Raaja composed Two Extra ordinary tracks in his album "How to Name it", probably his most popular work outside film music together with "Nothing But Wind". In that, He envisioned a meeting between Himself and Johann Sebastian Bach. He named the tracks, 'I Met Bach in My House' followed by 'And We Had a Talk..'; Like any other Raaja follower, these tracks are etched in my mind since the school days. And I always wanted to listen to the original compositions by Bach, so that I could understand Raaja better. But only recently did I managed to get my hands on it!!
Now, Bach being a stellar figure in Western Classical Music, had distinctive contrapuntal composing techniques that changed the music for good, for ever.. As admitted by Raaja himself, The influence of Bach on him is significant. So having heard both the original and its Raaja adoption (I've published both of them in the next blog), I couldn't help but to stretch my imagination on this extra ordinary rendezvous.. For me, The timing of this fantasy and its setting is even more interesting.
Because in 1982-83, Raaja embarked on his maiden tour of Europe, not to treat his eyes but his soul. There was one place which definitely wouldn't find its place on a Tourist's essential itinerary of Europe, which he was particular to visit. And that was Leipzig, the place where Bach spent much of his life and composed most of his master pieces. What better place for a musical inspiration than the same Church where Bach used to play, conducted his Orchestra and staged his compositions. In his memoirs 'Sangeetha kanavugal' written after this trip, Raaja explains how determined he was to visit Leipzig even if it meant piercing the Iron curtains of the then German Democratic Republic. As he visited that Church and sat in solitude, even if its only for a few minutes, He explains the powerful emotions that took control of him by some divine force. He could feel Bach there...
Having visited Bach's domain first and have had a celestial talk, Raaja was obviously waiting for the moment that they could meet again. And the innovative tracks of 'How To Name It' are the outcome of the return visit of the Great German Virtuoso to No. 38, Murugesan Street, T Nagar...
Its a tale of two Musics.. Western and Carnatic.
Its a tale of two Cities.. Leipzig and Chennai.
And above all..
Its a tale of two Maestros...
Here is how that imaginative musical conversation between these Musical Gods would have transpired...
With Love
Vicky
posted by Vicky @ Thursday, June 19, 2008
Comments: 1
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