The Indian Sitar: The Language of the Raga

Pramod Kumar - The Indian Sitar: The Language of the Raga

From the liner notes:

Certain essential characteristics of Indian music have captured the interest of Western listeners: the ragas' power of emotional evocation; the Indian musicians' freedom of melodic and rhythmic improvisation; the influence that the interaction between performers and audience has on the evolution of a raga.

In spite of the "classical" label that is often applied to Hindustani music, numerous factors indicate that it is still a vital tradition. Another confirmation of this dynamism lies in the continuous but substantial growth contained in the concept of a raga, which is fundamental to Indian music.

The term "raga" designates primarily two different entities. The first is the musical form which most often serves as the vehicle of Indian music - the intertwining of a slow, free rhythm known as the "Alap" (where the musician attempts to transcend the particular raga's most familiar melodic motifs) with another motion accompanied by a rhythmic instrument - the "Gat" - during which the musician offers a composition in a fixed metre that provides a point of departure for improvised rhythmic and melodic variations.

The other meaning of the word is more difficult to pin down because it refers to a musical entity with no precise identity but nonetheless one having a presence so real to the minds of numerous musicians and listeners that a short melodic phrase is enough for a practiced ear to identify the raga in question with the greatest possible assurance, so that the exposition of any raga of whatever length (several hours during the course of some musical gatherings) never totally exhausts its melodic potential.

Raga Purya Kalyan

Puryan Kalyan is a raga which is played most frequently at the end of the afternoon before nightfall. Here it is played in the Khyal style, originally a brilliant court style. The Khyal makes use of a rich ornamentation based on the rhythmic plan, and it requires great virtuosity from the musician, permitting his imagination a wide range.

Shudh Sarang

This raga is very characteristic of a happy, sunny spring afternoon and is also treated in the Khyal style.

Thumree Sindhi Bhairavi

The Thumree is a lyrical and romantic style, in terms of the freedom of composition and the use of accidentals. It gives the musician the opportunity to express delicate nuances as much on the musical as on the sentimental plane. Here Pamrod Kumar has displayed a spontaneity of accent which is not commonly found in the context of a recording.

Dhun

The dhun is a musical form on the borderline between classical style and folk music. In contrast to the raga which is usually a search for coherence and unity, the Dhun allows for great melodic versatility.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Raga Purya Kalyan {19:48}

Side 2

1. Shudh Sarang {4:59}

2. Thumree Sindhi Bhairavi {11:09}

3. Dhun {5:55}

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