The musical collaboration of two of India’s most renowned cultural ambassadors, Pt. Ravi Shankar and Zubin Mehta, led to the composition of ‘Raga-Mala (Garland of Ragas) – Concerto for sitar and orchestra No.2’ by the sitar maestro. Commissioned by the New York Philharmonic when Mehta was its musical director, the oeuvre drew upon the flavours of about 30 Indian ragas and structured a dialogue between Pt. Shankar’s solo sitar and the orchestra, described as ‘strange and familiar at the same time’ when it was premiered in 1981. His role as soloist was reprised by his daughter and disciple Anoushka Shankar, when the Concerto was performed in March 2017, with Zubin Mehta as guest conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The concert was screened as part of the Digital Concert Hall experience at the Goethe-Institut, Max Mueller Bhavan, Chennai.
With the harp delicately picking out the opening notes, the emphasis was on the madhyam and nishadh in the raag Lalith-based piece (Presto). Soft accents echoed by wind instruments and violin built up to the grand sweep of the orchestra in full sail, as sitar cruised into jod and jhala. As pace accelerated in tisra and chatusra rhythms, phrases of explosive brilliance carrying the stamp of the composer’s extraordinary aesthetic vision, branded the raga fabric.
Raag Bairagi (Moderato) invoked a powerful vibe with interleaved counter rhythms. The appeal of raag Yaman (Largo Moderato) was borne aloft by the fluid glide of the violins even as intersecting gaits were generated via drum beats and the twang of strummed instruments. The joyous inclusiveness of raag Desh was a wash of melody from start to finish.
Standing ovation
Malhar raags carry a unique attraction. Evoking the rains, they celebrate a kaleidoscope of nuances. Suggesting thunder, the crashing roll of drums launched raag Mian ki Malhar (Allegro). Sitar skimmed over enchanting snatches of Behag, Malkauns, Hamsadhwani, Darbari, Shyam Kalyan and Shivaranjani. After a prolonged standing ovation that saw the artistes taking repeated bows, Anoushka presented her own composition which reflected the romance of the monsoons.
The evening’s compilation also featured the works of Hungarian maestro, Bela Bartok (1881-1945). One of Europe’s most acclaimed composers, Bartok was also a gifted pianist and an ethnomusicologist, whose expression was influenced by Hungarian folk music, yet reflected his independent vision.
When World War II broke out, Bartok immigrated to the USA to work as a research associate at Columbia University. However, he fell into dire financial straits, while simultaneously being diagnosed with a grave illness. His Concerto for Orchestra, a five-movement piece, was his last major work, composed in 1943.
Premièred by the Boston Symphony in 1944, it was an instant success. Introduzione: Andante non troppo – Allegro vivace carries a blend of the sombre and the suspenseful, soaring to a triumphal arc in the Allegretto scherzando that then descends to a gloomy third movement. Conjuring up disparate images of intensity, the movements conclude in a finale imbued with life-affirming positivity.
Filmed in high definition format, the exceptional clarity of audio and video simulated a real-time experience.
