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Mannikkavasagar's
Thiruvasagam
மாணிக்க வாசகர் அருளிய
- திருவாசகம்
Ilayaraja's 'Thiruvasakam
in Symphony' on CD
- Major Project by
Tamil Maiyam
- a non-profit organization that works to promote Tamil
Arts,
Literature and
Culture, with special thrust on
Research.
The Making of Thiruvasagam -
 Video
Part 1
- Part 2
- Part 3
- Part
4
From
Chennai On Line, 1 July 2005
"....The dream project of 'Tamil Maiyam', an initiative of Fr
Jasper Gaspar Raj and his team in Chennai - a musical
rendering of Manickavasagar's verses - will finally hit the
airwaves from June 30.The massive international project,
which is estimated to have cost over Rs 70 lakh, looks
forward to international support in a bid to at least
partially recover the investment. Ilayaraja's work in the
project has been truly inspirational and monumental,
according to Fr Jasper and those associated with the work
globally.
Budapest Symphony Orchestra
The Budapest Symphony Orchestra has showered praise on the
maestro. Another global celebrity who has singled out
Ilayaraja's work is Oscar award winner, Stephen Schwartz,
America's most celebrated opera play writer, who has written
a letter to Fr Jaspar about 'Thiruvaasagam in Symphony':
"Last night, at Sony studios in New York City, I had
the pleasure of hearing the almost finished mix of
Ilayaraaja's amazing work. It is unlike anything I've
ever heard before, a stunning blend of Indian and
western music and instruments. I asked Mr Raja if this
was something different for him too, and he said he had
never done anything like this piece before. I don't know
if anyone has. So I believe those of you looking forward
to this are in for a great treat. The section to which I
contributed English words is about twenty minutes long
and dovetails back and forth between Mr Raja singing in
Tamil and an American singer singing in English, plus
there is a large and beautifully produced chorus. Mr
Raja's orchestrations are superb, and the recording
engineer, Richard King, has done a spectacular job
sonically. I felt so very proud to be a small part of
this project."
The songs have been rendered by Ilayaraja and
Bhavatharini, his daughter, among others."
Ilayaraja's Thiruvasagam
-a symphony based on Manickavasagar's Tamil verses on CD "...My aim was
not to provide a new dimension to the Tamil epic or to try and display my
talents as a musician. I wanted to take such treasures like Thiruvasagam
to the younger generation, and make them aware of the rich traditions and
culture in Tamil Nadu. ..We have a responsibility to tell the youth in a way
they can understand about the greatness of literary and religious masterpieces
like Thiruvasagam. I have merely attempted to take this to the youth...There
will always be people who will question why these verses have been rendered in
the album this way. However, I am not trying to say that this is the only way to
sing them or that this is the way to sing them. I have done something to make
the youth aware of the treasures that we have, that are lying unused and unsung
right in front of us.."
Ilayaraja and Sivapuranam
" Stephen Schwartz, the Oscar-Award winning playwright of US, is full of
praise for Ilayaraja's Thiruvasakam in symphony, the album which is now ready
for release on April 14, 2005. Schwartz had done the translation of Sivapuranam
into English."
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