Thursday, March 26, 2015

Second edition of "Hindustani Music -- a Tradition in Transition"


Preface to the Second Edition

It is heartening that, after more than eight years since the release of this book, it continues to engage the attention of serious music lovers.  The book has brought me in touch with some of the finest scholars and connoisseurs of Hindustani music in India and abroad. Their reactions and comments have suggested to me those facets of our music, which readers would like me to explore more comprehensively.

Two segments of this book appear to have engendered the widest interest. The most important, not surprisingly, is the phenomenon of the Raga. A close second is the coverage of musical instruments. Both subjects are inexhaustible. An attempt is, however, made in this edition, to enrich the contents of these two sections of the book.

On the subject of Raga-ness, I have added two new chapters reflecting my current understanding and concerns. To the original chapters, I have added post-scripts where I thought they were warranted.  The chapters on the instruments have been revised, and made more comprehensive. The coverage of instruments has been enlarged with  chapters on the Tanpura, the Violin, the Bansuri, the Pakhawaj and Tabla, and the Harmonium, which have appeared in my most recent book, Hindustani Music Today (DK Printworld, 2012).

I trust these additions will make this book significantly more valuable to my readers.

Deepak S. Raja
Mumbai

Vijaya Dashami, 2013