Bharatiya Sangeet Vadya
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Bharatiya Sangeet Vadya (Indian Musical Instruments)
ISBN 81-263-0727-7
Written by Dr. Lalmani Misra This book was published under the Lokodya Granthmala series (Granthak / Volume No.: 346) of Bharatiya Jnanpith, new Delhi. The first edition was publisehd in 1973, the second in 2002.
The book carries an exhaustive documentation of musical instruments, right from the ancient Vedic age to modern times. The book has always been in great demand by scholars and musicians for it also gives insight into fundamentals of playing instruments and traces the development in content along with that of the instrument. The book originally written in Hindi is [currently] under translation and an English version may soon be available.
Brief overview
The book has fourteen chapters.- The first deals with discussion of music; its elemental essence; its relation to life and theories of its evolution.
- The second chapter examines the primary elements of singing, instrument and dance and categorises the instruments.
- Third chapter describes in detail the Tat-Vadya or string instruments from Analambi, Alapini, Ek-tantri Veena to Kand, Kinnari, Ghoshvati, Rudra, Saraswati and Vichitra Veena. Almost fifty differnet veena-s have been individually taken up apart from some minor instruments.
- Avanaddh Vadya (literally Sound on striking) or percussion instruments of all types belonging to ancient and middle period are described and their playing style discussed in fifth chapter.
- Fifth chapter deals with Sushir Vadya (wind instruments) of ancient and medieval period.
- Ghan Vadya(Hammer-stroke instruments) in India have taken various forms -- wood on wood, metal on metal and possible combinations. These are discussed in sixth chapter.
- Musical instruments that are not mentioned in classical texts, having been evolved in medieval to modern period are documented in the seventh chapter.
- A comparative study is made of ancient, medieval and modern instruments in eighth chapter.
- Structure of instruments in their modern evolution has been discussed with ample details for building them from scratch despite there being meagre details available in ancient texts. The ninth chapter discusses several modern instruments like Vichitra Veena, Rudra Veena, Sarod, Dilruba, Santoor, Sitar etc.
- Tenth chapter is important as it contains a discussion on availability and evolution of the content for instruments.
- Eleventh chapter examines the genre of folk-music and evaluates the role of folk-instruments.
- A modern scientific classification of instruments based on intenstiy, pitch, range etc. has been envisaged in the twelfth chapter.
- Iconic and aesthetic elements of instruments have been discussd in the thirteenth chapter. Instruments are a vehicle conveying essential nature of others to the artiste while transporting his emotions to listeners.
- The concluding chapter rearranges the whole gamut of Indian musical instruments highlighting the interdependence of evolution of instruments with texts mentioning them. The curve of development being successive, often provided a method to arrange two texts. Finally it established the ancient principles of Indian music in the light of reason rather than tradition or mere convention.
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