John Scott tells about raaja's symphony

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Topic started by siva (@ 204.94.209.1) on Sun Nov 26 22:32:28 EST 2000.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

http://webhome.idirect.com/~rlevy/current_question.html

guys, it seems that a critic lashed out at raaja's work ..thats the reason he refuses to release it...

go to the page fast, cause the question of the week changes...

Responses:

From: siva (@ 204.94.209.1) on: Sun Nov 26 22:33:34 EST 2000

ooops, i forgot to tell something, i am a fan of raja.... so dont think i am criticizing him....
From: mottai (@ 129.186.67.102) on: Sun Nov 26 23:16:31 EST 2000

I strong believe raaja has done something incredible ....those western guys probably got jealous......
vazhga raasa....vazgha num raasavin pugal..
HCMF
From: mottai (@ 129.186.67.102) on: Mon Nov 27 00:06:23 EST 2000

strong := strongly
From: Venkatesh (@ 206.49.110.156) on: Mon Nov 27 00:07:32 EST 2000

Digression,

A related news article in:

http://www.themusicmagazine.com/ravikiranbbc.html
From: MS (@ 129.252.222.2) on: Mon Nov 27 03:16:41 EST 2000

Just did not want to miss the info:

As time permits, John Scott will answer your questions and have the answer posted here. This week's question comes from Anbu Ramasamy:

Mr. Scott,

I think you are one of the best composers around & my mission now is to go out and get all your CDs. Please keep composing & keep releasing your music.

The question I have is somewhat involving you and another person. I was thrilled when I heard that you were going to conduct the symphony for Mr. Ilayaraja from India when he was commissioned to write a symphony. Mr. Ilayaraja is my favorite Indian composer & I couldn't believe my ears when I came to know another one of my favorite composers (you!) was going to conduct it. There was a huge celebration for him in India with all the top personality & you honoring Mr. Ilayaraja. This was shown in the tele & I was ecstatic to see you on stage. As you were being garlanded on stage, I also happened have your CD 'John Scott's Favorites' gracing my glass cupboard with you in front. I so excitingly pointed out to my family members 'there that's him' & they really couldn't believe as well.

But till now, this symphony has not been released & there hasn't any news about it. I hope you can enlighten about its release & the work of Mr. Ilayaraja.

Anbu(Singapore)

Dear Anbu (Singapore),

Thank you for your very kind comments. I am a very lucky person because I spend my life doing what I like, which is composing music.

It was very interesting to hear that you witnessed the Ilayaraja honoring ceremony on TV. I was flown from London to Madras specially for it. It was an incredible experience and I shall never forget it. Ilayaraja and I became very close friends and I have tried to encourage him to get his symphony released. I believe he was hurt by a critics review, and this is the reason it has not been released. I had the privilege of conducting the recording sessions with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, in London, and we all believe it deserves to be released. The trouble is that critics are capable of destroying sensitive artists and have done it throughout the history of music. The more one knows a piece of music the more one loves it, and the stupid critics are incapable of judging anything they have never heard before. They have seldom been right. There is a wonderful book by Nicolas Slonimsky entitled LEXICON OF MUSICAL INVECTIVE. It is a history of musical criticism since Beethoven's time. It shows how the critics have crucified every great composer without exception! I will contact Illayaraja and tell him about your kind remarks and that he owes it to us all to make his symphony available.

I send you my best wishes,

John Scott
From: siva (@ 204.94.209.1) on: Mon Nov 27 05:21:53 EST 2000

thanks MS
From: Subbu (@ 192.39.1.92) on: Mon Nov 27 05:56:20 EST 2000

MS,

Thank you very much. That is a very important news - and Mr.John Scott has put it in the most beautiful way possible. That is the best compliment I have seen so far on Ilayaraja ...
"The more one knows a piece of music the more one loves it, and the stupid critics are incapable of judging anything they have never heard before. They have seldom been right."

I wish Ilayaraaja listens to Mr.John Scott's and his fans' request.
From: Udhaya (@ 63.89.188.152) on: Mon Nov 27 13:42:28 EST 2000

If we go by this article, then there seem to be no legalities holding the symphony release. Only IR's hurt feelings. After hearing endless criticism throughout his career from the conservatives in South India, why hasn't IR developed a thick skin yet? So, he's the one holding up the release. And all of us have pondered every other possibility thinking IR the victim in this.

Can we somehow incorporate this thread into the Symphony thread going on so everyone following that thread gets to hear about this?

Can the rajaangam guys take up on this? Or have they already tried and failed? While IR is busy embarking on building his world music summit, he should release the symphony as a first sign of music's universality. Before he sets out to embrace the music of the world, he should at least ignore, withstand if not embrace the critics who have hurt him.

As he usually points to divine inspiration for all his works, why should he let his personal feeling about a critic get in the way of his divine music? If he's just a portal for the divinity of art flowing through him, then he should not allow personal feelings to hide the music from the world.

Please, Raja, music this powerful should not live unheard. Unleash the joy we have all been waiting for. This is a plea from all your fans,"Don't deny yourself, don't deny us and most of all don't deny music."
From: prakash (@ 62.7.68.250) on: Mon Nov 27 13:42:48 EST 2000

imagine raaja heeds to every one's request and both the symphony and arr's colloboration with ALWebber gets released in the same period in uk-that will be the ultimate !
and i hope i will be still in uk when that happens-i will attend both .that will make my day!
From: UV (@ 134.113.203.137) on: Mon Nov 27 15:17:02 EST 2000

Guys
The comment i am about to make sure will draw lots of fire. But being a ardent fan of IR i have to. I had the oppurtunity of meeting IR and talk to him way back in 1997. I did ask him Sir unga symphony ketka rasigarkal ellam romba avala irrukom' for that he gently said 'Next year(1998) for tamil new year release agaum' he said but now its more than 2yrs now.
I think with ARR entry and other things happening in his life at this time (huge debt and his music mission failure in kerala and all) he got into his own shell and suffers Inferiority complex but God knows for what and who he is fearing and having a inferiority complex ?
thats the reason behind his poor performance
Even when they interviewed on SunTv for his HeyRam score all he talked i was about TFM not treating him well and it was full of unending lamenting what honor did tamil people deprived him off or india as a whole I dont understand
Now you can tear me apart :)
Provided you argue in a fair manner
From: Udhaya (@ 63.89.188.152) on: Mon Nov 27 15:34:43 EST 2000

UV,
Thanks for sharing this. It's unfortunate you should tread on shells to state something in this forum.
From: MS (@ 129.252.23.185) on: Mon Nov 27 17:10:39 EST 2000

UV:

The right phrase would be "feeling insecure" rather than "feeling inferior" I guess. But your perception is very much sane.
From: vijay (@ 129.252.22.221) on: Mon Nov 27 17:27:54 EST 2000

Siva,
thanx for the timely link ;)) IMO, IR shoudlnt care about anyones reviews and this should be the last reason for not releasing the symphony. Anyway its still difficultfor me to belive that this is the reason and even John is just guessing I believe.
From: Siva (@ 204.94.209.1) on: Mon Nov 27 20:29:41 EST 2000

Well, maybe John is guessing, but i think his guess is much more on target coz he was invovled... notice that he says "we all believe it deserves to be released" ... who is the we all? is it the whole orchestra? ... i think so..

and i think a musician will definitely not reveal that he is not releasing his piece because of critisicim from some idiotic critics...
maybe raja wanted to really reflect upon his work...this being the first symphony he did.. maybe he did not want to rush into matters and give the whole India a bad name... dont get me wrong, i am confident RAJA did a great job, but he himself should realise this.....
So, Isaignani , if you do read this forum, PLEASE, we are waiting for your piece.... PLEASE, dont dissapoint your fans.....
From: Siva (@ 204.94.209.1) on: Mon Nov 27 20:35:16 EST 2000

http://www.auracle.com/greenroom/files/recrec.html

its the recording studio where the symphony was recorded ..
scroll down to see raja's name
From: aruLaracan (@ 134.124.160.10) on: Mon Nov 27 21:08:08 EST 2000

Rachmaninoff was devasted by critics and it took him great effort to go beyond his second symphony. i don't compare raaja to rachmaninoff, but, ... both are very emotional composers.
From: fan (@ 63.225.174.104) on: Mon Nov 27 23:32:34 EST 2000

Raja is afraid of critics!..,
anyway, I am not ready to buy that, there is some other reason.

if that is true, he would have stepped into the studio in 1975...he is the one of the best person who can judge musical pulse of masses.
also right from 1975...tf fans adored him. He cannot deny that.
From: fan (@ 63.225.174.104) on: Mon Nov 27 23:45:40 EST 2000

TYPO:
he would have NOT Stepped into the studio in 1975
From: peeps (@ 202.54.13.6) on: Tue Nov 28 01:07:03 EST 2000

hi guys,
There was an interview with Gangai Amaran in sun tv last sunday in which children were asking questions to him.One girl asked about the delay in symphony release and he told that "varum,varum...kandippa varum.." and he continued that there is some problems with rights(as usual) and the symphony will be released with another great composition of illayaraaja but he didnt elaborate on that..he just said "symphony kudavey innoru arumayana thoguppum varuthu"
From: sceptic_to_the_core (@ 61.1.250.247) on: Tue Nov 28 07:17:41 EST 2000

Web is supposed have greater than 1 bn pages, how can we be sure that this John Scott Q&A is authentic and not the handiwork of some HCIRF?
From: musings (@ 61.1.250.247) on: Tue Nov 28 07:22:28 EST 2000

One thing is very sure, at this point of time Raja is not going to lose anything at all (i.e. critic reviews etc.) by releasing this as his popularity even in TN is not so much...If anything, it might help start a new chapter of (popularity based)life...
From: kk (@ 198.4.92.52) on: Tue Nov 28 09:59:04 EST 2000

John scott's page is authentic. I have browsed it 1 or 2 years ago.(no HCIRF can run site for so long for a hoax). I tried asking questions on similar lines, but didnt check if he answered. Good he answered to Anbu.
From: siva (@ 204.94.209.1) on: Wed Nov 29 01:37:28 EST 2000

http://www.notam.uio.no/nmi/NORDIC/retro.htm

can anybody tell me whats this about? i have not heard of raaja composing the piece....
From: siva (@ 204.94.209.1) on: Wed Nov 29 01:44:50 EST 2000

http://www.xs4all.nl/~gaud/bull0700/festival.htm

scroll down and you will say it says that raja performed in Italy??????

how come we dont know?

btw, if you cant find raaja's name, try searching for ilaiyaraaja ...
From: alaghu (@ 63.227.66.245) on: Wed Nov 29 03:17:24 EST 2000

I have seen this before ...I think it was put up in muthamil.com..I am too eager to know get more information regarding this....

Thanks
Alaghu
From: cram (@ 206.103.12.102) on: Wed Nov 29 05:10:06 EST 2000

alaghu
u must have seen it in this forum because i had created a thread. while searching the web for raja, i came across the Shobha Jeyasingh item a long time back. no one seems to have heard of it, or at least they are not saying anything.
From: alaghu (@ 63.227.67.197) on: Wed Nov 29 10:34:26 EST 2000

cram ...you are right...I forgot the site ...I also remember seeing a poster....?

Alaghu
From: siva (@ 204.94.209.1) on: Wed Nov 29 20:27:01 EST 2000

what poster???
From: alaghu (@ 63.227.65.126) on: Wed Nov 29 22:33:35 EST 2000

The poster was an announcement of that particular performance and had his name in the music credits....It was a scanned one

alaghu

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