Violin based PolyCaRe arrangements in 198x – interludes (part 1)

We will continue the journey on PolyCaRe arrangements of Raja, with his compositions based on violins as the background melody instrument. In this post, we will particularly focus on his interlude compositions in the 198x. As we made it very clear in the definition, the PolyCaRe arrangement not only requires a background violin melody, it also requires at least two call and response melodies in the foreground played according to our rules of CaRe arrangements.

Let’s begin with the song ‘Aracha Sandanam’  from Chinnathambhi (Tamil 1988). This segment, has violins as its background instrument. Here is how the segment is structured:

Song	Film	Year	Background instrument	CaRe - Instrument1	CaRe - Instrument2
Aracha Sandanam	Chinnathambhi	1988	Violins	Violins	Flute

1. This is a short 4 second clip demonstrating the PolyCaRe idea in such a short time. The gushing violins provide the background instrumentation playing for the duration
2. There are two CaRe parts within this four seconds. The call is made by the foreground violins for which the flute responds. Simple but technically perfect

The foreground melodies can stand on their own feet as simple CaRe arrangement. The background violin melody makes them polyphonic and hence PolyCaRe. There are 4 foreground melodies playing on top of the constant background violin melody in these 4 seconds.

Let’s hear the PolyCaRe  arrangement in the interlude of Aracha Sandanam …

Let’s next analyze the song ‘Darling Darling’  from Priya (Tamil 1980). This segment, has violins as its background instrument. Here is how the segment is structured:

Song	Film	Year	Background instrument	CaRe - Instrument1	CaRe - Instrument2
Darling Darling	Priya	1980	Violins	Trumpet	Guitar

1. This is a 15 second clip that has a constant background melody with violins. You will notice that though there are several foreground melodies, with the electric guitar, synthesizer and trumpet, the background violins continue their melody throughout the 15 seconds. Though the first 7 seconds is not really PolyCaRe, I have included it as you can clearly hear the background melody of the violins
2. Between 8 and 14 seconds, there are three CaRe parts between the electric guitar and the trumpet. This happens when the background violin melody continues making it a PolyCaRe arrangement

The foreground melodies can stand on their own feet as simple CaRe arrangement. The background violin melody makes them polyphonic and hence PolyCaRe. There are 6 foreground melodies playing on top of the constant background violin melody in these 6 seconds.

Let’s hear the PolyCaRe  arrangement in the interlude of Darling Darling …

Let’s next analyze the song ‘Enade Edho’  from Prema (Telugu 1989). This segment, has violins as its background instrument. Here is how the segment is structured:

Song	Film	Year	Background instrument	CaRe - Instrument1	CaRe - Instrument2
Enade Edho	Prema	1989	Violins	Solo Volin	Synthesizer

1. The clip is 11 seconds long and the background violins remain constant with one melody being repeated throughout There are two sets of CaRe pairs within the first 10 seconds. Now, this arrangement beats another Raja composition within this category – which was the first one (Aracha Sandanam) which demonstrated that a PolyCaRe arrangement is possible in 4 seconds. This one does two such within 10 seconds! As usual, only a Raja composition can beat another!
2. Listen to the first 4 seconds. There are two calls by the Solo violin and two quick responses by the synthesizer with the background violins continuing to play their melody
3. Between 5 and 9 seconds, the solo violin plays another melody while the background violins continue twice. The synthesizer responds with a different melody than what we say in the first 4 seconds twice
4. The final seconds in this clip are the bridge to the charanam of the song

The foreground melodies can stand on their own feet as simple CaRe arrangement. The background violin melody makes them polyphonic and hence PolyCaRe. There are 8 foreground melodies playing on top of the constant background violin melody in these 9 seconds.

Let’s hear the beautiful PolyCaRe arrangement in the interlude of Enade Edho …

Let’s next analyze the song ‘Ennathil Edho’  from Kalukkul Eeram  (Telugu 1980). This segment, has violins as its background instrument. Here is how the segment is structured:

Song	Film	Year	Background instrument	CaRe - Instrument1	CaRe - Instrument2
Ennathil Edho	Kalukkul Eeram	1980	Violins	Flute	Synthesizer

1. The clip is 17 seconds long and not all of it is PolyCaRe. However, for the entire duration of the clip, the background violin melody is constant
2. The first 3 seconds is just the background violin melody that takes the foreground as there is nothing else in the foreground
3. Between 4 and 10 seconds, for two calls made by the flute the synthesizer responds. While this goes on, the background violins continue
4. Finally, between 11 and 17 seconds, it is a flute melody that plays in counter to the background violins. Simple polyphony here and no PolyCaRe

The foreground melodies can stand on their own feet as simple CaRe arrangement. The background violin melody makes them polyphonic and hence PolyCaRe. There are 4 foreground melodies playing on top of the constant background violin melody in these 10 seconds.

Let’s hear the beautiful PolyCaRe arrangement in the interlude of Ennathil Edho …

Let’s next analyze the song ‘Jiske Sahare’  from Kamagni  (Hindi 1989). This segment, has violins as its background instrument. Here is how the segment is structured:

Song	Film	Year	Background instrument	CaRe - Instrument1	CaRe - Instrument2
Jiske Sahare	Kamagni	1989	Violins	Violins	Clarinet

1. This is a grand and complex orchestral arrangement that has many elements to it. Part of the clip is where you can clearly see a PolyCaRe arrangement buried
2. The first 7 seconds is a blissful harmony between the solo violin the foreground and the violins in the background. In my view, Raja has thrown quite a bit of harmonic variety in the prelude of this song (which went unnoticed)
3. Between 8 and 16 seconds, there is lots going on. One set of violins (you can hear that clearly in the left channel) continues to play its melody in repetition. There are another set of violins arranged in the foreground which plays three sets of melodies twice for which there is  a short response from the clarinet making it a PolyCaRe arrangement
4. The rest of the clip between 17 and 29 seconds is a violin and guitar treat in harmony, but nothing to do with PolyCaRe

The foreground melodies can stand on their own feet as simple CaRe arrangement. The background violin melody makes them polyphonic and hence PolyCaRe. There are 12 foreground melodies playing on top of the constant background violin melody in these 8 seconds.

Let’s hear the grand PolyCaRe and harmony arrangement in the interlude of Jiske Sahare …

Let’s next analyze the song ‘Kanavu Ondru’  from Oru Odai Nadhiyagiradhu  (Tamil 1983). This segment, has violins as its background instrument. Here is how the segment is structured:

Song	Film	Year	Background instrument	CaRe - Instrument1	CaRe - Instrument2
Kanavu Ondru	Oru Odai Nadhiyagiradhu	1983	Violins	Violins	Violins

1. Though all the instruments involved in this clip are violins, it is easy to call out  the melody played by the high pitched rapid background violins which is constant for the entire 12 seconds
2. There are 2 sets of two calls by the foreground violins for which the violins (could be cellos) respond. Both these set of melodies are distinct and the response violins also respond differently
3. Overall, a brilliant violin based PolyCaRe with just one instrument set

The foreground melodies can stand on their own feet as simple CaRe arrangement. The background violin melody makes them polyphonic and hence PolyCaRe. There are 8 foreground melodies playing on top of the constant background violin melody in these 12 seconds.

Let’s hear the brilliant PolyCaRe arrangement in the interlude of Kanavu Ondru …

Let’s next analyze the song ‘Nilavondru kandaen’  from Kairaasi Kaaran  (Tamil 1983). This segment, has violins as its background instrument. Here is how the segment is structured:

Song	Film	Year	Background instrument	CaRe - Instrument1	CaRe - Instrument2
Nilavondru kandaen	Kairaasi Kaaran	1983	Violins	Flute	Synthesizer

1. For the entire duration of 14 seconds, there is a background melody played by the violins 
2. There are 4 calls by the flute for which there are four responses from the synthesizer while the background violins continue to play their melody

The foreground melodies can stand on their own feet as simple CaRe arrangement. The background violin melody makes them polyphonic and hence PolyCaRe. There are 8 foreground melodies playing on top of the constant background violin melody in these 14 seconds.

Let’s hear the PolyCaRe arrangement in the interlude of Nilavondru kandaen …

We will continue the 1980s PolyCaRe violins journey in our next post too.

Violin based PolyCaRe arrangements in 199x – background scores

We will continue the journey on PolyCaRe arrangements of Raja, with his compositions based on violins as the background melody instrument. In this post, we will particularly focus on his background score compositions in the 199x. As we made it very clear in the definition, the PolyCaRe arrangement not only requires a background violin melody, it also requires at least two call and response melodies in the foreground played according to our rules of CaRe arrangements.

Let’s begin with the background score   from Aranmanai Kili  (Tamil 1993). This segment, has violins  as its background instrument. Here is how the segment is structured:

BGM Film	Year	Background instrument	CaRe - Instrument1	CaRe - Instrument2
Aranmanai Kili	1993	Violins	Violins	Synthesizer

1. The first second is only the background violins which will play for the duration of the clip when the CaRe parts join later
2. Between 2 and 16 seconds, there are three CaRe parts where the foreground violins play a melody for which the synthesizer responds. The background violins continue to play as this happens

The foreground melodies can stand on their own feet as simple CaRe arrangement. The background violin melody makes them polyphonic and hence PolyCaRe. There are 6 foreground melodies playing on top of the constant background violin melody in these 15 seconds.

Let’s hear the PolyCaRe  arrangement in the BGM of the film Aranmanai Kili …

Let’s continue the journey  with the background score   from Marupadiyum  (Tamil 1993). This segment, has violins as its background instrument. Here is how the segment is structured:

BGM Film	Year	Background instrument	CaRe - Instrument1	CaRe - Instrument2
Marupadiyum	1993	Violins	Piano	Guitar

1. The 20 second clip has everything playing simultaneously and gives you no prep time for the background instrument
2. It is easy to recognize the violins that play a repeated tune in the background throughout the 20 seconds
3. The piano plays 6 different CaRe parts for which the guitar responds. You need to play the clip slowly to decipher the CaRe arrangement

The foreground melodies can stand on their own feet as simple CaRe arrangement. The background violin melody makes them polyphonic and hence PolyCaRe. There are 12 foreground melodies playing on top of the constant background violin melody in these 20 seconds.

Let’s hear the PolyCaRe  arrangement in the BGM of the film Marupadiyum …

Let’s conclude the 90s BGM journey  with the background score   from Singaravelan  (Tamil 1991). This segment, has violins as its background instrument. Here is how the segment is structured:

BGM Film	Year	Background instrument	CaRe - Instrument1	CaRe - Instrument2
Singaravelan	1991	Violins	Synth	Synthesizer

1. The clip is 21 seconds long and the PolyCaRe parts end at 15 seconds. The last 6 seconds is a harmony play
2. The background violins is easy to recognize. One of the synthesizers that play a slow melody starts off in the first 3 seconds or so and there is a fast distinctive synthesizer tone that responds to the call of the slow synthesizer melody
3. There are 2 CaRe parts between 1 and 15 seconds where the two synthesizers take cart while the background violins continue

The foreground melodies can stand on their own feet as simple CaRe arrangement. The background violin melody makes them polyphonic and hence PolyCaRe. There are 5 foreground melodies playing on top of the constant background violin melody in these 15 seconds.

Let’s hear the PolyCaRe  arrangement in the BGM of the film Singaravelan …

Violin based PolyCaRe arrangements in 199x – interludes

We will continue the journey on PolyCaRe arrangements of Raja, with his compositions based on violins as the background melody instrument. In this post, we will particularly focus on his interlude compositions in the 199x. As we made it very clear in the definition, the PolyCaRe arrangement not only requires a background violin melody, it also requires at least two call and response melodies in the foreground played according to our rules of CaRe arrangements.

Let’s begin with the song ‘Muthu Muthu’  from Periya Veetu Panakkaaran  (Tamil 1990). This segment, has violins as its background instrument. Here is how the segment is structured:

Song	Film	Year	Background instrument	CaRe - Instrument1	CaRe - Instrument2
Muthu Muthu	Periya Veetu Panakkaaran	1990	Violins	Synthesizer	Flutes

This is a very unorthodox arrangement that is one of a kind from Raja. Most of his PolyCaRe compositions begin in one of two ways : a) the background melody starts playing first or b) all the parts start playing together – both foreground and background. This clip is unusual as it begins with the foreground component first. The foreground component will become the Call component of the CaRe part when the background melody starts playing.

1. The first 3 seconds is only the foreground synthesizer playing, which is unusual. Why cant this be the background melody? It will be obvious when the other instruments join the mix
2. Between 3 and 14 seconds,  the violins continue as the background instrument playing the same melody. You can notice that at 5 seconds, the flute answers the synthesizers call while the violins continue their melody. There are two CaRe parts between the synthesizer and the flute. The background melody however plays only for 11 seconds between 3 and 14 seconds

The foreground melodies can stand on their own feet as simple CaRe arrangement. The background violin melody makes them polyphonic and hence PolyCaRe. There are 4 foreground melodies playing on top of the constant background violin melody in these 14 seconds.

Let’s hear the different PolyCaRe  arrangement in the interlude  of the song  Muthu Muthu …

Let’s continue the journey with the song ‘Nila Kaayum Neram’  from Chembaruthi  (Tamil 1990). This segment, has violins as its background instrument. Here is how the segment is structured:

Song	Film	Year	Background instrument	CaRe - Instrument1	CaRe - Instrument2
Nila Kaayum Neram	Chembaruthi	1990	Violins	Guitar x synth	Violins

1. This song’s arrangement is quite complex though the end result sounds very simplistic. A number of things are happening in the orchestration that delivers the end result.
2. The violins play in the background and the foreground. You need to hear the clip a few times to anchor your mind to the background violins. They play a very simple melody throughout these 13 seconds

The foreground CaRe is not just between two instruments but between 3 instruments. This is the reasons for its complexity. The guitar and synth (playing a flute tone) make the call for which the violins respond. This happens as the background violins continue their background melody

The foreground melodies can stand on their own feet as simple CaRe arrangement. The background violin melody makes them polyphonic and hence PolyCaRe. There are 4 foreground melodies playing on top of the constant background violin melody in these 13 seconds.

Let’s hear the complex PolyCaRe  arrangement in the interlude  of the song  Nila Kaayum Neram …

Let’s continue the journey with the song ‘Oru Mandarapoo’  from Chinna Jameen  (Tamil 1993). This segment, has violins as its background instrument. Here is how the segment is structured:

Song	Film	Year	Background instrument	CaRe - Instrument1	CaRe - Instrument2
Oru Mandarapoo	Chinna Jameen	1993	Violins	Synthesizer	Flute

1. The clip is for 10 seconds and there are several things going on within that time. The background violins play tremolo (these are short notes arranged in rapid succession between several  - at least 10 violins, to create a sense of tremble – you can hear the real tremble only when you hear a Raja orchestra live – recording techniques have not advanced enough to record this)
2. The synthesizer plays a long melody for which the flute responds, followed by rapid CaRe arrangement for 3 more occurrences between the synthesizer and the flute

The foreground melodies can stand on their own feet as simple CaRe arrangement. The background violin melody makes them polyphonic and hence PolyCaRe. There are 8 foreground melodies playing on top of the constant background violin melody in these 10 seconds.

Let’s hear the complex PolyCaRe  arrangement in the interlude  of the song  Oru Mandarapoo …

Let’s continue the journey with the song ‘Rangulalo’   from Abhinandana  (Telugu  1990). This segment, has violins as its background instrument. Here is how the segment is structured:

Song	Film	Year	Background instrument	CaRe - Instrument1	CaRe - Instrument2
Rangulalo	Abhinandana	1990	Violins	Violins	Violins

1. This is all complete violins play but very easy to identify both the foreground and the background violins. For the first 2 seconds, the background violins play staccato, and this will continue throughout the 7 seconds
2. Between 2 and 7 seconds, there are 4 CaRe parts where violins playing a high note make the call and the violins playing a lower note respond (this could be a cello too)

The foreground melodies can stand on their own feet as simple CaRe arrangement. The background violin melody makes them polyphonic and hence PolyCaRe. There are 8 foreground melodies playing on top of the constant background violin melody in these 10 seconds.

Let’s hear the PolyCaRe  arrangement in the interlude  of the song  Rangulalo …

Lastly, in the 90s the journey , we will conclude with the song ‘Vandhadhe Kungumam’   from Kizhakku Vaasal  (Tamil   1990). This segment, has violins as its background instrument. Here is how the segment is structured:

Song	Film	Year	Background instrument	CaRe - Instrument1	CaRe - Instrument2
Vandhadhe Kungumam	Kizhakku Vaasal	1990	Violins	Voices	Flute

1. The first three seconds, you will hear the background violins playing waltz. This will continue for the entire 15 seconds of the clip
2. Between 3 and 15 seconds, the voices (chorus) make the call, for which the flute responds 4 times. All this happens when the background waltz violins continue

The foreground melodies can stand on their own feet as simple CaRe arrangement. The background violin melody makes them polyphonic and hence PolyCaRe. There are 8 foreground melodies playing on top of the constant background violin melody in these 15 seconds.

Let’s hear the waltz PolyCaRe  arrangement in the interlude  of the song  Vandhadhe Kungumam …