A Comprehensive book on music

Dr. S.P Shrivatsa
Recently I happened to come across a unique book in Hindi on Musicology entitled Sangeet Savita ( Sun of music) authored  by Savita Bakshi, the Additional Secretary of J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.
Though the author herself is having a significant command over playing Sitar instrument, yet she seems to have studied thoroughly all the classes of musicology including all types of musical instruments. Not only that she also must have grasped a thorough knowledge of the history of musicology that is why such a detailed book on the subject, divided into seven chapters with 250 Pages, has been brought out by her, which is really an appreciable venture on her part.
We are really proud of her nature of diligence that inspite of  here busy schedule, previously as teacher and Principal in the Institute of Music & Fine Arts, an important wing of the Academy and at present as the Additional Secretary of the same. She has been using spare time to study and practice music thoroughly. Obviously she must have burnt midnight oil to grasp indepth knowledge to such a most difficult technical subject and then to venture to write a comprehensive book as – ” Sangeet Savita’ I think hardly and other author even thought over ever to pen down such a useful book on this complicated technical subject.
In   Ist chapter of the book, she dwells upon the history of the musicology beginning right from the vedic period. However, she does not miss to give a passing reference to the Harrapan and Mohanjodaro periods in this regard. Then going ahead by and by and passing through all the historical periods of the subject, she gives a detailed account of the development of the musicology. In the Odyssey of musicology  wherever she finds any attack on the sacred character of this science of music she does not miss to point out the responsible persons and administrations of the period.
In second chapter of the book under review, the author, concentrates to give a detailed information of all the aspects of musiciology beginning from Swar (Sound) and its articulation with the help of vocal chord, larynx, tongue, teeth, lip , mouth and nasal cavities, cerebrum and other related organs etc. She justifies their role to produce the sound, which is natural phenomena and says that without active held of these organs a musician can not produce a correct Raga like Bhairav and other styles of singing like Thumari, Dhruped etc.
Carrying on her explanation, she praises  the important role of ‘ Gamaka’ quoting  ‘Sangeet Ratnakar’. An Authentic book on the subject, she says that the ‘Gamaka’ is the soul of Indian aesthetism. Then she explains 15 types of  ‘Gamakas’ and also records a detailed description of several kinds of ragas viz-a-viz the role of Bandish’ (composition for the correct identity of ‘Ragas’). While going further, she quotes different Gharanas that compose new techniques in favo r of ‘Ragas’ so that they may-emerge as more sophisticated, with the result each of them has been established to have its own identity. Actually their independent identity is based on improvisation, says the author of the book , under  review.
In third chapter of her book, she discusses the importance of vibration. She says that the vibration plays a vital role when a musician plays on the  musical instrument. It is the vibration which helps to produce melodious tone which is called Nada.’ According to her, there are two types of vibrations-(1) Transverse and 2) Longitudnal.
While explaining the characteristics of `Tambura’ she does not miss to refer consonance which, however, plays a prominent role as far as Tambura is concerned.
She begins her book’s fourth chapter by throwing light on Melody and Harmony as well as showing their necessity in music while discussing the composition of Orchestra and Orchestration.
She also does not miss to explain technical terms like equally- tempered -scale and the staff notation. According to her these are also equally essential parts of musicology.
In the fifth chapter of the book under review, the author, Madam Bakshi presents a comparison of Hindustani music and Karanatak music with the help of two tables and records them in juxta position-so that the readers can understand their similarity and dissimilarity easily.
While going a bit ahead in the book, she describes the importance of Rhythm that, according to her is a ground plan upon which a musical composition stands to proceed further .She also describes emotions in relation with Ragas. Justifying the role of emotion, she says that a Raga with out emotion is just like an empty vessel.
Further she gives a detailed explanation of the 9 rasas as they also are equally important as far a ‘Raga’ is concerned.
In 6th chapter, she deals with Gharanas of Sitar players and other musicians. In this chapter she too justifies important role of Rhythm also with `TALAS’as far classical music is concerned.
In her opinion she however, quotes some examples from the Natya Shastra as well as Sangeet Ratnakar. Both of them are source books on the science of music. addition to the above, she gives a detailed information of Hindustani music and Karanatak music.
In concluding chapter, she records a detailed introduction of some Ragas, such as Shuddha Kalyan, Mian Malhar, Raga Todi, Raga Kanhada, Raga Mulani and Puria etc.
At the last, but not the least she gives a detailed introduction of the Natya Shastra Sangeet  Ratnakar and Brahaddeshi of  Matanga  etc.
In view of the above, it is candidly clear that the author of the book   Savita  Bakshi leaves no stone turned to give a comprehensive shape to her book -“Sangeet Savita”  for which she really deserves our heartiest congratulations especially in this non- Hindi speaking state to write a book in Hindi on a technical subject like musicology. It is really a landmark.

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