Pioneering 80-minute Raga: Perfection
Dr. Debra Jan Bibel | Oakland, CA USA | 02/16/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Billed as The 80 Minute Raga, this album of two discs (which consists of the entire takes, including start cues and applause) was originally recorded on LP by the Connoisseur Society in 1969. It was a carefully engineered album then and the digital mastering has maintained that brilliance and clarity. The rag is a late evening, pre-midnight sarod improvisation of great power and nobility. The first 40-minute disc is the introductory solo, alap; the second disc is the tabla-accompanied gat of 16-beat tintal and then 12-beat ektal. Mahapurush Misra is the excellent drummer.
When LPs of the 1960s and 1970s featured ragas, they were limited in time and 20- to 25-minute pieces were the norm, which restricted the artist's improvisations and exploratory depth, particularly in the alap. Thus, when the "40-minute raga" and this, the "80-minute raga" were released, it was exciting news, providing new perspectives to the art of ragas. Aside from this historical background, the music itself is timeless and this album is a welcome addition to the Signature Series of Ali Akbar Kahn's performances. Khan was the greatest of contemporary Indian musicians, recipient of every honor (and the prestigious McArthur Foundation Fellowship). Every collector of his recordings will certainly desire this outstanding, pioneering album."