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Bhimsen Joshi whose first Long Play record came out in
1960 is currently one of India’s best known exponents of vocal classical music.
At the age of 38 he is indeed the most promising of the your set of musicians.

 Essentially a pupil of the late Sawai Gandharva, an
eminent musician of his time, he had his early training from different teachers
in Gwalior, Lucknow and Rampur although he hails from Gadag in Karnatak State.

 On this disc he offers two beautiful renderings of
Ragas “Lalit” and “Shudh Kalyan” in a voice that has an amazing range and
flexibility. It is this quality of his voice that makes it possible for him to
move from note to note skillfully and with great speed preserving at the same
time the inherent grace and elegance of his expositions.

Apart from his regular broadcasts from Stations of All
India Radio Bhimsen Joshi performs frequently in concerts and there is hardly
any representative music conference in India where he does not get top billing.

The Music on This Disc

Side One: Raga Lalit

 Raga Lalit is a morning melody and is expounded
between early dawn and an hour or two after sunrise. Though serene in mood, it
has a touch of sadness about it and it is for this reason that the themes
selected for the exposition of this “Raga” are invariably the yearning of a
lover separated from his beloved or that of a devotee for his God.

 On this side the artiste starts with a slow
composition in a rhythmic cycle of 2 equal beats known as “Ek Taal”. This is
followed by a faster composition in “Teen Taal” consisting of 16 equal beats.

 This Raga omits the 5^th (dominant) note
in both Aroha (Ascent) and Avroha (Descent) and its chief characteristics is
the use of both the flat and sharp Madhyamas (4^th note) in Aroha and
Avaroha. With the omission of the Pancham (5^thNote) and the use of
the 6^th immediately after the 4^th note, the rendering
sounds very appealing and the urge and pathos inherent in the Raga become
pronounced.

 Side Two: Raga Shudh Kalyan

 Raga Shudh Kalyan is usually performed in the early
part of the night. The mood of the Raga is very sublime and dignified and is
therefore employed for themes of a devotional or serious nature. In this Raga
the use of the 4^th and 7^thnotes is not permissible in the
Aroha (Ascent) and there are therefore only five notes. In Avaroha (Descent)
however all the seven notes are allowed but great care and skill is needed in
the use of the two notes dropped in the Ascent.

 This exposition starts with a short Alap or
introduction and the artiste then goes on to a composition in Ek Taal, a rhythm
consisting of 12 beats divided into three equal parts. The theme is developed
with judicious care and skillful use of the notes in a slow movement which
gradually gathers momentum and the artiste eventually passes to another
composition in faster tempo in a rhythm consisting of 16 beats divided into
four equal parts and known as Teen Taal. The first slow rendering is known as
Bilampat and the faster rendering is called Drut.

Artists:

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (Vocal)

Tracks:

Side 1

Raga Lalit          
 EkTaal (12 Beats)     - Rain Ka Sapna

Raga Lalit          
Teentaal (16 Beats)      - Bhaeeli Bhor

Side 2

Raga Shudh Kalyan       
Alap

Raga Shudh Kalyan       
EkTaal (12 Beats)       - Tum Bin Kaun Khabaria Le

Raga Shudh Kalyan       
Teentaal (16 Beats)    - Rasa Bheeni Bheeni