There is Eastern mind and there is Western. The East is always looking into within and the West without. East is apparently full of inertia exploring the internal, while West teems with go getters and earth movers, bringing technology and affluence (which has never been without help from the East, whether today or during colonial times). So how does one reconcile the disparate methodologies of the East and West? I believe this division and debate will be endless for some, while for several others, there never was a debate to begin with. They have realized the importance of both and can reconcile and imbibe one without diluting the other.
If Johan Sebastian Bach invited Tyagaraja to his house for Christmas, how would he have honored his guest? Bach would have probably arranged tulasi dalamula composed by Tyagaraja in Raga Mayamalava Gowlai to be played for the highly discriminating German audience in his town. In the interludes, Tyagu would have enjoyed playing his veena alongside the pianists and violinists, making sure that the grammar of the raga remained resolved throughout. The grand orchestral arrangement would have sounded something like this:
Chamber Welcomes Tyagaraja from the album How to Name It.
And perhaps this is how Tyagaraja would have discussed with Bach, his Partita No. 3 in E Major. Tyagu would have begun with a sprightly Hamsadhwani alaap, because it naturally leads into the beginning of the Partita and then gone into splitting each phrase in the Partita and dug out Shankarabharanam, Charukeshi and Shanmukhapriya and also would have sung the notes himself as the conversation went on.
I met Bach...and we had a Talk from the album How to Name It.
The above are just two examples of the many other innovations, that were conceived in a beautiful mind called Ilaiyaraja. Hats off to you Maestro, for reconciling the East and West, the heart and mind…we shall forever remain indebted to you and celebrate you through your music till the day we forget ourselves.
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