1. Raga Todi

2. Raga Darbari

Ragas of Morning and Night
(Todi, Darbari) Gramavision 18-7018-7 (1986)

This is a rare recording from 1968 India of Pandit PranNath singing Rags Todi and Darbari.

Pran Nath's Ragas of Morning & Night has nothing to do with entertainment, everything to do with meditation and everything to do with New Age music, so much of which is profoundly influenced by traditional Indian music. As we listen, we are drawn in, captivated and eventually transported to psycho-spiritual clarity. Ragas is an intense album for serious listeners who regard listening as a process of inner development.


Raga Cycle - Palace Theatre - Paris 1972

1. Raga Shudh Sarang (33:19)

2. Raga Kut Todi (12:10)

One of the undeniable beauties of Indian Classical Music is its strong connection to nature and especially the binding relationship of Raga melodies to their appropriate time of day. An elegant curve of melody, a subtle lowering of pitch, or an assertiveness attached to a particular note help to define the effect of a Raga. There are Ragas for all the times of the day and night as well as seasons and when they are sung at their appropriate time their effectivness is noticeably enhanced. Pandit Pran Nath's knowledge of this musical science was extraordinary and he made it hislife's work to probe deeply with his expressive voice the true character of each raga using his matchless pitch discrimination and compelling emotional range.

The Raga Cycle at the Palace Theatre in Paris, 1972 showcased Pandit Pran Nath at the peak of his powers. The Raga Cycle took place over three consecutive days: Friday, May 28th night ragas, Saturday May 29th late afternoon ragas, and Sunday, May 30th, morning and mid-day ragas. These three concerts stand as a truly awe-inspiring monument, an example of perfection of the high art of Hindustani music by one of the greatest masters of the Kirana Gharana. Kirana, a small village north of New Delhi, produced many of the giants of Indian classical vocal music. Among them, Ustad Abdul Waheed Khansahib, Pran Nath-ji's guru, and the immensely popular Ustad Abdul Kareem Khan.

Accompanying Pran Nath in these Place Concerts are his American disciples, La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela, tambouras, and Terry Riley, tabla.


RELATED RESOURCES:
Pandit Pran Nath in UbuWeb Film
Henry Flynt -- "On Pandit Pran Nath (1918-1996)" [PDF]