THIS IS A RARE AND USED ITEM. IT IS NOT MANUFACTURED ANYMORE.
NO RETURNS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

The enthusiastic response to the four L.P. discs previously issued of this artist has prompted us to offer this one, recoded by him recently. Bhimsen Joshi once again establishes that he is at the top amongst the classicists of the day. The artist has been reaching new heights with every release of his successive recordings. Considering that he has just crossed only the forty mark, The heights to which he will rise in the years to come, can be imagined.

With an extremely flexible voice, having an amazingly wide range with a tremendous and almost unbelievable control over his breath, his expositions are gems of rare and fascinating artistry that is peculiar to the Kirana Dynasty.

SIDE ONE

Raga Yaman Kalyan: This raga is usually expounded during the first part of the night. Musicians prefer to open their sittings with Yaman Kalyan because it has the capacity of creating an atmosphere of soothing and queit peace – thus laying an impressive foundation for the performance. It permits all the notes in the ascent (aroha) and the descent (avaroha). The fourth note, Madhyama, is used in the Sharp (Teevra) form in both, but in the descent the use of Flat (komal) Madhyama distinguishes it from the main raga ‘Yaman’, establishing the ‘Kalyan’ character of ‘Yaman’. The scales are thus:

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni
Sa Ni Dha pa Ma Ga Ma Ga Re

SIDE TWO

Raga Multani: It is not definitely known how the raga got this name. Presumably someone from the city of Multan (in the old Punjab) is the originator of this melody. It is ascribed the hour of afternoon for exposition and listeners of afternoon or early evening concerts usually come under its hypnotic spell. In the ascent (aroha) it is pentatonic since it drops the second note ‘Rishabh’ and sixth note ‘Dhaivata’. The descent (avaroha) is without any omission. The second note ‘Rishabh’, the third note ‘Gandhar’ and the sixth note ‘Dhaivata’ are all Flats (Komal) and the fourth note ‘Madhyama’ is sharp (Teevra). The scale, therefore, is thus:

Ascent – Ni Sa Ga Ma pa Ni Sa
Descent – Sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa

The mood of this raga is of extreme urge with a tinge of pathos in it. How dexterously the Maestro builds up these emotions should be best listened to.

This side contains two items of the same raga. The opening one ‘Gokul Gavka Chhora’ is in a slow-moving rhythm of Twelve beats (Matras) known as Ek-Taal. It affordts the artiste a wide scope to develop the raga in a leisurely style, thus revealing to listeners all the salient and subtle characteristics of the raga, building up gradually to the right mood.

The Maestro switches over to a fast composition confined to a rhythmic cycle of siteen beats known as Teentaal. The fast, picturesque and intricate Taans which he alone is capable of rendering, his matchless control over his breath and the amazing range of his flexible voice – all these leave the listeners fascinated.

Ektaal: 12 Beats Dhee Dhee Na
Truka Thu Na Ka Tta
Dhagi Truka Dhee na

Teentaal: 16 Beats Na Dhin Dhin Na
Na Dhin Dhin Na
Ta Tin Tin Na
Na Dhin Dhin Na

Artists:
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (Vocal), E. Thakurdas (Harmonium), Chandrakant Kamat (Tabla)


Tracks:
Side 1
Raga Yaman Kalyan

Side 2
Raga Multani