The Cello and the Tabla
Programme notes
Rabindranath Tagore – Hridoy amaar prokash holo
My soul releases itself in endless skies today
The mournful flute fills the air around with dismay
The desperate need that the light has, it is with my story as one-
It returns to haunt my soul.. my heart is with sorrow spun.
As you showed yourself to the outside world in so many ways;
To which I had presented my garlands, I could not say..
Now I see in my heart, my garlands doth you array-
Now you submit to me, to my offering, with all its peril and finality.
This favourite Tagore song was used in the movie Paromitar Ek Din to portray an emotional scene in which
the inner self of an afflicted epileptic sufferer appears to her.
Sankar reads the following Tagore prose from ‘Gitanjali’ –
“He came and sat by my side but I awoke not. What a cursed sleep it was,
O miserable me!
He came when the night was still; he had his harp in his hands,
and my dreams became resonant with its melodies.
Alas, why are my nights all thus lost? Ah, why do I ever miss his sight
whose breath touches my sleep?”
John Mayer – Ragamala 3
John Mayer wrote his set of six ragamalas each with a distinctive character. They adhere to laws of Indian
music. Born in Calcutta, Mayer studied in London and was a pioneering composer of the ‘east meets west’
genre. ‘Ragamala Three uses the notes of raga Jayjayvanti. This raga is considered to be a somewhat
romantic raga with vigour combined with tenderness and is to be sung or played at night. “Buxom and
comely, with eyes like a gazelle’s, her golden skin fragment with divine flowers, Jayjayvanti is the consort of
Megha-raga, God of Rain. Drunken and playing upon a lute, she sings like a kokila (bird)”.’ (John Mayer)
John Schlenck – Sri Mata (bhajan variations)
‘Sri Mata: Bhajan Variations is one of a number of short instrumental works composed during the 1970s
based on the tunes of bhajans (Indian devotional songs). These pieces were intended for use in Vedanta
services in the West. Vedanta is the spiritual and philosophical foundation of Hinduism. The idea of bhajan
preludes was suggested by the Baroque chorale preludes which were performed during Lutheran services.
The congregation was familiar with the tunes of the Lutheran chorales and so could relate to the instrumental
music based on them. At Vedanta services in the West, some of the music is Indian and some Western. So
I thought it would be nice to take bhajan tunes and weave Western harmony and counterpoint around them,
thus creating an East-West mix.
Sri Mata (Holy Mother) is a hymn to Sri Sarada Devi, the wife of Sri Ramakrishna, a great saint of nineteenth
century India. After Ramakrishna’s death in 1886, Sarada Devi, a great saint in her own right, continued her
husband’s mission of spiritual teaching and harmony among religions for another 34 years.
Like the tune they are based on, these variations are in the raga (scale-cum-melody type) known as bhairavi,
which is associated with the feminine aspect of God. They begin with unaccompanied tambura, the 4-string
drone instrument that traditionally accompanies bhajans. After a few tambura patterns, the cello enters with
the simple bhajan tune in a slow 4/4 metre. The first variation continues the 4/4 meter, increasing the tempo
slightly and enriching the melodic line. The next two variations are in 6/8 meter, with a Siciliano feel. The
second of these moves the scale up a fourth before returning to the original key. The final variation returns to
the original metre and is accompanied by a vocalist singing the original bhajan melody and words, leading
into a coda for solo cello. The tambura continues throughout the piece, as is traditional in Indian music.’
(John Schlenck)
Bhimsen Joshi – Chalo Ri Murali Suniye
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi is particularly respected for his bhajan compositions, as well as his astounding
achievements as a vocalist. A bhajan is a composed ‘mini-raga’ on a religious theme. This joyful bhajan
uses the text of the Sufi, Surdas (1479-1586).
Oh my friend and beloved,
Lord Krishna is calling us!
Let us go to the banks of the River Jamuna
Where he is playing his flute.
Forget all social taboos and the elders warnings!
Let us go there and surrender ourselves at his feet
To have his blessing and attain the ultimate spiritual heights!
John Mayer – Ragamala 6
‘Ragamala Six uses the notes of raga Marva. The rasa, or mood, of this raga is quiet, contemplative,
uncomfortable, uneasy and sometimes war-like with its passionate emotions. It is a description of the sunset
in India, where the night approaches much faster than in northern countries. This creates a feeling of anxiety
and solemn expectation. “Marva stands beneath a mango tree near to Shiva, the three eyed lord of sleep.
In her hands she holds a many-coloured discus. Her golden limbs are robed in red and richly adorned with
flowers. Smiling, she praises the knights on the battlefield”.’ (John Mayer)
Bhimsen Joshi – Bhajan - Chaturbhuj Jhoolat Shyam Hindore
(There is a storm but Lord Hari is with us)
In this bhajan, the four-handed Lord Hari (another form of Lord Narayan or Lord Krishna) is sitting in a
cradle and devotees are adorning him with beautiful coloured jewellery and cloth, singing praises to him.
There is an intense thunderstorm, it is raining heavily and the rivers are flooded, but in Lord Hari’s presence
they feel safe and sing, seeking his blessing.
Rabindranath Tagore – The Boatman Song
A simple but beautiful Bengali folk song composed by Tagore.
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