Customer Reviews

Sarangi: The Music of India

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I agree with the above reviews - I have about 80 Indian Classical CDs and Sultan Khan is a favorite - He's very lyrical while retaining good classical form - sort of reminds me of the asthetic Chopin would have in Western Classical Music. My other favorite is Sabri Khan who has a little more austere intensity - Ram Narayan is very austere and Dhrupad like.

I've listened to numerous North Indian Saranghi players (both on CD, and live in New York), but none of them moved me as deeply as Ustad Sultan Khan. His tone and sensitivity inspire emotion like noone else.

I agree with the above reviews - I have about 80 Indian Classical CDs and Sultan Khan is a favorite - He's very lyrical while retaining good classical form - sort of reminds me of the asthetic Chopin would have in Western Classical Music. My other favorite is Sabri Khan who has a little more austere intensity - Ram Narayan is very austere and Dhrupad like.

This is one of the few recordings I own that can stay on the player for days on end. Recorded in a granite room, the acoustics are pure and present. If you want to start listening to classical Indian music, this is a good place to start.

A beautiful set of two long-ish ragas, recorded in 1974 by two members of Ravi Shankar's touring ensemble in an informal Marin County concert. Khan plays the sarangi, an elaborate stringed instrument that is played with a bow, like a violin. These two pieces are all about the mellow, languid "alap," (the slow, melodic introductory movement of longer Indian classical pieces... and should be a treat for anyone in search of something mellow to zone out on. Lovely stuff... definitely worth checking out.

This album is great of course. It is Ustad Sultan Khan. He is one of the best sarangi masters there is. I want to let everyone know the structure of the tracks as I wanted to before buying. There is a very brief alap on Raga Bageshree and then goes into the gat. The track is about 30 minutes along. The thumri is basically the same way but it is shorter about 11 minutes long. The sarangi playing is definitely up front. The tabla playing is very minimal but always fitting. This is a great album. This is more accesible with the short alap and minimal tabla playing than his album of Raga Bhupali with Zakir Hussain though they are both great. Bageshree is one of my favorite ragas but this album was recorded in the 70's and the bhupali album was around 2000 i think. Therefore, the playing is much more mature. Also, Bageshree has a tanpura keeping the drone. Bhupali does not. So if you have a preference on that, that would help. All in all both are great albums in their own right but if i had to reccomend one i would probably say Bhupali. The long alap is beautiful and Zakir's tabla playing is unmatched.

Quality of the CD and the performer: EXCELLENT.
Delivery of Amazon: EXCELLENT

What is the reason for ONE STAR then: It is a COPY CD, manufactured for Smithsonian Folkways, item HRT-15002-CCD.
There is a mention about "custom" in the label of the manufacturer in Amazon web site but it does not indicate that it is a copy.
I suggest indicate and advise the clients that the product is a copy CD (custom CD as defined by Smithsonian folkways)
[...]

The price is competitive but you can buy it a few dollars less with Smithsonian Folkways.

If you want the music buy it with confidence, probably the original CD is not anymore available or difficult to find.