Dear Rajubhai. I am delighted to go through the rare collections of my respected Guruji. Having learnt from him, since 1948, i always felt that the Sitar 'tabli' was much bigger than the other sitar players. As a result the sitar was tuned in low pitch and while playing in 'mandra saptak' the sound of sitar always gave a feeling of the sound of Surbahar. This was the landmark of his music and he always enjoyed which made his music quite separate from the other contemporary sitar players. Khan sahab always preferred to be alone and the only one who followed the technique of playing Sitar whit 17frets in his Gharana ( Jaipur senia gharana. Playing Surbahar with 3 mezrabs is another aspect which made him a great maestro who played Surbahar in been-ang following the dhrupad style and played with pakhawaj only. He had a strong wrist which helped him to play the bole patterns not only in Surbahar playing but also in playing Sitar. Today it is difficult to digest Khan sahabs technique and maintain the purity of Raga and that is why we have to understand his music from a different perspective. I have instituted a centre in Delhi in his memory naming Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan Centre for Culture in Jasola, South Delhi, having our own building behind Apollo hospital and will welcome any suggestion to keep his memory alive. .....Pandit Debu Chaudhuri
Rises for the occasion, the event of playing a classical Darbari. It seems to be sitar, played differently , lingering on each swar like Ustad Amir Khan's thehran and the innate sadness of Darbri rolls from the silent, dumb-founded darbar of Emperor Akbar straight to minuscules like us. A slow but earth engulfing, huge wave of sur.
Beautiful recording. thanks. going thru the sitar-surbahar debate. Do not know if the issue is resolved. This is sitar of course. Let me humbly introduced myself. I am saptarshi, desciple of Acharya Netai Basu, one of the most committed and talented desciples of Ustad Mustak Ali Khan.
Certain gharanas in the older days used to tune in sitars in B (the instruments were specified to have larger gourds and were bigger). The opposite was true as well; there were also smaller sitars tuned much higher (as high as F).
I think the construction changed. I selected a Sitar in Riki Ram's shop in Delhi in 1980. It was constructed in Ravi Shankar two gourd style but tuned on c#. I think the frets were lower with an angular shape and the Tabli was very thin but because of the low bridge and low frets it could tune higher. Also the Dandi was scallop shaped and the taraf were lower and clear of the lower main bridge. It was very easy to play and got the full 5 whole notes from any fret. Bit boomy on the bass but good sound. However I prefer the Bengal gourds and wood and use my Hiren Roy sitar who is sadly no longer with us. I heard Barun Roy, his son, is no longer manufacturing them.
Actually, MAK's ragdaari is totally different from others. His Darbari is not like wounded, cries of pain as VK. It is not mild melancholy of RS. Not AAK's blitzkreig in drut, perforating the heart. Not sublimating, other-worldly as NB. MAK plays , rooted in earth, subdued but deep, masculine sorrow. A stately affair.
Dear Rajubhai. I am delighted to go through the rare collections of my respected Guruji. Having learnt from him, since 1948, i always felt that the Sitar 'tabli' was much bigger than the other sitar players. As a result the sitar was tuned in low pitch and while playing in 'mandra saptak' the sound of sitar always gave a feeling of the sound of Surbahar. This was the landmark of his music and he always enjoyed which made his music quite separate from the other contemporary sitar players. Khan sahab always preferred to be alone and the only one who followed the technique of playing Sitar whit 17frets in his Gharana ( Jaipur senia gharana. Playing Surbahar with 3 mezrabs is another aspect which made him a great maestro who played Surbahar in been-ang following the dhrupad style and played with pakhawaj only. He had a strong wrist which helped him to play the bole patterns not only in Surbahar playing but also in playing Sitar. Today it is difficult to digest Khan sahabs technique and maintain the purity of Raga and that is why we have to understand his music from a different perspective. I have instituted a centre in Delhi in his memory naming Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan Centre for Culture in Jasola, South Delhi, having our own building behind Apollo hospital and will welcome any suggestion to keep his memory alive. .....Pandit Debu Chaudhuri
Amazing how they are able to keep changing keys so fluidly throughout the rag.
Rises for the occasion, the event of playing a classical Darbari. It seems to be sitar, played differently , lingering on each swar like Ustad Amir Khan's thehran and the innate sadness of Darbri rolls from the silent, dumb-founded darbar of Emperor Akbar straight to minuscules like us. A slow but earth engulfing, huge wave of sur.
Beautiful recording. thanks. going thru the sitar-surbahar debate. Do not know if the issue is resolved. This is sitar of course. Let me humbly introduced myself. I am saptarshi, desciple of Acharya Netai Basu, one of the most committed and talented desciples of Ustad Mustak Ali Khan.
Love the old school performers. Nice Darbari,There was something about that age.
Certain gharanas in the older days used to tune in sitars in B (the instruments were specified to have larger gourds and were bigger). The opposite was true as well; there were also smaller sitars tuned much higher (as high as F).
Today is the bitrthday of ostadji. 20th June is a memorable day .He will be alway with us Pranam .
I think the construction changed. I selected a Sitar in Riki Ram's shop in Delhi in 1980. It was constructed in Ravi Shankar two gourd style but tuned on c#.
I think the frets were lower with an angular shape and the Tabli was very thin but because of the low bridge and low frets it could tune higher.
Also the Dandi was scallop shaped and the taraf were lower and clear of the lower main bridge. It was very easy to play and got the full 5 whole notes from any fret.
Bit boomy on the bass but good sound.
However I prefer the Bengal gourds and wood and use my Hiren Roy sitar who is sadly no longer with us.
I heard Barun Roy, his son, is no longer manufacturing them.
Wah, Mr. Asokan. What a wondrous Darbari !! If you have more recordings of Mushtaq Ali Khan, will you please share ? Many many thanks.
superman
He did play quite a large size sitar which he tuned in B-Bflt. His Surbahar was tuned in F mostly I think? Ask Stephen Landsberg?
It's very unusual to hear both Masid Khani and Rezza Khani gats on surbahar so I think it's a sitar with a low tuning.
James Hamilton How do you learn to be able to tell this?
Actually, MAK's ragdaari is totally different from others.
His Darbari is not like wounded, cries of pain as VK.
It is not mild melancholy of RS.
Not AAK's blitzkreig in drut, perforating the heart.
Not sublimating, other-worldly as NB.
MAK plays , rooted in earth, subdued but deep, masculine sorrow.
A stately affair.
A third possibility is that the first part of the tape is played slower. Towards the end the tuning fluctuates.
Why not ask Debu if it's Surbahar or low tuned Sitar.
@Vinayak Dev Sorry my comment was written 7 years ago.
Mushtaq Ali Khan played both sitar and surbahar. This sounds like a surbahar which is tuned lower.
Very nice, but it´s not a Sitar, he played Shurbahar.