Swaranjanee: Compositions in Night Raags of North Indian Classical Music (with Notation, Song-Text Meaning & Audio C.D.)

About the Book Bandish or song-text is an important component of musical material and it has a distinct role in music making of North Indian (Hindustani) classical music. To create a bandish, one has to have sound knowledge. about swar, lay, raag, taal, form, interest in literature, affinity towards words, ability to create novelty in the context of tradition, independent style, etc., In addition, other things theme and placement of the words in the song-text according to the name and time of the raag, complementary themes in the vilambit and drut compositions in the same raag make the musical and emotional content of the raag more appealing.

Dr. Prabha Atre's bandishs reflect all the above mentioned aspects of a good bandish. It is rare to find a woman performer who has composed bandishs of different genres, representative of changing times. It is even rare to find an artiste writing on contemporary music performance from different perspectives.

In this book, there are 228 compositions in 51 raags, which include forms like khyaal, taraanaa, dhrupad, dhamaar, trivat in night raags. The book also contains 6 self-created raags like 'Apoorva Kalyaan', 'Bhoop Kalyaan', 'Madhurakauns', 'Darbaarikauns', 'Bhinnakauns' and 'Patadeep Malhaar', along with their illustrative aalaap and taan.

The notation and the accompanying illustrative audio recording of the bandishs will help music lovers and students to enjoy better.

Internationally renowned Hindustani classical vocalist Dr. Prabha Atre is perhaps the only. performer who has also excelled as a brilliant thinker, academician, author, composer, researcher, reformer and guru. She is the senior most, front ranking vocalist representing the Kirana gharaanaa, today. A Science and Law graduate, she also holds a Doctorate in music.

Dr. Atre, a former Professor and Head of the Department of Music, SNDT Women's University, Mumbai, has been teaching in the traditional guru-shishya style for more than 45 years. She is an acclaimed guru in India and abroad, both in performance and research.

A "Top' grade artiste of the All India Radio and Doordarshan, Dr. Atre has been giving concerts for nearly 6 decades. She has displayed constant innovation and creative endeavour which has distinguished her from other vocalists, both in the classical and light classical idioms. With her keen aesthetic sense, brilliant thinking and deep critical approach, Dr. Atre has given new insight, meaning and approach to established ragas which have become the norms for their presentation.

About the Author Dr. Atre has authored several academic books on the various aspects of music that are especially relevant to the present day performance. Her Doctoral thesis on 'Sargam' or the use of sol-fa names as musical material and her books 'Swaramayee', 'Suswaraalee", 'Swaraanginee', 'Swaranjanee', 'Swararangee', 'Antahswar', 'Enlightening the Listener' and "Along the Path of Music, bear testimony to her various accomplishments.

In recognition of Dr. Atre's contributions to Indian art music, she has been bestowed with the National honours Padmashree', 'Padmabhushan' from the Government of India; 'Tagore Akademi Fellow', 'Sangeet Natak Akademi Award' from the Sangeet Natak Akademi; amongst many others.

Dr. Prabha Atre's bandishs are the hall mark of aesthetics, technical precision and emotional appeal. These bandishs depict beautiful blend of tradition, novelty and contemporary trends in music. Nearly 550 compositions in various forms like khyaal, taraanaa, thumri, daadraa, bhaktigeet, ghazal, etc., have been included in the 3 books of her compositions.

**Contents and Sample Pages**