Anoushka Shankar - 'Lasya' The Goddess Parvati's Cosmic Dance

-

Anoushka Shankar, Lasya



Anoushka Shankar is an Indian sitar player and composer. The sitar usually has five melody strings and one or two 'drone strings' used to accentuate rhythm or pulse. There are as many as thirteen 'sympathetic strings' that resonate alongside the melody strings and give that shimmering sound. 

Listen here: Lasya

The name Lasya refers to the feminine and graceful cosmic dance of the Hindu goddess Parvati. The dance is a response to her consort Shiva's powerful and masculine 'Tandava' dance. 

Shiva and Parvati

Tandava - a divine dance performed by Shiva

The music of South Asian classical music is primarily improvisatory and therefore requires a united understanding of rhythm. You will notice at the 1:43 mark of 'Lasya', Pirashanna Thevarajah starts vocalising the 'tal' (rhythm). For more on the rhythmic principles of South Asian music, watch this.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

O-Daiko

-
Image
Daily Hit of Music's 100th post! Thank you for reading our posts on Daily Hit of Music. We hope you're enjoying them and here's to the next 100! Eitetsu Hayashi is an acclaimed Japanese musician best known for his solo performance work in taiko. Taiko are a broad rang of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside of Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called wadaiko . The process of constructing taiko varies between manufacturers, and the preparation of both the drum body and skin can take several years depending on the method.  Eitetsu Hayashi performing in 2001 Image source   In feudal Japan, taiko were often used to motivate troops, call out orders or announcements, and set a marching pace; marches usually being set to six paces per beat of the drum.  Watch Ei-tetsu Hayashi's exhilarating performance on a huge o-daiku barrel drum. He performs alongside the Shamisen master, Sh...
Read more

Vivaldi: Vedrò con mio diletto

-
Image
As well as being the prototype of the modern violin virtuoso - expanding the technical possibilities of the instrument - Antonio Vivaldi also wrote some beautiful vocal music.  Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1741) Image source The aria "Vedrò con mio diletto", has became a famous concert piece to sing, especially for countertenors, but was originally intended to be sung by the character  Anastasio in Vivaldi's opera 'Giustino'.  Listen to it here: DHM YouTube Italian (original) Text: Vedrò con mio diletto L'alma dell'alma mia Il core del mio cor pien di contento. E se dal caro oggetto lungi convien che sia Sospirero penando ogni momento... Text translation:  I will see with joy, the soul of my soul heart of my heart full of content. And if from my dear object I be far away I will sigh, suffering every moment...  This blog is intended to be educational and to share knowledge about music. Daily Hit of Music does not claim to own anything contained in this post and ...
Read more

Caterina Assandra

-
Image
Caterina Assandra was an Italian composer and Benedictine nun born in the province of Pavia. She became famous as an organist and published several works during her lifetime, some of which reached outside the borders of Italy.  Caterina Assandra (c.1590 - after 1618) Image source The local composer Agostino Agazzari influenced Assandra's style. Due to Assandra's residence in the convent, her vocal music was often written for female voices so that her music could function without male singers.  Listen to Assandra's setting of Duo Seraphim: Latin text: Duo seraphim clamabant alter ad alterum: Sanctus Dominus Deus Saboath. Plena est omnis terra gloria ejus.  (Isaiah 6:3) Tres sunt, qui testimonium dant in coelo: Pater, Verbum et Spiritus Sanctus: et hi tres unum sunt. Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Plena est omnis terra gloria ejus. Translation: Two seraphim cried to one another: Holy is the Lord God of Sabaoth. The whole earth is full of his glory. There are three who bear w...
Read more