THe Journey

Sangeet:

Indian classical music has one of the most complex and complete musical systems ever developed. It has been coming from a long run. Indian classical music in general, there are a huge number of modes (ragas). Musicians will elaborate a single mode in detail, largely through improvisation but also based on compositions and formal demands.

Hindustani music is the music of North India, involving both Hindu and Muslim musicians. Different people will, no doubt, like different styles to varying degrees.

The basic scale of Hindustani music is similar to the western 12-note scale. The main difference is that the Hindustani scale is not tempered. Thus, the intervals between consecutive notes are not equal. Indeed, they can be varied slightly to suit the particular raga that is being performed.

RAAG, in the Sanskrit dictionary, is defined as "the act of coloring or dyeing" (the mind in this context) and "any feeling or passion especially love, affection, sympathy, vehement desire, interest, joy, or delight". In music, these descriptions apply to the impressions of melodic sounds on both the artist(s) and listener(s). A raag consists of required and optional rules governing the melodic movements of notes within a performance.is most simply described as a subset of these notes.It usually have five to eight notes, together with a set of rules to combine them effectively and create a particular mood. Each Raga has a name. It also has a character, which can be devotional, erotic, bold and valorous, or tragic, to name some examples.

Musical Instruments:

Indians consider the voice as the supreme medium for performing music. Therefore all instruments attempt to imitate the vocal nuances.

The quality of a performance is judged by the artist's interpretation of a raag, the technical and aesthetic control they have over laya (rhythm), and the mastery over their performance medium. Of these, the raag interpretation is perhaps the most important. Considering that raag structures seem extremely rigid, it is quite interesting how different the same raag can sound by different artists or by the same artist at different recitals. The reasons for the variation are improvisation and the personal interpretation of the raag by the performer. Most of a North Indian classical music performance is usually improvised spontaneously, making every recital a very unique experience.

Flute:The Bansuri:

The Bansuri with its pastoral association and the chosen instrument of Lord Krishna, is one of the oldest musical instruments of India: it is mentioned in the Vedas and is depicted in the Buddhist art of 2,000 years ago. One Sanskrit verse credits the Bansuri as the source of swarajnana - the knowledge of music.

The Bansuri (bans [bamboo] + swar [musical note]) is a transverse alto flute made of a single length of bamboo and has six or seven open finger holes.

This favorite instrument of shepherds and folk musicians for thousands of years was brought into the fold of Hindustani classical music by the legendary maestro the late Pandit Pannalal Ghosh .

The Magician*The Maestro*The Modern Krisna:

Previously the bamboo flute of North India had been a soprano instrument usually no more than fourteen inches long and was used for short classical pieces, light music or accompaniment. Pannalal Ghosh's innovations in the development of the bansuri included the creation of a larger instrument of more than thirty inches in length, (thus giving the Bansuri its characteristic somber-yet-sweet tone and register, so suitable for Hindustani classical music), and the addition of the seventh finger hole (which extends the range of the instrument, while also allowing for the more accurate rendition of many ragas) and the development of the bass bansuri. Perhaps Pannalal Ghosh's greatest contribution however was his insightful adaptation of the classical vocal style and its presentation on the bansuri. A consummate artist who's virtuosity was equaled by the depth of his understanding, Pandit Pannalal Ghosh singlehandedly elevated the status of the bansuri to that of an instrument capable of expressing the sublime and wondrous nature of the classical vocal style.