Customer Reviews

The Ragas of North India (Da Capo Press Music Reprint Series)

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Regarding the book "The Ragas of North India" by Walter A. Kaufmann ISBN: 0306761696. I have used this book as a reference text for 20 years. For a serious student or scholar of the Hindusthani music of N.India unfamilier with Bhaktandis' notation this book is an invaluable resource containing chapters on the history, philosophy and practice of ICM,Indian classical music. The fundamentals are covered in detail and are supplemented with hundreds of examples of Indian Ragas based on the 10 major scales of Hindusthani music, used in folk,contemporary and art music from the earliest historical examples up to post independance India. This book has also been a great help in collaborations of my own with Western musicians allowing easily accessible western notation of the most commonly performed ragas as well as rare transcription of obscure or regional ragas.
Many of the examples are from performances transcribed by the author during his 14 year tenure as a director of All India Radio. Kaufmann brings an insight and understanding of ICM to bear on a subject usually misinterpreted or biased by Orientalist who seek to conform the musical science of the subcontinent to Western ideals of the theory and practice of music. Kaufmann is the rare individual who approachs ethnomusicology as a true initiate of the form he is studying.
The author gives concise footnotes and sources primarely from Hindu texts but also references Alain Danilou's excellent study of N. Indian music which is confusingly published under the same title and pre dated the Kaufmann text.
I highly recommend this book to any and all persons seeking a well written,well researched book on the subject. Sadly the book is out of print and has been offered for sale at princely sums exceeding US $400.00. I have owned 2 copies prior to the copy currently in my possession and the price has doubled and tripled every time I have replaced it. If you find one buy it you will be richly rewarded. Reviewers update 15/01/06: A search of Amazon.UK shows available copies of this book for as low as US $51.00 If you have an interest buy it now, its out of print and turns up rarely at this low price. Not a plug folks, just a suggestion.

This is a scholarly work and invaluable source for the Westerner interested in North Indian music. The reader has to be able to read Western music to enjoy the book fully. Well classified and arranged, with great foot notes and index, this out-of-print book has been serving as a remarkable reference source for over four decades.

The Introduction is very interesting, with descriptions of the groups, concepts and components of ragas, extra-musical considerations, ornaments, and proper performance times according to the Vedic traditions of ritual chant and music.

The book is elaborate and professional, and yet user-friendly with the help of an English-Sanskrit dictionary and a North Indian music dictionary.

Remarkable work by a genius.