The Musician and His Art: Essays on Hindustani Music

DETAILS : 

• Author : Deepak S. Raja
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ D.K. Printworld Pvt. Ltd.
  
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ 7 January 2019
  
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
  
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 265 pages
  
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 8124609551
  
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 9788124609552
  
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 600 g

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Musician and His Art: Essays on Hindustani Music is a sophisticated collection of essays that bridges the gap between the aesthetic experience of Indian classical music and its technical, sociological, and historical foundations. Deepak Raja treats Hindustani music not just as a performance art, but as a living philosophy.

The book is structured into thematic sections that cover:

The Architecture of Ragas: How a Raga is structured and the "grammar" that governs its evolution during a performance.

The Gharana System: A critical look at the traditional schools of music and how they are adapting to the modern era.

Instrumental vs. Vocal: The aesthetic shifts when moving from the human voice to instruments like the Sitar, Sarod, or Santoor.

The Listening Experience: Cultivating the "Kansan" (the sophisticated listener) and understanding the "Rasa" (emotion) evoked by different melodies.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Deepak S. Raja is one of India’s most respected musicologists and critics. Unlike many academic musicologists, Raja brings a unique perspective as a trained Sitarist (of the Imdadkhani Gharana) and a former management professional. This dual background allows him to analyze music with both a devotee’s heart and a scholar’s analytical rigor. He has authored several acclaimed books, including The Hindustani Sitar and Khayal Vocalism, and is a regular contributor to prestigious journals and his popular blog, Deepak Raja’s World of Music.