Raga interpretations by three famous Indian bansuri players
In this episode, North Indian raga music on the bansuri (an Indian flute made of bamboo), with recordings of three famous bansuri players, flute players who have been honoured with prestigious awards for their impressive musical achievements, and who have all three also made a name for themselves composing and training a new generation of raga musicians. All three also belong to the Senia Maihar Gharana, an influential school/playing style founded in the twentieth century
to which, for example, the world-famous sitar player Ravi Shankar also belonged.
First, there is Pannalal Ghosh, the greatest pioneer of bansuri in the twentieth century. He was born in 1911 in what is now Bangladesh. He died in 1960 at the age of only 48, yet in his short life he managed to make the
yet in his short life he managed to raise the bansuri bamboo flute to a higher plane and give the instrument the status of a fully accepted solo instrument on the raga stage. He achieved this by making innovations in the bansuri, which increased the playing and sound possibilities and made it possible to perform both the instrumental and vocal styles. Pannalal Ghosh can be heard performing Raga Yaman on the album Pannalal Ghosh, released in 1960.
The following are recordings by bansuri master Vijay Raghav Rao, who was born in Madras (or present-day Chennai) in 1925 and died in the United States in 2011. From his first album, titled Vijay Raghav Rao, Flute, released in 1968, we present two
recordings: Raga Amrut-Varshini and Raga Mishra-Piloo.
Finally, recordings by Hariprasad Chaurasia, born in 1938 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. He is one of India’s most important and influential musicians and is considered by many to be a living legend.
Like Pannalal Ghosh, he has contributed much to popularising the bansuri as a solo instrument and is also known for innovations in its playing style. In the Netherlands, he has also played a very important role in recent decades as a teacher in the world music department at Rotterdam Conservatoire, where he taught many students the intricacies of Indian raga. To be heard are two recordings from the album Fabulous Flute of Hariprasad Chaurasia, released in 1985:
a rendition of Raga Manjh Khamaj, followed by a dhun or folk melody from Uttar Pradesh.
Playlist:
During the introduction:
Title: Raga Chandra Kauns
Composer: trad.
Performer: Hariprasad Chaurasia
Album: Fabulous Flute of Hariprasad Chaurasia
Label and year: Chhandra Dhara, SNCD 3385 / 1985
After the introduction chronologically:
Title: Raga Yaman
Composer: trad.
Performer: Pannalal Ghosh
Album: Pannalal Ghosh
Label and year: HMV EALP 1252 / 1960
Title: Raga Amrut-Varshini
Composer: trad.
Performer: Vijay Raghav Rao
Album: Vijay Raghav Rao – Flute
Label and year: 1968
Title: Raga Mishra-Piloo
Composer: trad.
Performer: Vijay Raghav Rao
Album: Vijay Raghav Rao – Flute
Label and year: 1968
Title: Raga Manjh Khamaj
Composer: trad.
Performer: Hariprasad Chaurasia
Album: Fabulous Flute of Hariprasad Chaurasia
Label and year: Chhandra Dhara, SNCD 3385, 1985
Title: Folklore (Uttar Pradesh)
Composer: trad.
Performer: Hariprasad Chaurasia
Album: Fabulous Flute of Hariprasad Chaurasia
Label and year: Chhandra Dhara, SNCD 3385, 1985
