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Another research paper on IR: Maestro fortunate being in TFM than Hollywood composers

Topic started by Researcher (@ 205.188.199.169) on Sat May 25 20:08:20 EDT 2002.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

http://christopher.goodman.net/Papers/Indian_Film_Music.html

Excellent presentation of the similarities of power and influence of music in Indian and American films. Christopher Goodman, in his research paper, has the Maestro in focus and has an insight as to how IR is amazing in background scores when compared by Hollywood standards!

"Illaiyaraja also uses leitmotifs, but in away I have never seen them used before, particularly in Sindhu Bhairavi. Illaiyaraja gives Sindhu a dual melody. One is almost sinister sounding, and is played on a plucked instrument. The other is a very sweet, infectious flute melody. These two themes work very well for Sindhu, capturing her character in just a few short measures of material. There is enough substance to this theme that Illaiyaraja does not need to change the instrumentation or style of the melody; he merely shortens or lengthens it when necessary, and presents the portions of the melody that relate best to the particular scene and emotion. In particularly emotionally confusing scenes, like when Sindhu expresses her love for JKB (a married man, whom she first admired for his musicianship), the conflict within her theme works perfectly. I have never encountered such substance in just a single, short melody - which can express so much without the aid of varying orchestration."

Only point the author fails to recognize is how much more a composer brings more tonal quality to the movies underlying theme thru a consistent mood in the preludes and interludes, which even Hollywood composers cannot achieve with their theme scores.

I feel that only a handful of Indian music directors gave significance to Background score and none have ever so perfected the art as IR!

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Responses:

• From: Researcher (@ 64.12.101.162) on: Sat May 25 20:39:34 EDT 2002
  
  I meant this and isn't that the big truth?! Songs and Score. And, the phenomenon of songs in the background in American films it is only a recent phenomenon, they most always relied on a theme score to carry the movie from ben-hur to lawrence of arabia.
  
  (By the way, newtfmpage.com is proving to be a big research site as well, thanks to Rajaraman ;-))
  
  "Each Indian music director fulfills duties that are usually done by at least two people in American films - they must compose the background music and the hit songs. This means that the composers must be aware of current trends in popular music. While the American film composer can get away with only knowing how to communicate to his/her audience, leaving the songs to the songwriter, the Indian film composer must also know what his audience wants for songs and effective ways of communicating subconsciously through the score. In other words, Uttam Singh, Illaiyaraja, and any other composer is expected, for every film, to accomplish what Danny Elfman and Prince accomplished in Batman - an excellent score for a hit movie and complimentary hit songs. This is even more amazing when one considers that most composers do several films a year - Illaiyaraja has averaged over 40 a year for the past 20 years." (Rajaraman)
  
  
  
• From: Venkatesh (@ 212.72.11.67) on: Sun May 26 01:51:15 EDT 2002
  
  Researcher - thanks for the link, interesting one.
  This researcher also credits 'Anuradha Mohan' paper - is it the one by Anuradha Sriram? Where can we get it?
  
  
• From: S (@ 128.107.253.40) on: Sun May 26 02:07:32 EDT 2002
  
  Venkatesh,
  That's quite possible...while i'm not sure about it, i think that vud be the one bcos she said she did some R & D on Raja's music.
  
  
• From: Venkatesh (@ 212.72.11.67) on: Sun May 26 02:40:19 EDT 2002
  
  S, I also read abt her thesis.
  But here, it is mentioned under printed material.
  Do you have any idea where I can get it?
  
  
• From: Prakash (@ 195.93.32.151) on: Sun May 26 05:20:52 EDT 2002
  
  Guys Anuradha Sriram is not the same as Anuradha Mohan. Anuradha Sriram's maiden name was Iyer.
  
  
• From: S (@ 128.107.253.40) on: Sun May 26 07:21:04 EDT 2002
  
  Prakash,
  u seem to be right...bcos her brother's name is murugan Iyer.
  
  
• From: Researcher (@ 205.188.197.188) on: Mon May 27 17:17:06 EDT 2002
  
  http://jgetter.web.wesleyan.edu/diss.html
  
  Venkatesh,get the thesis from Wesleyan University i think connecticut and ask for a inter library loan thru your local public library itself. the thesis does not cover much ground on IR, rather his persona and how he a composer was the key influence of a film's destiny. Anuradha Mohan, who married Sriram, took up IR's creativity from a narrow view point. as the research was aiming to be consistent with the title in a commercial view point not from the creative side of music. "Ilaiyaraja: Composer as Phenomenon in Tamil Film Culture"
  
  Good Luck!
  
  
• From: Venkatesh (@ 212.72.11.67) on: Tue May 28 01:06:48 EDT 2002
  
  Researcher,
  Thanks for the link, I shall try.
  
  
• From: kiru (@ 192.138.150.249) on: Tue May 28 21:04:40 EDT 2002
  
  Thanks guys..Looks like there happens to be some threads in newtfmpage I can still read !!
  
  
• From: Subash (@ 172.183.23.130) on: Wed May 29 13:38:55 EDT 2002
  
  Guys, Anuradha was married to a guy called Mohan before when she was in India, then the marriage broke up and she went to USA to study music where she met Sriram and married him. She must have done the thesis before meeting Sriram.
  
  
• From: crv (@ 212.72.11.67) on: Thu May 30 00:49:02 EDT 2002
  
  refresh
  
  
• From: Venkatesh CR (@ ) on: Sun Jun 9 07:57:35 EDT 2002
  
  Researcher,
  I wrote to Joseph Getter and his reply is as below.
  
  Dear CR Venkatesh,
  
  I regret to say that the dissertation is not yet
  complete! I do hope to finish it within 1-2 years.
  
  About a year ago, I travelled to Madras and
  interviewed AR Rahman and MS Viswanathan, among
  others. I do not met Ilayaraja, infortunately - he
  does have some fantastic music.
  
  Thanks for your interest. When complete, the book will
  be about the music, its connection to the films, and
  the culture of Indian film music around the globe.
  
  Best,
  
  joseph
  
  
  ~~~ Joseph M. Getter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  ~ Doctoral Candidate in Ethnomusicology
  Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA
  ~ Lecturer, Music Department
  Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven,
  CT, USA
  ~ web: http://jgetter.web.wesleyan.edu/
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  
  
  
• From: (^!^) (@ 207.43.195.202) on: Thu Jun 13 11:02:37 EDT 2002
  
  Mohan is Anuradha's dad. Her maiden name is Anuradha Mohan. konjam vittaa Balachander padamaa aakkiduveengaLE? :-)
  
  
• From: naaz (@ 24.76.127.63) on: Thu Jun 13 12:17:36 EDT 2002
  
  Title options:
  "Ungappa Yaarukku Mamanaro?"
  "Pudhu Pudhu Anuradhaigal"
  (Couldn't resist.)
  
  

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