Thursday, August 27, 2020

A Quadrant of Theme Music Classics!

This was an impromptu shot at attempting a few well known pieces of re-recordings. I still don't know how this straddling happened from one end of the spectrum to another to play these classsics but it happened just like that. The 4 tracks played include:

1) Punnagai Mannan theme music
2) Godfather theme music
3) Mouna Ragam theme music
4) Jurassic Park theme music

I am usually a fan of theme music as they have such an uplifting appeal especially when the output leaves you with an everlasting effect that reverberates far beyond the movie. Some of the pieces produced locally at home in Kodambakkam easily stands testimony to some of the all time great pieces produced in Hollywood though many a time these kind of mind blowing pieces appear in totally obscure movies unable to comprehend the mastery of the mesmerism in the music. 

These are just some small minor phrases from 4 mega path breaking pieces of music. I don't know which among these sounds better but I hope the end result is justified to a reasonable extent.

Friday, August 21, 2020

Thendral Vandhu - Poetry in Motion!

If you have to describe a composition that depicts imagery at it's very best, it's pretty hard to fathom beyond this one. All sorts of emotions get entangled and it meanders along in such an enigmatic manner that highlights poetry in motion. 

Even from the composer's rich oeuvre spanning across plethora of genres, it's really hard to pigeonhole this number into one particular category. The orchestral prepositions, the variations in the arrangement, layer by layer construction of the melody et al all leave you dazzled with monotones of intensity and eerieness. 

I attempted a little portion of this gargantuan composition beginning from the Charanam portion "எவரும் சொல்லாமலே பூக்களும் வாசம் வீசுது" and lurked on back to the Pallavi of தென்றல் வந்து தீண்டும் போது. I thoroughly enjoyed attempting those snippety nippy gamakas that add such a varied colour to the composition. 

There is no question of doing justice to the original. At best this is just a humble attempt at a particular segment of this mind blowing composition. Being technologically in adept, couldn't really do much to control the burring sound of the mike. Anyhow it's just the joy of being enmeshed by the beauty of the composition at the end of the day 😃.


Saturday, August 15, 2020

Malargale - Blooming Musical Flowers!

I always have a sugary soft corner especially with regard to ARR's early day compositions. Growing up, it was almost a ritual to get absorbed in his music in some way or other. He had taken the city of Madras by storm with his sound coming across as not only new age but also endearingly refreshing.

The melody content was sweet and he was always certain of hitting the right chords thereby finding a way into many a youth's heart. The 90s style of music from the junction box of ARR especially the melodic numbers had a honey coated tenderness to it that usually got one flayed and caught up sucking the nectar. 'Malargale Malargale' is a vintage melody that has always been attractive and establishes itself as a charming composition. The charanam portion especially with the subtle gamakas, zigzag phrases and jumpy notes transgressing across octaves adds such a vibrant touch. The lyrics indicate the flowers telling a dream and the music supports it by painting a swirling canvas encapsulated with varied emotional hues.
Just attempted a little portion of the number beginning with my favorite Charanam portion and clawing back thereby to the Pallavi and also mildly straddling along to this hard hitting western bit that gives another contrasting complexion. Today marks 28 years of the entry of the man who captured the generation of the 90s with his swayful music making his debut with Roja which hit silver screens on this very day on the 15th of August 1992. May the music continue to meritoriously mesmerize.