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by David Clarke (Author)
Rags Around the Clock is a rich and vibrant compendium for the discovery and study of North Indian classical music. The theory and practice of rag are explored through two interlinked resources: a handbook of essays and analyses offering technical, historical, cultural and aesthetic perspectives; and two online albums - Rag samay cakra and Twilight Rags from North India - featuring khayal singer Vijay Rajput and accompanists.
Extracts from the albums are also embedded into the text to enhance learning and understanding. Each rag is accompanied by a description of its chief characteristics and technical features, a notation of the song (bandis) on which the performance is based, and a transliteration and translation of the song text. Distinctively, Rag samay cakra also includes spoken renditions of each of the texts, helping non-Hindavi speakers to achieve the correct pronunciation.
Sharing insights from both theory and practice, this collection draws on recent scholarship while also showcasing the vocal idiom - the gayaki - of Vijay Rajput, a disciple of the late Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. It offers invaluable reading for students and researchers of Indian classical music, world music and ethnomusicology, and a rich repository for teacher and student practitioners of the khayal vocal style. The combination of an aural and written exploration of rag will appeal to anyone drawn to this form of music - whether newcomer, student (sisya) or aficionado (rasika).
