Issue No. 1 April-May 1982 Editorial Introduction
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ISSUE NO. 1 APRIL-MAY 1982 A bi-monthly information paper for lovers of Indian music in the West. Editors: Huib Schippers, Jane Harvey. Post Box 10088, Amsterdam, Holland. EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION The time was probably not yet ripe for deep enjoyment of music from a different culture. Successful colonialism had convinced the West that the culture with the greatest Welcome to the first issue of the 'Indian military and political power also possessed M usic Newsletter'. We intend to publish the finest art. Everything but Western it on a bi-monthly basis, and we hope it classical music was 'folk music'. will help to provide a means of communic However, in the period following this, ation between all those who have a serious some of our Western composers found interest in Indian music in the West. inspiration for their compositions in Indian Indian music concerts have slowly music. begun to be accepted as a serious contrib Ustad Allauddin Khan A next important musical step was the ution to the cultural life of the West, but work of the Sufi leader and vina player there is still much work to be done. It is INDIAN MUSIC AND THE WEST Inayat Khan, who came to the West in rare to find newspapers and magazines 1910. His music was appreciated in places, which are willing to devote enough space but he had to make his living by playing to useful reviews or in-depth articles on for Indian-inspired dances by Westerners. Indian classical music. All too often, one Inayat Khan even played to the dances of comes across dismissal of Indian music as Every year there are numerous concerts of the famous Mata Hari! merely 'folk music', due to lack of under Indian classical music in the West. Nobody Spirituality and dance have always been standing of the basic structures of the is surprised at this. Still, it is only during good vehicles for presenting Indian music classical form. the last 25 years or so that Indian music in the West. Between the two World Wars Now that the fashionable (and largely has found its way to a large Western there was the Paris-based dancing troupe uncritical) era of Indian music in the audience. of Uday Shankar. Amongst the members of sixties and early seventies is past, there are Before this century, contact between his group were his younger brother Ravi still a great number of music lovers in the Indian music and the West mostly took and the musician who would train him to West who enjoy listening to Indian music place in India. Travellers reported on the greatness, the legendary Allauddin Khan. concerts. Many times members of the music there with different degrees of The group was quite successful, but there audience express a desire to have more appreciation. Reactions like these were not was still no breakthrough for Indian music background information about the music uncommon: itself. and musicians, to enhance their under "They delight much in musicke, and Then, in the mid-fifties, the famous standing and enjoyment. have many stringed and wind instruments, violinist Yehudi Menuhin invited sarod The first issue includes an introduction which never seemed in my ears to be any maestro Ali Akbar Khan and later Ravi thing but discord" (Edward Terry, ca. to Indian classical music in performance (Continued on page 2, col. 2) (see page 3), which will be followed in 1619). future issues by more detailed articles on "The instruments were costly and of the various aspects. curious workmanship. To the violin the The 'Newsletter' will also publish drums were added in concert, assisted with reviews (of concerts, records, books etc.), the voice of the musicians, whose ill tun'd interviews with artists, and historical, notes and imperfect cadence made most biographical and other background articles lamentable discord. When they had suffic on the music. Announcements of coming iently persecuted our ears ... " (John Burnell, concerts will be combined, wherever ca. 1712). possible, with background information for Other Westerners held different views. these concerts. The most important of these is N .A. Willard, 'Indian Music Newsletter' will mainly who wrote in A Treatise on the Music of deal with North Indian classical music, as Hindoostan (1834): most Indian concerts in the West are of this "It is perhaps owing to this general want type. Even so, we will also leave room for of acquaintance with it, that Oriental articles on South Indian music and occasion music is not so much esteemed as perhaps ally for articles on dance, being closely its merit deserves." connected with the music. The first time Indian classical music was The 'Newsletter' works on a non-profit actually performed in the West was basis. The most essential way of supporting probably in Paris, during the World Exhibit it is by subscribing. You will find more ion of 1855. It was also at this time that extensive information about subscription ethnomusicology started to develop, but its and donation subscriptions on the back main concern then was studying those page. 'quaint' instruments rather than the music. Sufi lnayat Khan PHILOSOPHY BEHIND INDIAN MUSIC NEWSLETTER ~NDJ~AN MU§~( ~ NfWSUrn~ ~ Published by Stichting Tritantri Vidyapeeth Whenever we are confronted with a work I t is important to note that these values Edited by Huib Schippers and Jane Harvey of art - be it a book, a sculpture or a piece come from a culture different from our Post Box 10088, Amsterdam, The Netherlands of music - there are two forces working. own. Not so different, however, that it is One is that of our previous experience or impossible to bridge the gap. knowledge, the other our capacity to We are very grateful to Joep Bor and Wim v.d. With this 'newsletter' we will try to Meer for their advice. stretch these to encompass the new. We do not feel fulfillment when, in make clear which are the underlying search of an aesthetic experience, we come structures and values of Indian music. STICHTING TRITANTRI across a cheap novelette or unimaginative Knowing these can result in a greater pop music. They do not create the tension understanding and enjoyment of Indian In 1972 Jamaluddin Bhartiya and his assist of the 'stretching'. At the other end of the classical music in performance. ant, Darshan Kumari, opened an Indian scale, we may encounter a work of art that music school in Amsterdam under the is so far from our understanding that we name Tritantri Vidyapeeth. Slowly organis are unable to encompass it fully. ing activities grew and for a legal basis the On first seeing the Ragini Todi painting Stichting Tritantri Vidyapeeth was found (reproduced here in monotone), few ed. (A stichting is a non-profit foundation). Westerners could respond as a connoisseur The main aim of Tritantri is the promot might. The connoisseur would recognise ion of Indian music in the West. Its funds symbolism and consequently deeper mean, derive from benefit concerts and support ing, and probably be aware of the different from the Indian government. Up to now traditions of miniature painting, with Stichting Tritantri has been mainly concern hundreds of comparable miniatures in ed with organising concerts, but is has also his mind to judge this one. His enjoyment published a record, and there are plans for - or rejection - of this painting would be. publishing books and giving grants for based on a much deeper understanding studies in India to promising music than ours. students. A lack of understanding may also result The editors are very grateful to Stich in false judgement. Some may consider the ting Tritantri for the financial aid that lack of realistic perspective as a sign of made publishing this first newsletter poss primitiveness, instead of a particular choice ible. of style. This mistake is often made in the case THE EDITORS of Indian music. On first hearing, many Huib Schippers has been intensively study listeners find Indian music 'monotonous', ing sitar under constant guidance from his because they include Western musical guru, lamaluddin Bhartiya, since 1975. concepts, such as counterpoint and har He has performed at many concerts, some mony, in their judgement. Indian music times together with his teacher. For the needs to be judged according to its own theoretical side he has read widely on values. Ragini Todi miniature Indian music. He gives lectures about different aspects and is Indian music critic INDIAN MUSIC AND THE WEST found himself pushed to pop star status. for one of Holland's biggest newspapers. (Continued from page 1) He was admired by youth all over Europe and America, even playing at pop festivals 1 ane Harvey is a vocal student of such .. as 'Woodstock' and 'Concert for J amaluddin Bhartiya, who learned from Shankar over to America. At last a more Bangla Desh'. Amir Khan. The mid-seventies she spent widespread appreciation for Indian music Unfortunately, this popularity had its working in and travelling around many started developing, a hundred years after negative sides. Serious music lovers, Ravi Asian countries, including India. She has the introduction of the music in the West. Shankar himself amongst them, regretted several years experience in editinl and The major breakthrough, however, came that the enjoyment of Indian music at that publishing, and is currently assistant editor almost ten years later. 'Beatle' George time was largely based upon false assumpt for a small English-language literary Harrison asked Ravi Shankar to teach him ions, rather than on understanding of the magazine published in Amsterdam. sitar. By accepting, Ravi Shankar suddenly music. Even so, it brought Indian music to the ears of many. It opened up the possibil ity for many top-ranking artists from India WRITING FOR THE NEWSLETTER we may be able to help with postage to come and perform here.