Essays On Indian Music

Contents: Introduction, Music, Ancient Indian Music and Man, Indian Music, Man and the Aesthetics of Indian Music, Dance, Drama and Music, Indian Dance: The Background, Indian Dance: Theory and Practice, Music An Expression of Man s Creative Genius, The Search for Divinity in Khayal, Aspirations of the Ideal Musician, The Agra Gharana, Man s Response to Rhythm, Folk Music of Some Indian States, Music for Posterity and Role of the Notation.

Description: The book represents a major attempt to place music in India in wider perspectives offered by numerous music-traditions which deal with theoretical frameworks of music. It is music theory, pitched at an ambitious high. In twenty-seven closely argued essays, the author touches diverse music-centered studies such as religion, philosophy, linguistics, poetics, theatre-arts, folklore, aesthetics, musicology as grammar, history, intercultural inquiries, area-studies, oral traditions, inter-art relationships, and Indology. He insists on keeping performance at the centre of his investigations and hence succeeds in avoiding dangers of dry pedantry-which may excessively depend on the written material and methodologies developing with it. Further, all essays are permeated with an intense Indianness, intent on voicing the Indian view-point. However, the writing steers clear of scholastic chauvinism because of the author's genuine and unwavering regard for the world of fundamental concepts and ideas, whether indigenous or foreign, that has governed Indian musical behaviour. The effort is an invaluable guide to students of Indian of Indian music and culture-presented as mutually dependent entities.

Contents: Introduction, Culture Defined, Epochs of Indian Culture, The Continuity of Indian Culture, The Cultural Influences of Islam, Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya, Amir Khusrau, The Nature of Indian Culture, Tulsidas, Chaitanya and Mirabai, Kabir, Perspective of Indian Culture, Cultural Interactions in South India (1400-1800), India s Epochs in World-Culture, Indian Culture and External Influence, Indian Culture in the World Perspective, The Degeneration of Indian Culture.

Sruti Ranjani is a collection of essays contributed by concert artists, scholars, historians, critics, dancers, choreographers and connoisseurs in the field of classical music and dance of India. They include writings on the evolution of Indian music and dance, Carnatic and Hindusthani music sysyems, biographies, perspectives and personal reflections.