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Time was when the Indian flute was just a humble folk instrument. It is only in recent years that it has come into great prominence and earned for itself the status of a concert instrument. And one has only to listen to this disc to believe that the simple hollow cylinder can lend itself to all the intricacies of Indian melody as delightfully as the sitar, The sarod and shehnai. This music of the flute comes from Hariprasad Chaurasia, who has breathed three popular classical melodies down its blowing-hole with an amazing artistry. One is struck by the tonal quality of his flute and the range and variety of his improvisation.

It may sound strange but it is true that 30-year old Hariprasad Chaurasia, who is one of the most popular flutists of India today, has not learnt music in the conventional manner. Nor does he have a professional lineage. But the environment at home at Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh State, India) was congenial to his interest in music right from his childhood. Curiously, again, Chaurasia’s love of music remained dormant till he grew to be 15 and it was only in 1953 that he started learding the elements of classical singing from Pandit Raja Ram, a local vocalist. 

Equally fortuitous was his switch-over from singing to flute-playing. Barely within a year of his initiation into vocal music, Chaurasia chanced to hear a flute recital by Pandit Bhola Nath, a noted instrumentalist from the holy city of Varanasi, and he was so fascinated by Panditji’s virtuosity that he decided to learn the flute under the guidance of the great master. Chaurasia practiced on his instrument day and night with exemplary diligence and it was not long before he was booked for his maiden broadcast over All India Radio. That was in 1955. He became more actively associated with India’s national broadcasting organization on his appointment on its staff in 1957. Before he forsook his salaried job to pursue music as a profession some 3 years ago, he had made his mark as a music composer at the various stations of All India Radio.

Chaurasia visited the U.K. in 1966. His benefit performance for the Nehru Memorial Fund at Albert Hall in London was acclaimed by a huge audience which included the world-famous violinist, Yehudi Menuhin.

Chaurasia has lately been receiving guidance from Annapoorna Devi, Sister of the incomparable sarod virtuoso, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and herself a versatile instrumentalist in her own right.

THE MUSIC

SIDE ONE: RAGA MARWA

This celebrated melody is rendered in the early part of the night. It omits the fifth note from its scale. The second and the fourth notes are used in their flat and sharp variations, respectively. The rest are all natural notes. The second and the sixth are its dominant and sub-dominant notes, respectively.

The raga has a profound character. The artiste, after a brief prefatory alap, begins his composition in slow movement in ektaal, a rhythm of 12 beats. This is followed by a faster movement in teentaal, a rhythm of 16 beats.

SIDE TWO: RAGA DES

This raga is rendered during the second quarter of the night and is known for its intense mood of love. The second and the fifth are its dominant and sub-dominant notes, respectively. The raga makes use of both sharp and flat variations of the seventh note in its ascent and descent, respectively. The rest are natural notes.

The composition in this raga starts in medium movement and is set to rupak taal, a rhythmic cycle of 7 beats. As the tempo gets faster, the artiste changes over the composition to teen taal, a rhythm of 16 beats.

RAGA MISHRA PILU

This a mixed tune based on Raga Pilu. The composition is set to adha teen taal, a rhythm of 8 beats.

Artists: 

Hariprasad Chaurasia (Flute), Manikrao Popatkar (Tabla)