THE CONFLUENCE—TIMIR BARAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA….
REPRODUCED AND CONDUCTED BY- PT. Tejendra Narayan Mazumder
Timir Baran
Timir Baran Bhatacharya belonged to family of Sanskrit Scholars. He was born in 1904. He learned Sarod playing initially from Radhikaparsad Goswami and then remained a student of Ustad Allauddin Khan ( who also taught internationally famous Ravi Shankar). He toured Europe and USA after joining Uday Shankar’s Dance Troupe in 1930. He had an unrivalled reputation as a composer of dance music of that period. He was a symbol of passionate rendering. Worked in Madhu Bose’s Calcutta Art Players 1934 and visited Java and Bali. On joining the New Theatres, he composed music for “Devdas” .in 1935-“Balam Aao Baso Morey Mann Mein”. Other important films include “Pujaran” 1936 (“Jo Beet Chuki so Beet Chuki Ab Uus Ki Yad Satae Keun”) produced by International Film Craft and “Adhikar” 1938 of New Theatres. His other Hindi films are Sagar’s “Kumkum, The Dancer”1940, Circo’s “Laxmi” 1940 and “Raj Nartaki” 1941. Subsequently he joined All India Radio and conducted music for Tagore’s non-violence poetry in 1947. Later he composed music for Uma Production’s “Sampati” in 1949.
He then shifted to Bombay and worked at Sagar and Wadia studios. He directed music for films “Badbaan”(with S.K.Pal in 1954) at Bombay, Anokhi *(with Hasan Latif Lalik) at Karachi-Pakistan (1955- with songs of Zubaida Khanum filmed on Sheela Ramani), Fankar (W.Pakistan - 1956) and “Jog Biyog” (Bengali – East Pakistan – 1970). His earlier Bengali films include Bijoya 1935, Uttarayan 1941, Bondita 1945, Bicahrak 1959,Thana Theke Aschhi 1965,Diba Ratrik Kabya 1970 and Dak Diyajai 1978.
Afterwards he devoted himself to the music faculty of Tagor’s Shanti Naketan at Calcutta. He became eternal in 1987.
+ “Kaisey Koi Jiey Zehar hae Zindagi” by “Hemant” and also “Geeta” * “Deep bujhey haae Raat Jali …”
The magic of Timir Baran to be back this year-end
Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey, TNN Dec 19, 2011, 03.12AM IST
Tags:
· Timir Baran|
· Symphony|
KOLKATA: On December 29, a group of musicians will get together to bring back the forgotten orchestra music that was created 80 years ago and took the world by storm. This generation sadly, does not remember Timir Baran - the father of Indian symphony orchestra - who created this music. However, his granddaughter Ranjeni Sarkar has started a crusade to remind us about Timir Baran's music. And she has none less than the Union ministry of culture backing her effort of reviving Timir Baran's music as a heritage project.
The original notes of the maestro, who is also remembered as the first Hindu sarodiya at a time when the world of the Hindusthani raag sangeet was ruled by the Muslim ustads, have been retrieved and re-created by ace sarodiya of our times, Tejendra Narayan Majumdar. He has trained 20 musicians to play this symphony at Kalamandir. Apart from Indian instruments like sitar, sarod and sarengi, western instruments like cello, violin and a range of percussions will be played at the symphony.
Interestingly, the project is part of the ministry's Tagore commemoration grant scheme on the occasion of 150 years of Tagore's birth anniversary. Timir Baran's music was appreciated by Tagore and he even played sarod to the bard at Jorasanko once. One of the best known symphony compositions of Baran, Shishu Tirtha, based on the poem 'The Child' by Tagore, was created in 1936 and became a rage. It is believed that Tagore was not only aware of this but also lauded the effort. The programme on December 29 will not only see a revival of Shishu Tirtha but also Manbhanjan from Tagore's 'Bhanusingher Padabali'.
Timir Baran was a disciple of Ustad (Baba) Alauddin Khan in the 1920s. He had travelled all over Europe and US playing the sarod and it was during these travels that he got attracted to the western philharmonic orchestra. He realized that a similar Indian orchestra could be created with Indian musical instruments. Thus he created symphony music and trained at least 40 musicians to play it. This caught the attention of danseuse Uday Shankar, who too was trying to present a completely new indigenous dance form to the west. The rest is history. Their epic partnership became legendary.
Yet while Uday Shankar is still remembered and celebrated, sadly Timir Baran and his symphony orchestra are more or less forgotten. "That is probably because Uday Shankar's tradition was continued by his daughter and granddaughter, whereas I have just taken up the cudgels to revive my grandfather's music. I hope this will just be the beginning of a genre revival," said Ranjeni Sarkar.
Tejendra Narayan vouched for the timelessness of the creations but said in today's world it was difficult to get so many ace hands to play a symphony and that might be the reason behind its untimely demise. "Today you can see artists playing at different studios but the music still getting recorded as a composite whole. A symphony orchestra demands that a large number of hands stay together and practise to play in sync. But we shall do our best to bring the tradition back."
THIS IS PUBLISHED IN ANOTHER WEB MEDIA…………………
The magic of Timir Baran to be back this year-end
KOLKATA: On December 29, a group οf musicians wіƖƖ ɡеt together tο bring back thе forgotten orchestra music thаt wаѕ mаԁе 80 years ago аnԁ took thе world bу storm. Thіѕ generation sadly, ԁοеѕ nοt remember Timir Baran – thе father οf Indian symphony orchestra – whο mаԁе thіѕ music. Though, hіѕ granddaughter Ranjeni Sarkar hаѕ ѕtаrtеԁ a campaign tο remind υѕ аbουt Timir Baran’s music. Anԁ ѕhе hаѕ none less thаn thе Union ministry οf culture backing hеr effort οf reviving Timir Baran’s music аѕ a heritage project.
Thе original notes οf thе maestro, whο іѕ аƖѕο remembered аѕ thе first Hindu sarodiya аt a time whеn thе world οf thе Hindusthani raag sangeet wаѕ ruled bу thе Muslim ustads, hаνе bееn retrieved аnԁ re-mаԁе bу ace sarodiya οf ουr times, Tejendra Narayan Majumdar. Hе hаѕ trained 20 musicians tο play thіѕ symphony аt Kalamandir. Apart frοm Indian instruments Ɩіkе sitar, sarod аnԁ sarengi, western instruments Ɩіkе cello, violin аnԁ a range οf percussions wіƖƖ bе played аt thе symphony.
FаѕсіnаtіnɡƖу, thе project іѕ раrt οf thе ministry’s Tagore commemoration grant scheme οn thе occasion οf 150 years οf Tagore’s birth anniversary. Timir Baran’s music wаѕ appreciated bу Tagore аnԁ hе even played sarod tο thе bard аt Jorasanko once. One οf thе best known symphony compositions οf Baran, Shishu Tirtha, based οn thе poem ‘Thе Child’ bу Tagore, wаѕ mаԁе іn 1936 аnԁ became a rаɡе. It іѕ believed thаt Tagore wаѕ nοt οnƖу aware οf thіѕ bυt аƖѕο lauded thе effort. Thе programme οn December 29 wіƖƖ nοt οnƖу see a revival οf Shishu Tirtha bυt аƖѕο Manbhanjan frοm Tagore’s ‘Bhanusingher Padabali’.
Timir Baran wаѕ a disciple οf Ustad (Baba) Alauddin Khan іn thе 1920s. Hе hаԁ travelled аƖƖ over Europe аnԁ US playing thе sarod аnԁ іt wаѕ during thеѕе travels thаt hе ɡοt attracted tο thе western philharmonic orchestra. Hе realized thаt a similar Indian orchestra сουƖԁ bе mаԁе wіth Indian musical instruments. Thus hе mаԁе symphony music аnԁ trained аt Ɩеаѕt 40 musicians tο play іt. Thіѕ caught thе attention οf danseuse Uday Shankar, whο tοο wаѕ trying tο present a completely nеw indigenous dance form tο thе west. Thе rest іѕ history. Thеіr epic partnership became legendary.
Yеt whіƖе Uday Shankar іѕ still remembered аnԁ celebrated, sadly Timir Baran аnԁ hіѕ symphony orchestra аrе more οr less forgotten. “Thаt іѕ probably bесаυѕе Uday Shankar’s tradition wаѕ continued bу hіѕ daughter аnԁ granddaughter, whereas I hаνе јυѕt taken up thе cudgels tο revive mу grandfather’s music. I hope thіѕ wіƖƖ јυѕt bе thе beginning οf a genre revival,” ѕаіԁ Ranjeni Sarkar.
Tejendra Narayan vouched fοr thе timelessness οf thе creations bυt ѕаіԁ іn today’s world іt wаѕ hard tο ɡеt ѕο many ace hands tο play a symphony аnԁ thаt mіɡht bе thе wits behind іtѕ untimely demise. “Today уου саn see artists playing аt different studios bυt thе music still getting recorded аѕ a composite whole. A symphony orchestra demands thаt a large number οf hands stay together аnԁ practise tο play іn sync. Bυt wе shall ԁο ουr best tο bring thе tradition back.”
The Telegraph reports as follows:-
Friday, October 07, 2005
A replay of Timir Baran magic | ||
Music | ||
Anshuman Bhowmick | ||
His doubts have not been put to rest. Yet the manner in which a packed-to-the-brim Rabindra Sadan sat motionless to a replay of the Timir Baran magic on September 28, one could not help being optimistic. The concert hosted by Paschim Banga Rajya Sangeet Akademi and the department of information and culture of the government of West Bengal witnessed a glorious centenary tribute paid to the composer-cum-conductor. A 29-strong orchestra ? comprising nine violinists, five sarodias, six sitarists, a key-boardist, a guitarist, a flautist, two effect specialists and four percussionists ? played out seven of Timir Baran’s compositions to the absolute delight of the audience. The 45-minute presentation ably conducted by Goutam Ghosh displayed all the characteristic features of the maestro’s experiments with the orchestral form. Timir Baran, a disciple of Ustad Allauddin Khan, improvised on Indian classical music and use Indian instruments. At the same time he welcomed violin and guitar as two essential components of his orchestra. As for melodic inspiration, he had an ear for the Middle-East. It was an experience soaked in nostalgia. With Debashis Bose narrating the factual tidbits, Ghosh played to the book. He chose challenging pieces and the orchestra consisting of junior musicians got the act together. There were compositions based on popular ragas as well as extinct ones. In the one dedicated to Rabindranath Tagore, Ghosh took a little bit of poetic liberty by adding a line of melody on the original. Purists might raise a hell over such aberrations, but no jarring note was heard during the course. At the end, Timir Baran’s illustrious association with Uday Shankar’s dance troupe was recalled over a colourful presentation by West Bengal Dance Group Federation. |
TIMIR BARAN IS REMEMBERED IN SALIL CHOWDHURY’S ARTICLE
Evolution in Modern Indian Music
Salil Chowdhury
Against modern Indian music there has been an accusation by a certain select group - that modern Indian music is not Indian at all. Additionally some would be reluctant to concede that it is even music. About this second opinion I withhold any discussion. But as to the comment that modern Indian music is not Indian - that is an intriguing point of view which in my opinion deserves to be discussed. The reason being that this charge has been made by a select and quite influential group of music aficionados. This group is of the firm opinion that: a) modern Indian music does not follow any of the raag note patterns of Indian music, b) this music has none of the characteristics of being typically Indian – in other words Indian folk-music, and c) for accompaniment with this music, it is all too easy to use foreign 'orchestral' music.
We need to keep in mind especially that the above accusation has been made primarily around Indian Film music. It is through Film music that Modern Indian music finds its most popular expression. Among the above mentioned group of critics is a section which has cultivated the strong viewpoint that the melding of Indian music and western music and the joint use of these different styles of music is not possible. A similar view is held even by Aakaashbaani (All India Radio), in whose light classical music department (not denoted as modern music) the harmonium is considered to be an 'untouchable' instrument.
Here I would like to say a few words about that unfortunate instrument, the harmonium.
Developed through a fusion and modification of the 'accordion' and the 'organ', it is by far the most popular musical instrument in India. The use of this instrument is universal; it finds favour from leading exponents of classical Indian music, the lowliest of music students and even the street singer. Thus it has become our national musical instrument. Talented classical musicians (prominent among these being Ustaad Abdul Kareem Khan, Fayyaaz Khan and Akhtari Bai) have given us such disparate styles of music as Thumri, Bhajan, Qawwaali and Gazal; these as well as artists of 'adhunik' (modern) music have and continue to use the harmonium to accompany their music.
I believe that it was Kobiguru Rabindranath (Tagore) who first opined against the use of the harmonium. He understood that a student of music just beginning would become a slave to the fixed chromatic scale of the harmonium and would thus suffer a loss of spontaneity in the expression of melody and voice. The logic of his pronouncement is of course undeniable. However, why it is that the harmonium is condemned for consideration even for the purpose of accompaniment, is beyond my understanding.
It is of course the sole prerogative of the composer to choose the musical instrument that will accompany musical works of his own creation. The 'organ' has been used as such an accompaniment in almost all of the popular gramophone recordings of Rabindrasangeet.
It is my belief that if soft chords (using two or more notes) were to be used in the ‘organ’ as part of the background music, it would greatly enhance the expressive beauty of RabindraGeeti and make it simpler and more beautiful. But even if today's composer believes that the accompaniment of the 'organ' or the 'harmonium' will enhance the expression of his music, he will be unable to use them. Why ? Because it is a foreign instrument. The destroyer of all that is characteristic of Indian music. In order to accept this premise to be true, we would need to eliminate hundreds of recordings made by artists that we consider to be 'ustaads' in our musical tradition. If these classical artists could conclude that the harmonium helped rather than hindered their musical expression, then why should modern composers not accept the harmonium as accompaniment.
On the other hand Indian instrumental artists (as with the violin) have with the harmonium been quite successful in creating a new kind of sound which is heard nowhere else in the world. I know many such instrumentalists who have achieved such dexterity with the instrument that they can, while maintaining the expressiveness and particular characteristics of Indian music, assert their equality with the world's leading 'accordionists'. It is solely an attitude of 'status quo' and orthodoxy that is responsible for the ban on the 'harmonium' at AakaashBaani. Music composers and artists surely would not ignorantly use this instrument if it did not facilitate their expression of musical beauty.
Although there is no such ban in Film music, here too perhaps only one song in a hundred will use the harmonium, and even then only if the song is by a Baijee (courtesan style) or in Qawwaali style. Oh well, as a result of AakashBaani's animosity towards the harmonium, it is not the harmonium which is losing appeal; rather, it is AakashBaani whose popularity is consistently being eroded. Now let us return to our topic. Before embarking on an extended discussion of the theoretical possibilities resulting from the melding of Indian and western music, it is necessary to assess the practical impact that such a melding has had. Since the last century, just as India has assimilated western culture via its language, arts, dress, etc., so has it absorbed and assimilated the western music in exactly the same way.
A progressive culture is never afraid of foreign influence. Even when an excessiveness of imitation does manifest itself, our culture will ultimately reject it and progress towards an all encompassing unity. The long history of India is full of accounts of our defeats at the hands of foreigners and tales of their reigns. However none were successful in uprooting our civilization and culture and sowing the seeds of foreign influence in our soil; rather, India has always managed to enhance its own greatness by absorbing what’s good in them.
Then followed the age of British rule. The Indian mind was especially attracted to the western way of thinking. European culture and its influence on Indian literature and art found an appropriate expression in the age of the Renaissance of Bengal.
In the field of literature, in Kobiguru Rabindranath, we found the joint expression of both cultures and in painting it was Abanindranath. In music, though the analogy is not that straightforward, the influence of western music is none the less present in a similar way. We will discuss this later. But as to the question of whether it is possible to meld Indian music with western music, we have already found the answer in recent times and in the tremendous popularity of ninety-nine percent of 'adhunik' (popular) songs of the last half a century. Proof of this is in the fact that our population has accepted the 'adhunik' songs composed using a successful synthesis of eastern and western melody.
In the creation of art it is not only the personality of the creator (artist) which finds expression; also reflected and evident in it is the contemporary age and the influence of the prevailing environment. Our classical vocal and instrumental artists are themselves the creators of melody. At the moment of delivery, they improvise 'extempore' melody, and based upon the individuality of the artist the same raag/raagini finds unique expression. Despite restrictions on the notes of a raag or raagini, they elicit different expressions of mood according to the moment or time of day. The technique of development of a raag used fifty years ago is not at all the same as the method used today. If you listen to the voice of Ustaad Salaamat Ali elaborating on the raags in 'Darbaari Kanada' or 'Baagesri' you will understand what I want to say. The spontaneous manner in which he uses 'chordal' and 'chromatic' variations in voice while singing the Thumri, I would characterize as a completely modern style, but the purity of raag-based music is present in full measure in it.
In every age, music not only expresses the style of the times, but is also engaged in the creation of new styles. Thus Khayal was created from Dhrupad, and Thumri was created from Khayal, followed by other forms of light music. But the source of all of these musical forms is still the traditional Indian folk music.
The freedom of the individual and freedom of expression that manifested itself towards the end of the nineteenth century has culminated in today's 'adhunik' (modern) music. The inspiration behind this lay in Indian popular music. It is this freedom of expression which has been successful in breaking the narrow bonds of musical grammar, and to enable the use of new instruments such as the violin, clarinet, harmonium and piano.
We acknowledge of course the fact that the attitude to life, viewpoints, aims and ideals of our music composers of today are completely different from their predecessors. The composer of today is trying to express these new values and ideals through the medium of his own musical creations.
Even after a thorough research of the old classical Indian musical forms today's music composer may conclude that these ancient practices, scale patterns, etc. are inadequate for his own expressive needs. The (Indian) Five Year Plans, giant dams under construction, and the succession of new events - all of these might be the subjects of his music, and will naturally require news methods in their expression. He may conclude that in the area of melodic development, only the presence of 'contrapuntal' or 'polyphonic' characteristics will give full flight to his imagination; and in this matter the composer must be given complete freedom and encouragement. No creator (artist) can tell what final form his creation will assume, in other words whether the music will retain a grammatical purity or not. Every art form according to its own needs is changing its form; and the job of the artist is then one of following the art and transforming it into a set of grammatical constraints. As an example we may cite the popular music composed in the second half of the last century and the first part of this century. An analysis of the prevailing times and its historical background shows that these songs echoed the growing desire for freedom from foreign rule, and an increasing development of national consciousness. This national awakening found flaming expression in the form of these songs sung in processions and public gatherings and even behind the barred doors of prison cells.
Among the composers of these songs, Jyotirindranath, D. L. Roy, and later, Rabindranath and Kazi Nazrul Islam created a new style of music. The freedom movement of Bengal also provided inspiration for a new and revolutionary style of music. The population was awakening to national consciousness and yearning to break the chains of foreign rule, so the composers obliged them by composing 'break the chains' songs. These songs which were sung during processional 'marches' were indeed composed in imitation of the western 'marching song' style. Songs such as "Ak Sutre Baandha Aachhi", "Utho Go Bharato Lakkhi", "Bolo Bolo Bolo Sabe", "DhanaDhanye Pushpe Bhara", "Desh Desh Nandito Kori", "Byartho Praaner Abarjana" and others, including our national anthem "Jana Gana Mana Adhinayak" and more than a hundred other songs have been influenced by western music.
Some critics believe that the tunes of the above mentioned songs fall within the ambit of Indian raagas. Their opinion is partially true. Because the ancient creators of our musical system used all possible combinations of the addition and elimination of the twelve basic notes, and denoted these various combinations by different names, it is possible to classify any melody from almost any part of the world as belonging to one of our raag/raagini or 'mixed' raags. It is not enough to consider simply the use of a certain set of notes; the individuality of the melody thus created, as well as its expression and mood must also be judged.
The style of orchestration used in Indian music is also borrowed from the western tradition. The tonal quality and instrumental precision of foreign musical instruments have won the hearts of our people, and these instruments have also made it possible to orchestrate Indian music. Orchestral compositions also include Indian musical instruments. Our instrumental artists have always been careful in improving their style and the quality of their playing. While playing in an orchestra it is vitally important to follow systematically the "registered notation" method. For this reason these artists feel greatly the need for utmost precision in the recording of musical notation, even though we have not yet achieved our desired goal in this matter, and our system of notation is not universally used.
Unfortunately, the western method of "staff notation" has not been found to be so easily usable to our instrumental artists.In the composition of Indian dance music (Ballet Music) I must of course mention the use of orchestral instrumental music by the pioneers Timir Baran and Pandit Bishnudas Shirali, and in this connection also eminently notable is Raichand Boral, who has been extremely successful in composing background music for movies and in creating melodies combining western and Indian instruments to accompany songs. Even without amplifying on the topic of the continuous improvement of Indian 'Orchestral Instrumental Music' it may be said that it has developed in response to new needs. And at the root of this innovation and transformation have always been our music composers. All of the efforts to maintain the integrity of Indian music and to effect its improvement are a source of continual inspiration to me. The efforts of the Indian government to hold classical and popular musical conventions and the institution of systems for conferring certificates and titles upon talented and knowledgeable artists are all steps full of hope in the advancement of Indian music. I feel greatly encouraged when I see that arrangements are being established to preserve our architecture, ancient sculptures, famous art, and handcrafted fine arts creations. But my joy is truly unbounded when I see that new cities are being built and we are progressing rapidly in the fields of arts and science. I believe that present India is carrying forward the legacy of the ancient India. So it is in the area of music. All the compositions of our modern composers contain expressions of the same progress in the music of ancient India.
Our modern composers expect encouragement in this matter from the state and from the people at large. But even if this encouragement is not offered their music will, through a process of trial and error and experimentation, achieve accomplishment and fullness.
There is no need for us to be directed by the traditions of western music. On the other hand in going forward it would also be wrong to tolerate any kind of orthodoxy. I personally believe that Indian music has a great deal to offer to the music of the world because it has a rare depth, dignity, and above all a beauty of mood and expression. Behind all of sophisticated techniques of world music today lies a reflection of the individual. Into this, Indian music will infuse life - by bringing to it a reflection of the soul. Indian music will send a message of peace and tolerance. And this noble responsibility will have to be borne by the modern Indian music composer.
The sources of Indian music are endless and its potentials are without limit. In the past Indian music obtained its inspiration and its ingredients from generations of inherited popular and classical music, as well as from western music. Today, as nations have achieved a much greater degree of closeness and cultural exchange has become so much easier, the opportunity for Indian music to disseminate widely and to expand its vision presents itself.
We need to keep in mind especially that the above accusation has been made primarily around Indian Film music. It is through Film music that Modern Indian music finds its most popular expression. Among the above mentioned group of critics is a section which has cultivated the strong viewpoint that the melding of Indian music and western music and the joint use of these different styles of music is not possible. A similar view is held even by Aakaashbaani (All India Radio), in whose light classical music department (not denoted as modern music) the harmonium is considered to be an 'untouchable' instrument.
Here I would like to say a few words about that unfortunate instrument, the harmonium.
Developed through a fusion and modification of the 'accordion' and the 'organ', it is by far the most popular musical instrument in India. The use of this instrument is universal; it finds favour from leading exponents of classical Indian music, the lowliest of music students and even the street singer. Thus it has become our national musical instrument. Talented classical musicians (prominent among these being Ustaad Abdul Kareem Khan, Fayyaaz Khan and Akhtari Bai) have given us such disparate styles of music as Thumri, Bhajan, Qawwaali and Gazal; these as well as artists of 'adhunik' (modern) music have and continue to use the harmonium to accompany their music.
I believe that it was Kobiguru Rabindranath (Tagore) who first opined against the use of the harmonium. He understood that a student of music just beginning would become a slave to the fixed chromatic scale of the harmonium and would thus suffer a loss of spontaneity in the expression of melody and voice. The logic of his pronouncement is of course undeniable. However, why it is that the harmonium is condemned for consideration even for the purpose of accompaniment, is beyond my understanding.
It is of course the sole prerogative of the composer to choose the musical instrument that will accompany musical works of his own creation. The 'organ' has been used as such an accompaniment in almost all of the popular gramophone recordings of Rabindrasangeet.
It is my belief that if soft chords (using two or more notes) were to be used in the ‘organ’ as part of the background music, it would greatly enhance the expressive beauty of RabindraGeeti and make it simpler and more beautiful. But even if today's composer believes that the accompaniment of the 'organ' or the 'harmonium' will enhance the expression of his music, he will be unable to use them. Why ? Because it is a foreign instrument. The destroyer of all that is characteristic of Indian music. In order to accept this premise to be true, we would need to eliminate hundreds of recordings made by artists that we consider to be 'ustaads' in our musical tradition. If these classical artists could conclude that the harmonium helped rather than hindered their musical expression, then why should modern composers not accept the harmonium as accompaniment.
On the other hand Indian instrumental artists (as with the violin) have with the harmonium been quite successful in creating a new kind of sound which is heard nowhere else in the world. I know many such instrumentalists who have achieved such dexterity with the instrument that they can, while maintaining the expressiveness and particular characteristics of Indian music, assert their equality with the world's leading 'accordionists'. It is solely an attitude of 'status quo' and orthodoxy that is responsible for the ban on the 'harmonium' at AakaashBaani. Music composers and artists surely would not ignorantly use this instrument if it did not facilitate their expression of musical beauty.
Although there is no such ban in Film music, here too perhaps only one song in a hundred will use the harmonium, and even then only if the song is by a Baijee (courtesan style) or in Qawwaali style. Oh well, as a result of AakashBaani's animosity towards the harmonium, it is not the harmonium which is losing appeal; rather, it is AakashBaani whose popularity is consistently being eroded. Now let us return to our topic. Before embarking on an extended discussion of the theoretical possibilities resulting from the melding of Indian and western music, it is necessary to assess the practical impact that such a melding has had. Since the last century, just as India has assimilated western culture via its language, arts, dress, etc., so has it absorbed and assimilated the western music in exactly the same way.
A progressive culture is never afraid of foreign influence. Even when an excessiveness of imitation does manifest itself, our culture will ultimately reject it and progress towards an all encompassing unity. The long history of India is full of accounts of our defeats at the hands of foreigners and tales of their reigns. However none were successful in uprooting our civilization and culture and sowing the seeds of foreign influence in our soil; rather, India has always managed to enhance its own greatness by absorbing what’s good in them.
Then followed the age of British rule. The Indian mind was especially attracted to the western way of thinking. European culture and its influence on Indian literature and art found an appropriate expression in the age of the Renaissance of Bengal.
In the field of literature, in Kobiguru Rabindranath, we found the joint expression of both cultures and in painting it was Abanindranath. In music, though the analogy is not that straightforward, the influence of western music is none the less present in a similar way. We will discuss this later. But as to the question of whether it is possible to meld Indian music with western music, we have already found the answer in recent times and in the tremendous popularity of ninety-nine percent of 'adhunik' (popular) songs of the last half a century. Proof of this is in the fact that our population has accepted the 'adhunik' songs composed using a successful synthesis of eastern and western melody.
In the creation of art it is not only the personality of the creator (artist) which finds expression; also reflected and evident in it is the contemporary age and the influence of the prevailing environment. Our classical vocal and instrumental artists are themselves the creators of melody. At the moment of delivery, they improvise 'extempore' melody, and based upon the individuality of the artist the same raag/raagini finds unique expression. Despite restrictions on the notes of a raag or raagini, they elicit different expressions of mood according to the moment or time of day. The technique of development of a raag used fifty years ago is not at all the same as the method used today. If you listen to the voice of Ustaad Salaamat Ali elaborating on the raags in 'Darbaari Kanada' or 'Baagesri' you will understand what I want to say. The spontaneous manner in which he uses 'chordal' and 'chromatic' variations in voice while singing the Thumri, I would characterize as a completely modern style, but the purity of raag-based music is present in full measure in it.
In every age, music not only expresses the style of the times, but is also engaged in the creation of new styles. Thus Khayal was created from Dhrupad, and Thumri was created from Khayal, followed by other forms of light music. But the source of all of these musical forms is still the traditional Indian folk music.
The freedom of the individual and freedom of expression that manifested itself towards the end of the nineteenth century has culminated in today's 'adhunik' (modern) music. The inspiration behind this lay in Indian popular music. It is this freedom of expression which has been successful in breaking the narrow bonds of musical grammar, and to enable the use of new instruments such as the violin, clarinet, harmonium and piano.
We acknowledge of course the fact that the attitude to life, viewpoints, aims and ideals of our music composers of today are completely different from their predecessors. The composer of today is trying to express these new values and ideals through the medium of his own musical creations.
Even after a thorough research of the old classical Indian musical forms today's music composer may conclude that these ancient practices, scale patterns, etc. are inadequate for his own expressive needs. The (Indian) Five Year Plans, giant dams under construction, and the succession of new events - all of these might be the subjects of his music, and will naturally require news methods in their expression. He may conclude that in the area of melodic development, only the presence of 'contrapuntal' or 'polyphonic' characteristics will give full flight to his imagination; and in this matter the composer must be given complete freedom and encouragement. No creator (artist) can tell what final form his creation will assume, in other words whether the music will retain a grammatical purity or not. Every art form according to its own needs is changing its form; and the job of the artist is then one of following the art and transforming it into a set of grammatical constraints. As an example we may cite the popular music composed in the second half of the last century and the first part of this century. An analysis of the prevailing times and its historical background shows that these songs echoed the growing desire for freedom from foreign rule, and an increasing development of national consciousness. This national awakening found flaming expression in the form of these songs sung in processions and public gatherings and even behind the barred doors of prison cells.
Among the composers of these songs, Jyotirindranath, D. L. Roy, and later, Rabindranath and Kazi Nazrul Islam created a new style of music. The freedom movement of Bengal also provided inspiration for a new and revolutionary style of music. The population was awakening to national consciousness and yearning to break the chains of foreign rule, so the composers obliged them by composing 'break the chains' songs. These songs which were sung during processional 'marches' were indeed composed in imitation of the western 'marching song' style. Songs such as "Ak Sutre Baandha Aachhi", "Utho Go Bharato Lakkhi", "Bolo Bolo Bolo Sabe", "DhanaDhanye Pushpe Bhara", "Desh Desh Nandito Kori", "Byartho Praaner Abarjana" and others, including our national anthem "Jana Gana Mana Adhinayak" and more than a hundred other songs have been influenced by western music.
Some critics believe that the tunes of the above mentioned songs fall within the ambit of Indian raagas. Their opinion is partially true. Because the ancient creators of our musical system used all possible combinations of the addition and elimination of the twelve basic notes, and denoted these various combinations by different names, it is possible to classify any melody from almost any part of the world as belonging to one of our raag/raagini or 'mixed' raags. It is not enough to consider simply the use of a certain set of notes; the individuality of the melody thus created, as well as its expression and mood must also be judged.
The style of orchestration used in Indian music is also borrowed from the western tradition. The tonal quality and instrumental precision of foreign musical instruments have won the hearts of our people, and these instruments have also made it possible to orchestrate Indian music. Orchestral compositions also include Indian musical instruments. Our instrumental artists have always been careful in improving their style and the quality of their playing. While playing in an orchestra it is vitally important to follow systematically the "registered notation" method. For this reason these artists feel greatly the need for utmost precision in the recording of musical notation, even though we have not yet achieved our desired goal in this matter, and our system of notation is not universally used.
Unfortunately, the western method of "staff notation" has not been found to be so easily usable to our instrumental artists.In the composition of Indian dance music (Ballet Music) I must of course mention the use of orchestral instrumental music by the pioneers Timir Baran and Pandit Bishnudas Shirali, and in this connection also eminently notable is Raichand Boral, who has been extremely successful in composing background music for movies and in creating melodies combining western and Indian instruments to accompany songs. Even without amplifying on the topic of the continuous improvement of Indian 'Orchestral Instrumental Music' it may be said that it has developed in response to new needs. And at the root of this innovation and transformation have always been our music composers. All of the efforts to maintain the integrity of Indian music and to effect its improvement are a source of continual inspiration to me. The efforts of the Indian government to hold classical and popular musical conventions and the institution of systems for conferring certificates and titles upon talented and knowledgeable artists are all steps full of hope in the advancement of Indian music. I feel greatly encouraged when I see that arrangements are being established to preserve our architecture, ancient sculptures, famous art, and handcrafted fine arts creations. But my joy is truly unbounded when I see that new cities are being built and we are progressing rapidly in the fields of arts and science. I believe that present India is carrying forward the legacy of the ancient India. So it is in the area of music. All the compositions of our modern composers contain expressions of the same progress in the music of ancient India.
Our modern composers expect encouragement in this matter from the state and from the people at large. But even if this encouragement is not offered their music will, through a process of trial and error and experimentation, achieve accomplishment and fullness.
There is no need for us to be directed by the traditions of western music. On the other hand in going forward it would also be wrong to tolerate any kind of orthodoxy. I personally believe that Indian music has a great deal to offer to the music of the world because it has a rare depth, dignity, and above all a beauty of mood and expression. Behind all of sophisticated techniques of world music today lies a reflection of the individual. Into this, Indian music will infuse life - by bringing to it a reflection of the soul. Indian music will send a message of peace and tolerance. And this noble responsibility will have to be borne by the modern Indian music composer.
The sources of Indian music are endless and its potentials are without limit. In the past Indian music obtained its inspiration and its ingredients from generations of inherited popular and classical music, as well as from western music. Today, as nations have achieved a much greater degree of closeness and cultural exchange has become so much easier, the opportunity for Indian music to disseminate widely and to expand its vision presents itself.
Published in "Sangeetika" magazine, 1st Year Puja Issue (1959).
Translated from the Bengali original.
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