Search - Ali Akbar Khan :: Emperor of Sarod I

Bageshree Kannada

Orpheus | on the road | 03/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a german live recording of the night raga Bageshri Kannada by the greatest living sarodyi Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. I was surprised to find this cd listed without a review, something now soon to be set straight.



In the considerable discography of the Ustad, this one belongs to a set of recordings he made for the German label Chhanda Dhara, produced in the late eighties, so after the magical AMMP tube gear recordings from the 60/70's and before the later AMMP and waterlily recordings from the beginning of the nineties.



I'll list the complete Chhandha Dhara recordings here:



The Emperor of Sarod I Bageshri Kannada

The Emperor of Sarod II: Bhairavi

Rage Artists, Rare Raga's: Darbari Todi, Miya Ki Sarang, Mishra Gara

Artistic sound of the Sarod: Vasanta Mukhari with Jogiya



The Alaap commences with subtle delicacy and profound depth of feeling, evoking a sense of wonder and tranquility; each tone given just enough time to expand and bloom, slowly disappearing into space. Each phrase, almost imperceptibly flows into another to slowly form an intricate universe of ideas, all worlds onto themselves, yet all connected intimatly.



After a while the pulse picks up to reveal strands of the exalted majesty of Bageshree, slowly ascending to ever higher states of happiness and peace. It is as if you encounter a very old friend, about whome you almost forgot, but then all comes back to you and he tells you all you ever craved to know. The pulse picks up further, jhor commences with irresistable pace and sympathetic choral associations, cascading into a extatic Jhalla.



The stage is set for an extended Gat in Teental. Swapan Chaudhuri, as allways empathic and inventive and above all: musical, joins the Maestro to explore the essence of this beautiful Raga. The mood steadily transforms into one of valour and resolve, yet retains it's peaceful aura... ever deeper they explore the rich bounty of Bageshree Kannada. The interplay between the Ustad and the Pandit is something to marvel about...both going their seperate ways, never to loose track, daring eachother to still greater heights of lustre and mimesis.



Ustad Ali Akbar Khan is one of the greatest artists of this century, his muscial genius is beyond compare. The depth of feeling and expression, his immeasurable aptness to convey his musical ideas. The expanse of his technical acuity are all well known. This is one of the great Life Concerts with the Great Swapan Chaudhuri.



Don't miss it."