Nineteen years after presenting selected verses of Manickavachakar’s Thiruvachagam in Oratorio format, maestro Ilaiyaraaja has composed music for a few selected pasurams from Nalayira Divya Prabhandam . Tiruvoimozhi is a liturgical compilation of 12 Tamizh Azhwars. With the support of Prof.
Gnanasundaram, an acclaimed academician, Ilaiyaraaja chose some pasurams written by Periyazhwar, Naachiyar, Kulasekara Azhwar, Thondaradipodi Azhwar and Thirumangai Azhwar for the album Divya Pasurams, which was released recently. These pasurams provide a kaleidoscope of Krishna’s life — from birth to Thirumangai Azhwar’s plea for the Lord to reside in Thiruvazhundhur and from surrendering to being liberated from the torment of the five senses. In an era of Schumpeterian changes, Ilaiyaraaja sticks to the time-tested basics by engaging four main sections in the orchestra: the strings, woodwinds, brass (in a few places), and percussion.
His music and orchestration often reflect the meaning and feel of the Azhwar pasurams, providing a celestial experience. Prof. Gnanasundaram noted that while bhakti is the same in these two hymns, the pasurams have a broader and wider scope in describing the Lord’s beauty, valour, and the bhakti of the devotees, as described in the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and Srimad Bhagavatam.
Ilaiyaraaja has chosen eight pasurams for the album.| Photo Credit:R. Ragu The album begins with Periyazhwar’s pasuram sung by Ilaiyaraaja, with the moola mantra ‘Om .
