DEPARTMENT OF INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC OF RABINDRA BHARATI UNIVERSITY

On February 01 2010

Program schedule

•  11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. : Registration
• 12 p.m.: Inauguration
•  Inauguration by Professor Karuna Sindhu Das, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Rabindra Bharati University

 Distinguished Presence:

•  Sri Anup Motilal, Director, Department of Culture, Government of West Bengal
•  Professor Amita Dutt, Dean, Faculty of Fine Arts, Rabindra Bharati University

The Session

•  Professor Philip V. Bohlman, Mary Werkman Distinguished Service Professor, The University of Chicago, Chicago [USA]
•  Dr. Lars-Christian Koch, Director, Phonogram Archiv, Statlische museen zu Berlin, Berlin-Dahlem [Germany]
•  Dr. Adrian McNeil, Department of Media, Media & Cultural Studies, Macquarie University, Sydney [Australia]
•  Also, Debashis Haldar, the promising Sarangi player and amateur Sarangi maker.

Paper Abstracts

Be-Reshit – On the Being and Beginning of Musical Instruments in the Abrahamic Religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)

Philip V. Bohlman, FBA, Mary Werkman Distinguished Service Professor of the Humanities and of Music, The University of Chicago/USA

Musical instruments appear in sacred scriptures in some of their earliest forms, revealing the importance of musical instruments in understanding the fundamental relations of human beings to creation and to sacred beings. Musical instruments appear in many forms as “vessels for the sacred,” transforming and mediating words so that they are understandable to humans as they seek identity among themselves and in the universe.

In my presentation I focus on the ways in which musical instruments first appear in the sacred writings of the Abrahamic religions. Already in the earliest scriptures, there are myths about the creation of instruments. The symbolic unity of the Prophet Abraham, for example, grows in part because of his decision not to engage in human sacrifice, but instead to create a musical instrument from the horn of a sacrificed ram. Musical instruments grow in number as the history of Abrahamic religions changes, especially distinguishing between song and instrumental music. And yet, that difference remains crucial to understanding sacred music today, for example in the most popular Jewish music that is essentially instrumental, klezmer music, in which the human being is still the vessel (Hebrew: “kleh”) for sacred voice (Hebrew: “zemer”).

Throughout the talk I wish to make suggestive comparisons with the ideas of music and musical instruments that are crucial for understanding creation and beginning in the Rg Veda. I am hopeful that our discussion will lead us to think about the ways the sacred in music is expressed through musical instruments, thus becoming a common way of understanding universal attributes in both music and religion in broad terms.

Dr. L.C. Koch

Musicarcheology and Musical Instruments

Dr. Lars-Christian Koch, Director, Phonogram Archiv, Statlische museen zu Berlin, Berlin-Dahlem [Germany]

This lecture will focus on the interdisciplinary subject Musicarchaeology, its role in reconstructing archaeological musical instruments and the possibility of evaluating ancient music cultures. A further perspective in this regard will be the scope of including this research in a museum setting in the perspective of exhibitions as well as educational events.

Dr. Adrian McNeil

Musical instruments and human agency: some thoughts on the Sursringar

Adrian McNeil, Macquarie University, Sydney [Australia]

Musical instruments do not evolve through their own anthropomorphic desire. Human agency is of course central to any such process. While material culture is open to objective documentation, in contrast the element of human agency is far more resistant and problematic. When both are taken together however, the historical trajectory of a musical instrument becomes potentially far richer. This short presentation, which is really a series of open questions, explores this idea through the relatively short life of the Sursringar.

Debashis Haldar

Outlines of Sarangi Making and Discussions on Some Subtle Issues

Debashis Haldar, Sarangi Player and Amateur Sarangi Maker

My presentation will focus on the outlines of Sarangi making and certain subtle issues. I shall discuss about the materials used, the way it goes with the primary design, how the carvings go, how the leather cover is used, how the sarangi can change by doing minor adjustments on the bridge and the tar-gahan. This will be based on my experiences as an amateur Sarangi maker.

After a brief talk I shall play a bit of Sarangi for the audience. Sri Angshubha Banerjee will provide me tabla support.

The audience

23 April 2009  A Seminar on ‘Esraj in Bengal’

Program schedule on 23 April 2009

Inaugural session

• Inauguration and opening lecture by Professor Karuna Sindhu Das, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, RBU
• Lecture of the Chief Guest Mr. Anup Motilal, Director-Culture, Government of West Bengal
• Opening the Seminar Concept by Professor Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, Director, SMTC-DRLOMI

Session I

• Dr. Pradip Kumar Ghosh on ‘Origin of Esraj & its Development in Bengal’ [talk]
• Professor Sanjoy bandopadhyay & Dr. Krishnendu Dutta on ‘making of Esraj’ [talk and film]

 Session II

• Mr. Buddhadeb Das on ‘Development in Esraj Architecture& its Effects in Playing Techniques’ [talk and music demo]
• Ashis Bhattacharya ion ‘Esraj and Rabindrasangeet’ [film, talk and music demo]
• All presentations followed by Q-A sessions.

It was 23 April 2009. There was nothing special in the morning. Kolkata was   stable and normal without any event that can take time and special attention. The auditorium at the Sangeet Bhavan was kind of full-house. This is not common for academic seminars here. SMTC-DRLOMI promised in its announcement that there will be Music, Papers and films.

Opening Address by the Hon'ble VC

The assembled audiences saw four persons on stage. Professor Karuna Sindhu Das, Vice Chancellor, Rabindra Bharati University was the third from left and on his right Mr. Anup Motilal, Director – Culture, Government of West Bengal who was present as the Chief-Guest [in photograph at column 4, photo 2]. The others from to left to right were Professor Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, Director, SMTC-DRLOMI; Dr. Pardip Kumar Ghosh [Eminent scholar], and extreme right was Professor Amita Dutta, Dean, Faculty of Fine Arts, RBU. The main session started after the inauguration by the vice-chancellor and chief-guest. The key-concept of the seminar was presented by the Director, SMTC-DRLOMI.

Professor Karuna Sindhu Das, the Hon’ble Vice Chancellor welcome the audience and declared the seminar open after garlanding the photograph of the Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore.

Anup Motilal, Chairman, Higher Education addressing the audience

In his address as the Chief Guest Anup Motilal described the history of development of Esraj. Professor Amita Dutt, Dean, faculty of Fine Arts, Rabindra Bharati University appreciated the activities of the centre and offered her full support. At the end of the inauguration session Professor Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, Director of the centre, opened up the concept of the seminar. He told that a monograph titled ‘Esraj in Bengal’ will be published as the outcome of this seminar. He also described the work executed during the short period of existence and expressed his gratitude to all especially to the Hon’ble Vice Chancellor for his exceptional support in the functioning of the centre.

In the first session the assembled audience listened to Dr. Pradip Ghosh’s presentation on the origin and development of Esraj. The presentation was focused to Bengal. The students raised queries. One of the students informed the audience about the mention of Esraj in South Indian treatises.

Prof. Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, Director, SMTC-DRLOMI

The second presentation in this session came from Professor Sanjoy Bandopadhyay and Krishnendu Dutta as a joint presentation. A short film on Esraj making’ was kept as the central focus. Professor Bandopadhyay described the problems and limitations that the production of the film faced. Dr. Dutta gave a smart presentation telling all the major aspects of Esraj making as he could gather from the team’s short research. The audience enjoyed the film very much and greeted with loud capping and ovation.

After a short recess the final session started. Buddhadeb Das opened his presentation with a talk focus to the development of Esraj from the old smaller type to a larger   type with many advantages. He explained the changes in the shape and other architectural details. He supported all his raised points through musical demo on the two different types of Esraj. Buddhadeb ended the presentation with a brief ‘Sudh-Sarang’. Dilip Mukherjee provided excellent tabla support. Audiences loved his presentation.

Ashis Bhattacharya with Buddhadev Das on Esraj

The final presentation came from the distinguished Rabindrasangeet singer Ashis Bhattacharya. He started his presentation with a short film that was shot at his residence showing his teaching with Esraj. After the film Mr. Bhattacharya gave an elaborate talk on the use of Esraj in performance and teaching of Rabindrasangeet. He supported all his stated points with music demonstration and musical applications.

Incidentally, Mr. Bhattacharya is now among the few Rabindrasangeet singers

The documentary

that use Esraj during teaching or can sing while playing Esraj. Audiences appreciated his presentation.

The seminar ended with a Vote of Thanks from the Director.

Exchanges during intermission.