The Ragas of Northern Indian Music
The Ragas of Northern Indian Music
IMD33

by Alain Danielou
Hardcover (Edition: 2007)

Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
ISBN 812150225-x

Size: 8.8" X 5.8"
Pages: 413

Our Price: $38.50

 
Foreword

The raga-s of which notations appear in this book conform to the Benares Musical Tradition. They have been noted as played on the North Indian Vina by the late Shivendranath Basu of Benares and with his kind help and advice. They often differ slightly from those noted by Bhatkhande and other modern compilers who belong to other schools (gharana-s).

About the Book

The first part of the book traces the history of Indian music and the continuity of its theory and practices for more than two thousand years. It is based on many years' research into the vast ancient Sanskrit literature of music. These valuable technical treatises, which lie in the form of scarcely catalogued manuscripts throughout the public and private libraries of India, had hitherto remained unemplored. Part two transcribes and studies in detail 50 typical Raga-s. Each is preceded by a Sanskrit poem in translation which depicts the atmosphere; then follows an analysis of the scale, covering its intervals and expression, a study of the theme with its characteristic motives and finally a typical development.

The present work is based on the author's two-volume Northern Indian Music Published in London (but not America) some ten years but, but long out of print and much sought after by students. It was described by Colin Mason in the Manchester Guardian as "of immense value to any practical musician" and "an invaluable addition to the very scanty literature of fascinating and neglected subject". This new version contains a number of additional Raga-s; the earlier text has been extensively revised and many music examples redrawn for greater clarity and accuracy. Some abridgement has taken place, but only of material which appeared originally for the benefit of Indian readers unfamiliar with Western staff notation, those able to read Sanskrit, and specialists in Sanskrit literature.

The book provides modern composers outside India with source of new inspiration and enables practicing musicians to play and study some of the endlessly variegated modes for which Indian music is unique.

About the Author

Alain Danielou is Director of the International Institute for Comparative Music Studies and Documentation, Berlin, and adviser for Oriental Music to the International Music Council (UNESCO). Born in Paris, he pursued scientific and artistic studies before specializing in musicology. He traveled extensively in North Aftrica, the Middle East, China and Japan and then settled in India, where he studied Indian Music and philosophy, Hindi and Sanskrit, and made a unique collection (over 800) of Sanskrit manuscripts on music. In 1949 he was appointed Research Professor of Music at Benares Hindu University and in 1954 became Director of the Adyar Library and Research Center in Madras. In 1959 he returned to Europe, joining the Ecole Francaise d' Extreme Orient in Paris, and subsequently became Director of Studies of the Centre d'Etudes de Musique Orientale of Paris. He has written extensively in both French and English on Oriental Music and on many aspects on Indian history and culture, and has also published two novels. He is the general editor of the three UNESCO collections of records: "Anthology of the Orient" (Barenreiter Musicaphon), "Musical Sources" (Philips, Holland) and "Musical Altas" (EMI, Italy).

CONTENTS

    FOREWORD X
    PART I
    INDIAN MUSICAL THEORY

    CHAPTER I THE HISTORY OF INDIAN MUSIC 1
    The four schools (mata-s) 4
    The Sanskrit writers on music 6
    First period (Puranic-Vedic-Epic) 7
    The second (Buddhist) period 14
    The third (Medieval) period 15
    The fourth (Modern) period 17
    The chief writers of the fourth (Modern) period 18
    CHAPTER II BASES OF MELODIC STRUCTURES 2I
    The nature of sound 21
    The Tonic or drone22
    The tonic or drone 23
    The three main octaves (saptaka-s)24
    The seven notes (svara-s)24
    The intercalary notes 26
    The intervals (shruti-s) 27
    The measurement of the shruti-s 29
    The notation of the shruti-s 31
    The expression of the shruti-s 38
    A suggested interpretation of the families of intervals (shruti-jati-s) 44
    Flats and sharps 49
    The scale 50
    The three basic scales (grama-s)52
    Modal scales (murch hana-s) 54
    Class (jati) 55
    Mode-types (thata-s) 56
    Group 60
    Graha, amsha, nyasa 60
    The predominant note or sonant (vad) 61
    The consonant (samvadi) 62
    The assonant (anuvadi) 63
    The dissonant (vivadi) 63
    CHAPTER III RHYTHM 65
    Tempo (laya)65
    Rhythm (tala) 66
    The main rhythms (tala-s) 67
    Syncopation74
    CHAPTER IV MELODIC DEVELOPMENT75
    Melodic movement (varna) 75
    Melodic Figures (tana-s) 76
    Ascent and descent (aroha, avaroha) 77
    Ornaments (Alamkara) 77
    Grace (gamaka) 80
    The four phase in the development of a raga 86
    Style of music 86
    Styles of singing or playing 88
    CHAPTER V THE RAGA-S91
    The number of raga-s 92
    Moods, colour and notes 92
    The description of raga-s in verse and pictures. 93
    Tuning of the instruments 94
    Theme (rupa) and outline 95
    Time of play 95

    PART II
    NOTATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE RAGA-S

    CHAPTER I EARLY MORNING RAGA-S 99
    1. Lalita (at dawn) 101
    2. Vibhasa (at sunrise) 105
    3. Bhairava group (after sunrise)109
          Yogiya110
                Yogiya I 111
                Yogiya II 112
          Prabhat113
          Shiva Bhairava116
          Ananda Bhairava119
          Bangala Bhairava122
          Bhairava122
          Ramakali128
          Gunakali131
    4. Todi., group I (first quarter of the day) 135
          Gurjari136
          Mukhari139
          Lachari Todi142
          Todi145
          Vilasakhani Todi145
    5. Todi, group II (Yavanapuri) (first quarter of the day)151
          Gandhari152
          Deshi 155
          Pathamanjari 158
          Yavanapuri164
          Asavari164
    CHAPTER II LATE MORNING RAGA-S167
    6. Bhairavi group (second quarter of the day) 169
          Rewa i170
          Dhani173
          Shat176
          Bhairavi179
          Bhupala182
          Samanta185
    7. Bilaval group (second quarter of the day) 189
          Bilaval190
          Lach'ha Bilaval193
          Kakubha Bilaval196
          Alhaiya Bilaval199
    CHAPTER III NOON AND AFTERNOON RAGA-S203
    8. Saranga group (noon) 205
          Saranga206
          Madhyamadi Saranga209
          Brindabani Saranga212
          Gauda Saranga215
    9. Shri group (last quarter of the day)219
          Dhanashri 220
          Malavashri 223
          Shri 226
          Bhimapalashri 229
          Multani 232
    10. Nata (in the afternoon)235
    CHAPTER IV EVENING RAGA-S 239
    11. Pilu (at the end of the day)240
    12.   Puravi group 243
          Marava 244
          Puravi 247
          Rat Puriya 250
    13. Dipaka (after sunset) 253
    CHAPTER V RAGA-S OF THE EARLY NIGHT257
    14. Kalyana group (night, first watch) 259
          Yaman-Kalyana 260
          Tilaka Kamoda 263
          Gopi Kambhoji 266
          Yaman 269
          Kamoda 272
          Chhayanata 274
          Kedara 277
          Bhupali 280
    15. Khammaja group (night, first quarter) 283
          Durga 284
          Hambir 287
          Khammaja 290
    CHAPTER VI RAGA-S OF THE DEEP OF NIGHT293
    15. Kanada group (second qurter of the night) 295
          Suha 296
          Sindhura 298
          Sahana 301
          Kafi 304
          Sinddha Kafi 307
          Kanada 310
          Bageshri 314
          Jayajavanti 317
          Bahar 320
    CHAPTER VII RAGA-S OF MIDNIGHT AND LATE 323
    17. Malakosha (at night) 324
    18. Bihaga 327
    19. Paraj group (after midnight) 331
          Paraj 332
          Sohini 334
    20. Shankara (at the end of the night) 337
    21. Kalingada (before dawn) 340
    CHAPTER VIII SEASONAL RAGA-S343
    22. Spring raga-s 345
          Hindola 346
          Vasanta 349
          Panchama 352
    23. Raga-s of the rainy season 355
          Miyan Mallar 356
          Desha Mallar 359
          Gauda Mallar 362
          Surat Mallar 365
          Shuddha Mallar 368
          Megha Mallar 371
    BIBLIOGRAPHY 375
    DISCOGRAPHY397