BTS Video of Ilaiyaraaja’s First English Classical Symphony ‘Valiant’ Released
A new behind-the-scenes video showcasing the making of Ilaiyaraaja’s first English classical symphony, Valiant, has been released, much to the excitement of the maestro’s fans.
Chennai: A new behind-the-scenes video showcasing the making of Ilaiyaraaja’s first English classical symphony, Valiant, has been released, much to the excitement of the maestro’s fans.
The symphony, recorded with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, offers a rare glimpse into the creative process behind this monumental work. In the video, Ilaiyaraaja speaks to the musicians, sharing his thoughts on music and the journey that led to this project.
He says, “Every day, I used to record a song or a film score. I am a film composer, as I introduced. Suddenly, I thought of writing a symphony. When I started writing, I never thought I would record with you all. I never imagined. There is no good and bad in music. Each and every note is perfect – on its own.”
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The Collaboration with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Mikel Toms, a member of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, shares his thoughts on working with Ilaiyaraaja, calling the symphony “a really interesting, colourful, rich piece of music.” He added, “It is very interesting because he is an Indian composer who is very embedded in the whole world of Indian film music, but he has come here and is composing for a western classical orchestra.
What is remarkable is that he has synthesized all those different elements into this really colourful, texturally brilliant piece of music. It is a great discovery for us. Many of us know the name but we didn’t know this voice.”
A Historic Moment for Ilaiyaraaja and His Fans
Sriram Bakthisaran, CEO of Mercuri Group, expressed the significance of the release, stating, “Today is truly a historic day for the Maestro and his millions of fans throughout the world. It has taken 49 years and 1,500 films. This has been his dream for many years. We are glad we did what we did today.”
Ilaiyaraaja, who shared the link to the BTS video on his X timeline, wrote, “Music is an emotion, and Valiant is my tribute to you all. Witness the journey behind Symphony No. 1.”
