Thursday, June 5, 2014

Deeper analysis of the unusual conversations – part 1

We did a detailed review of Raja’s unusual conversations, which are basically, CR arrangements outside his usual instrument combinations.  In summary, we reviewed 35 clips consisting of 129 segments of his unusual conversations. What does this review of his orchestration technique tell us? In my view, there are several things that can be surfaced if we start deeply analyzing the data that led to those several posts on unusual conversations.  This technique has a strong correlation to his popularitytall claim, huh?

Let’s try and look at this data, layer by layer, to drive home some observations. I did not use the term conclusions, as no one technique can lead to any strong conclusion of a composer’s work that is so broad and so deep.


To begin with, let’s go back to restate some of the assumptions in this analysis:

 
  1. Usual conversations are C&R arrangements between violins, flute, guitar. Unusual conversations are C&R arrangements that can involve one of the usual instruments, but the other instrument cannot come from this grouping. For example, a violin-flute or guitar-violin conversation is considered usual, but for analysis purposes, a guitar-veena, trumpet-flute conversation is considered unusual
  2. The unusual conversations have a close relevance with usual conversations. In fact, the volume of these two types of C&R arrangements vary, but the overall trends that they indicate are equivalent
  3. The list created for this analysis purpose, used about 1,600 tracks of Raja’s work. Though he has about 4,500 tracks, the assumption is that these 1,600 tracks are sufficient to uncover any trends
  4. There are few tracks in the unusual conversations database that have more than one entry. Most of them are single entry per track

Now let’s try and understand the unusual conversations data that was used in the past 20 posts or so in creating tracks that you enjoyed.



Unusual Instrument

Tracks with Occurrences
Bass Guitar
2
Bells
24
Chorus
5
Dilruba
1
Harmonium
1
Jathi
4
Mirudhangam
4
Persussion
12
Sax
2
Shehnai
7
Sitar
4
Solo Violin
1
Synth
57
Tabla
5
Trumpet
7
Veena
43
Voice
30
Water
1
Grand Total
210

There were 210 tracks where unusual conversations were observed in an overall population of 1,600 tracks. The above table shows the unusual instrument and the number of observations involving such an instrument. For example, the veena line shows a number of 43. The way to read this is as follows: there were 43 observations of Raja’s interludes where he has used veena in conversation with another musical instrument. All the observations must comply with the rules of a C&R arrangement.

Let’s take a slightly different view of these 210 observations and link them to the decade of their occurrence:



Decade

Unusual conversation occurrences

Percent
1970
6
3%
1980
151
72%
1990
47
22%
2000
6
3%
Grand Total
210
 

More on this analysis in the next post...
 

3 comments:

ashaheer said...

Sir, i am a one among the thousands of user to your blog.
I have a habit of checking your update daily.

It is a excellent work. i would like to have a complete list of this kind of unusual conversation in ilaiyaraaja sir's song. if possible send me your analysis and complete list for me.

ravinat said...

Shaheer

I have provided a good set of samples in my posts for the past 1 year. For instance, I provided 18 of the 43 veena unusual conversations I researched.

If your requirement is for illustration, you already have it in my posts. If your intention is to research this further, let me know the purpose of your research and your goals, and I will be more than happy to share my data.

ashaheer said...

Thank you so much for giving reply to request.
I am one among the thousand of visitor and follower of your blog and keep on reading all your posts in your blog. Each and every post have a valuable information and awesome explanation to all the songs including a bit of music.
As a follower of your blog, i could get updated myself by the way you have explained in detail.
I had a bit of knowledge in music exclusively in Ilayaraaja sir's music by your post. Your in depth analysis of ilayaraaja sir's song with the streaming music services made me to understand the information you have written by words.
With reference to your post about particular topic say, counterpoint, harmony, rhythm innovation and all... i have made a separate collection with each genre.
I am further exploring Ilayaraaja sir's song with the base knowledge i have obtained from your writing. You have informed in your blog that you have made an research about "Deeper Analysis of the unusual conversation", it created eager on me to reveal all those information you have collected from the songs.
The main purpose of asking the data you have analyzed is to get updated myself and learn more and more about the hidden secrets in the ilayaraaja sir's songs.
I have not studied carantic music and western classical music because no one ignited me and supported me for the same. i myself trying to learn. So i asked to send me the complete list of your work(if you could) to me.
Thank you so much for contributing your analysis to all the readers like me.

Regards
K.A. Shaheer Abubacker