the focus to come up with newer output. How could he manage a distraction when the motivation to do a stage show of his symphony is only to please TFM fans. This has to be grand, organised on a grand scale. Our best bet is to contact Pyramid or Sony and pursue this on behalf of TFM forum. Really only a large sponsorship and credibility of the event can only help IR to justify his taking time away from Chennai. Now, it should be all glamour and gliz on the scale of a woodstock or atleast a Royal Albert Hall performance. Nothing less... I am not discouraging, but this Symphony pre-release event has to be really a grand one without any precedent.
  
  
• From: Raja Fan (@ spider-th041.proxy.aol.com) on: Wed Mar 10 15:06:42 EST 1999
  
  Two responses received from LA Philharmonic. Zubin Mehta used to be here. Thanks, Pae, I will write to Zubin tonight.
  
  _________________________________________________
  Subj: RE: Illaiyaraja: Music's Ultimate Genius
  Date: 3/10/99 1:58:03 PM Central Standard Time
  From: aolawsky@laphil.org (Olawsky, Amy)
  
  Dear Raja:
  
  The manager of our Programming Department read your email and wanted me to
  relay to you that we are glad to hear of this artist. I'm sure they will
  keep the information in mind and on file. Again, thank you for thinking of
  us.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Amy Olawsky
  Patron Services
  Los Angeles Philharmonic and Hollywood Bowl
  
  _________________________________________________
  Dear Raja:
  
  Thank you for thinking of us, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Hollywood
  Bowl. I have forwarded your email on to our Programming Department for
  their consideration.
  
  Amy Olawsky
  Patron Services
  
  
  
  
  

---

List all pages of this thread

Post comments