Thank you Suhas for referring all of us to Raga Symphony. Extraordinary album, no doubt about it. Kept me awake till 4 last night playing the number repeatedly to enjoy them.
Having listened to Ravi Shankar's rendition of some of the same Ragas using western instruments, I just could not help comparing the two.
In the Raaga Lalith (Raga Mala), Ravi Shankar hits extremely low pitch with the Sitar, and Zubin Mehta uses the violins and trumpets to hit thundering crescendos. After that Ravi Shankar wields magic playing the tune on the Sitar, and Zubin again catches on and ends the number with a thunderous roar.
Pandit Jasraj, on the other hand, keeps the Raaga on an even keel throughout, using the violins to keep up the tempo. He uses the chorus to start the tune, rendered ultimately and beautifully by Ashwin Srinivasan on the flute.
The musical backgrounds of the artists are also clearly discernible. Zubin Mehta/Andre Previn and his team use heavy notes, large number of instruments, and moments of absolute silence effectively to weave a orchestral sound stage. If you expected the team to jump suddenly to a Beethoven or a Mahler from a Hindustani Raaga, you can be pardoned. With Pandit Jasraj, on the other hand,, the violinists and percussionists merge very smoothly into the mood of the Raaga. That they are more in sync with Hindustani music is very clearly visible.
Extraordinary music that you can enjoy for life. A collectors item, no doubt.
Cheers
