The Hindu : National : Thiruvasagam oratorio a trailblazer: Minister

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Friday, Jul 01, 2005

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National

Thiruvasagam oratorio a trailblazer: Minister

Special Correspondent

"Ilayaraja's bold undertaking has crossed barriers of language, nations and ethnicity"

MAESTRO'S MAGIC: The Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, S. Jaipal Reddy, releases `Thiruvasagam' oratorio composed by maestro Ilayaraja (fourth from right). The others in the photograph are (from left): Peter Alphonse, Congress leader; N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu ; Jegath Gasper Raj, founder of Tamil Maiyam; Vaiko, MDMK general secretary; Balamuralikrishna, veteran Carnatic musician; Vincent Chinnadurai, Tamil Maiyam president; and film stars Rajnikant and Kamal Hassan. — Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

CHENNAI: : The Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, S. Jaipal Reddy, on Thursday lauded maestro Ilayaraja's `Thiruvasagam' oratorio as being part of a "cultural crossover," which, he said, was the unifying theme of the 21st century.

Releasing the audio compact disc of `Thiruvasagam' at the Music Academy here, Mr. Reddy said the venture represented creation and versatility. After listening to a rendition of the 20-minute oratorio, Mr. Reddy said he believed it to be the first of its kind in the country.

It was not easy to fuse Carnatic music with Western classical music, to combine Thyagaraja with Beethoven, but credit must go to Ilayaraja for achieving this through his "outstanding" composition. Besides, the work combined ancient Tamil poetry with contemporary English text, establishing his symphony as a cultural crossover too, Mr. Reddy said.

"He is exploring and extending the frontiers of classical music. He will go a long way and blaze a trail for all of India," Mr. Reddy said of Ilayaraja. "There are no limits to the heights Ilayaraja can rise to."

Bridge between two kinds of music

Carnatic musician M. Balamuralikrishna, who received the first copy of the CD, said Ilayaraja's `Thiruvasagam' was a bridge between two kinds of music and it had moved him immensely.

Congress leader Peter Alphonse said the album, comprising six songs, was an expression of "secular spirituality," which was the need of the hour.

A DVD on the making of the album was also released and actor Kamal Hassan received the first copy from Ilayaraja's music guru, Dakshinamurthi Swamigal. Mr. Kamal Hassan said the composition was a huge service to Tamil and it transcended the boundaries of religion, caste and geography.

Film star Rajnikant recalled his meaningful relationship with the maestro for about 27 years. He lauded Ilayaraja as a musical genius, whose journey was in search of peace.

The Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu , N. Ram, said the `Thiruvasagam' oratorio was unique as a "seamless classical crossover." This bold undertaking had crossed the barriers of language, nations and ethnicity. It was a representation of the pluralistic character of the country. The involvement of the Catholic church in the project was a great service to India. He appealed to fans not to resort to piracy or copying of CDs of the album.

The general secretary of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Vaiko, who recounted the literary and spiritual significance of Thiruvasagam by Tamil saint-poet Manickavasagar, said he believed that Ilayaraja's rendition was in character — going beyond religion and caste. "Ilayaraja's work will last as long as there are sound waves," he said.

Speaking at the conclusion of the event, Ilayaraja said that writing music for the work was a pleasurable experience. The project was made possible by the grace of God and "if He so destines, then I will be involved in more such works."

The founder of Tamil Maiyam, which co-ordinated with Ilayaraja in the venture, Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj, said the oratorio was taken forward with financial and moral support from a number of individuals and institutions.

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