Maestro ilaiyaraaja news & titbits

[crvenky]

Illayaraaja –‘M’usician or ‘M’athematician?
.by Prashan Jayatheepam on Friday, November 25, 2011 at 2:18pm.by prashan jayatheepam

There is a lot of ‘M’athematics in ‘M’usic!...In the Genius’ Music…

…there is Melody, there is Mathematics;

…there is Expression, there is a Feeling!

…there is Symmetry , there is Beauty;

Before we go deep in to exploring the ‘M’ factor…it would be best if this Raaja masterpiece could be heard a few times…

The Song is a Kannada Song called 'Nanna Neenu Gellalare’ from the Kannada Film ‘Nee Nanna Gellalare’.

This is a song where the Hero and the Heroine challenge each other and that is the reason for the usage of ‘Symmetry’ in the Song!

The quality of the YouTube video for this song is really bad…hence I have uploaded the mp3 for this song here http://www.sendspace.com/file/ng72ag - (and click on 'Click here to start download from sendspace')

…please download and listen a few times before reading further!

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The 2 Raagas to consider are both audava-audava Raagas (Pentatonic Raagas with 5 notes)

…If taken in ‘C’…

Hindolam – C Eb F Ab Bb

Sudha Dhanyasi – C Eb F G Bb (same as G Bb C Eb F with ‘G’ as the base)

If you see clearly the only difference between these Raagas is that the ‘Ab’ in Hindolam has decreased by a semi tone to ‘G’ in Sudhha Dhanyasi!

The song starts with Janaki humming the Raaga Sudha Dhanyasi and Dr. Rajkumar’s humming follows it but in Raaga Hindolam.

So where is Raaja’s Magic? some kind of Magic should follow…?

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And it happens in the second Interlude. Janaki & Dr.Rajkumar exchange the Raagas…and Janaki starts singing the Swaras of Hindolam while Dr. Rajkumar sings Swaras of Sudha Dhanyasi – Genius!

Listen carefully to the 2nd Interlude…where both singers match each other in note structure, rhythm structure and timing…it’s a Symmetry!

…in-fact they are pitching the exact same notes…however not singing the same note.

The Note distances on the left (Hindolam) are equal to the Note distances on the Right (Sudha Dhanyasi)

C-Eb = G-Bb

Eb-F = Bb-C

F-Ab = C-Eb

Ab-Bb = Eb-F

Even though two different Raagas are used…we don’t notice this…we don’t even notice the Symmetry…Reason…?

…the Genius has cheekily disguised the Symmetry inside a beautiful 2nd Interlude Melody…hence making you to enjoy the melody and forget the Symmetry…

Magic Over? Not yet…he’s a Genius!…more to follow…

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Towards the end of the 2nd Interlude Dr. Rajkumar sings 5 Arohana Audava (Ascending Pentatonic) Scales…

…Now someone would hope the 5 Arohana Scales would be in either Hindolam or Sudhha Dhanyasi? Which would make sense…

Nope…but Raaja thinks otherwise…!

The 5 Arohana’s are…in Order…

C D E G A – Mohanam

C D F G Bb - Madhyamavati

C Eb F G Bb - Sudhha Dhanyasi

C D F G A - Suddha Saveri

C Eb F G Bb - Sudhha Dhanyasi

Now would someone notice all these 5 Arohana’s happening in 9 seconds?

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So how come the Genius derived 4 new Raagas out of no-where?

‘Suddha Saveri’ was derived – when ‘Graha Bedham’ was applied to Raaga Hindolam and the base was changed from ‘C’ to ‘Eb’

‘Sudhha Dhanyasi’ was derived - when ‘Graha Bedham’ was applied to Raaga Hindolam and the base was changed from ‘C’ to ‘F’

‘Mohanam’ was derived - when ‘Graha Bedham’ was applied to Raaga Hindolam and the base was changed from ‘C’ to ‘Ab’

‘Madhyamavati’ was derived - when ‘Graha Bedham’ was applied to Raaga Hindolam and the base was changed from ‘C’ to ‘Bb’

Only if you jump in and go deep in to the song that we will find these precious priceless Gems!!!

Experimentation & Symmetry at its Best!