Who could have imagined the impact Pandit Pran Nath's singing was going to have on the lives of musicians and audiences - changing the course of music in the West... Pran Nath's majestic expositions of the slow alap sections of ragas combined with his emphasis on perfect intonation and the clear evocation of mood found a receptive audience among those seeking a more powerful musical experience, discovering the roots of a new age in perhaps the oldest living musical tradition - the music of India.
Minimalist music founders La Monte Young and Terry Riley and visual artist Marian Zazeela became his first American disciples, spawning the New Wave and New Age offshoots of their work.
Pandit Pran Nath's Darbari in many ways elucidates the quintessence of his style. His specialization in the slow, unfolding of the alap section of ragas finds its perfect union with the deep, resonant tones, the long graceful arches, and the elegantly architected minarets of Raga Darbari. One sinks deeply into the mood he draws of a late night inner prayer, the yearning of the soul for peace and fulfilment - the longing of the heart for an intuited vision of beauty. Even in India, where many musical moods have been classified, the feeling of Darbari is particularly dramatic. It is the application of the pitches that creates moods in music, and Pran Nath's komal; gha (flat 3rd degree) and komal dha (flat 6th degree) profoundly demonstrate the ability of sound to resonate the nervous system of the listener. His understanding and use of the andolan (controlled sliding back and forth) between the minute shades of the values of these pitches is truly astonishing. Pandit Pran Nath speaks of applying nine types of komal ga in Darbari! The pitches of the komal dha, komal ga, and komal ni (flat 7th degree) are lower than one usually hears in the Darbaris of others and are based on a relationship to the 7th partial, a harmonic emanating from the tamburas. In the West we know this harmonic through its use on the 7th and 3rd degree of the blues.
The land of Kanada, Gopal Nayak, the romance of the Mughal courts, Mian Tansen, classicism, blue notes, imagination, an ancient virtuosic performance tradition handed down for centuries from guru to disciple, Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan, lifetimes of devotion - all these together and more make up Pandit Pran Nath's Darbari, a masterpiece, a gift to our time.
Pandit Pran Nath, Voice
Mohammed Ahmed Bane, Sarangi
Prem Waleb, Tabla
Sheila Dhar, Tambura
Lalita Gupta, Tambura
All compositions composed and arranged by Pandit Pran Nath
La Monte Young & Marian Zazeela, Production
David Farneth, Jung Hee Choi, Associate Production
Bob Bielecki, Processing and Sub-mastering
Bob Ludwig, Mastering
Jung Hee Choi, Digital Release Producer
Micah Feinberg, Digital Release Production Assistant
Pandit Pran Nath's first appearance in the West in 1970 essentially introduced the vocal tradition of Hindustani classical
music to the U.S. Pran Nath's majestic expositions of the slow alap sections of ragas combined with his emphasis on perfect intonation and the clear evocation of mood have had a profound impact on Western contemporary composers and performers....more
supported by 23 fans who also own “Ragas of Morning and Night”
It is possibly the most important composition of the latter half of the 20th Century and had an enormous effect on both classical and popular music. La Monte is the inventor of Minimalism. DAVID PEPPERELL
supported by 17 fans who also own “Ragas of Morning and Night”
Absolutely love this recording. I listen to it at work. I listen to it in the car on the way home from work. I listen to it while falling asleep. Curtis’ cello is so amazing. Just got the vinyl in the mail from Discogs the other day! Can’t wait to play on my hi-fi system! Dave Sewall