The Influence of Western Music and Indian Classical

Music on the Compositions of Rabindranath Tagore

Subject: Music
Candidate Name: Raaj Chatterjee
Candidate Number: 0001!"000
#$am Session: May 2014
Super%isor: Mr& 'reg (arrugia
Word Count: )!!
Abstract:
The Influence of Western Music and Indian Classical Music on the Comositions of
Rabindranath Ta!ore
The purpose of this stud* is to in%estigate the impacts of musical influences+ specificall*
Western music and Indian Classical music on the compositions of Rabindranath Tagore& I ,ould li-e to
outline the similarities in melod*+ harmon*+ meter+ te$ture+ and form+ bet,een these genres and Tagore.s
o,n distinct /engali genre+ Rabindra Sangeet& Tagore has integrated musical elements of these genres
along ,ith his o,n /engali fol- music bac-ground to create his o,n musical culture of 000 songs that
retain a prominent place in /engali music toda*& I ha%e a deep connection ,ith this subject& /eing from
/engal I ha%e listened to+ sang+ and performed Tagore.s pieces throughout m* childhood& Rabindra
sangeet is a 1uintessential component of /engali culture&
The first and second sections of this essa* focuses on the historical and conte$tual components
of Tagore.s compositions& The third section anal*2es the influenced elements of melod*+ harmon*+
meter+ te$ture+ and form of the compositions& The piece 34e* 5hani-er 6tdithi7 is used for this
anal*sis& The final section in%estigates Tagore.s blend of /engali and Western (ol- music in the piece
38urano Sei 9inar 5atha7& Together+ it ,ill be sho,n that Tagore.s blending of the musical elements of
Indian+ /engali+ and Western music created a distinct musical culture -no,n as Rabindra Sangeet&
Words: 00:
1
Table of Contents
;bstract 1
;& Introduction and 4istorical Information )
1" Rabindranath Ta!ore and Rabindra #an!eet
2" $istorical Conte%t of Rabindra #an!eet
/& St*les of Music
1& Indian Classical Music
2" Western Music that Influenced Ta!ore
C& Musical ;nal*sis :
1" A &reface to the Indian 'ormat
2" ($e )hani*er +tdithi,
2"1 Melody
2"1"1 Moti-es and #tructure
2"2 Rhythm and Tala
2". $armony
2"4 Te%ture and Instrumentation
9& Western and /engali (ol- 'enres 1
1" Analysis of (&urano #ei /iner )atha,
Conclusion 1<
/ibliograph* 1:
;ppendi$ I: 34e* 5hani-er 6tdithi7 in 1!
Staff Notation
;ppendi$ II: 38urano Sei 9inar 5atha7 in 00
Staff Notation
;ppendi$ III: Recordings of ;nal*2ed 8ieces See ;udio C9
0
;& Introduction and 4istorical Information
1" Rabindranath Ta!ore and Rabindra #an!eet
Rabindranath Tagore ,as a /engali poet+ ,riter+ composer+ and l*ricist& /orn on Ma* <+ 1:=1+
in Calcutta+ India& Tagore ,as a major /engali poet and the first ;sian to ,in the Nobel 8ri2e in
>iterature in 1!1) ?9utta 1:0@& 4e ,as also a prolific composer+ composing 0+0)0 songs o%er the
course of his life ?Choudhur*@& The musical culture of Rabindra Sangeet is a distinct genre in the area
of /engali music& 3Sangeet7 translates to song+ and 3Rabindra Sangeet7 means songs of Rabindranath&
M* aim in this ,or- is to find ho, Tagore combined elements from Indian Classical and Western
Music ,ith his o,n /engali musical heritage to create the musical culture of Rabindra Sangeet&
2" $istorical Conte%t of Rabindra #an!eet
To understand the creati%it* and culture ,ithin Tagore.s ,or-s+ it is important to reali2e the
social d*namic of his time& (rom the nineteenth centur* to the earl* t,entieth centur*+ the undi%ided
region of /engal ?no, /angladesh and the Indian state of West /engal@ e$perienced a socio"cultural+
political+ and religious renaissance& Cultural and religious orthodo$ies such as the caste s*stem+ child
marriage+ suppression of ,omen+ pol*gam*+ and untouchabilit* ,ere 1uestioned and started to be held
in negati%e public opinion& ;fter the Sepo* Mutin* of 1:<+ the first battle for independence+ the
/engal renaissance sa, an outburst of literature regarding the arts+ liberal thought+ philosoph*+
scientific disco%eries+ and nationalism ?Thompson A@& 'reat thin-ers such as Is,ar Bid*asagar and
/an-im Chandra Chatterjee e$panded these ideas and helped implement them into polic*& Chatterjee.s
song 3Bande Mataram7 ,ritten in 1::0 as a h*mn to the motherland in /engali and Sans-rit ,ould
later become an anthem for India.s independence and ,as first sung in a political conte$t b* Tagore in
1:!= at the Indian National Congress ?Thompson 1<@&
)
The Tagore famil* pla*ed an immense role in the renaissance+ especiall* in the area of
educational reform ?;shrafu22aman@& Rabindranath Tagore+ the most influential of the famil*+ too-
these ideas into song+ poetr* and literature& /* combining the ne, ideals of the renaissance and the
ancient spiritual te$ts of 4induism+ the Cpanishads+ he created a boo- of 1< compositions in /engali
?,hich he translated into #nglish@+ called 'itanjali+ for ,hich he recei%ed the Nobel 8ri2e ?9utta 1:0@&
;ll of Tagore.s songs ,ere composed in a time of re%olution and freedom mo%ements in India&
Rabindra Sangeet ,as one of the channels that fueled the re%olutionar* and nationalistic spirit+
pro%iding a message of unit* bet,een ,arring factions+ courage+ and hope& Some of his -e*
compositions include 00 protest songs+ protesting the 1!0 partition of /engal b* /ritish forces+ the
national anthems of both India and /angladesh+ and spiritual ,orship songs& Tagore ,as indeed an
inspiration to other re%olutionar* figures such as Mahatma 'andhi+ ,ho claimed Tagore.s 3#-la Cholo
Re7 ,as deepl* inspiring in his *outh ?9utta 0)!@&
Tagore.s scope ,as not onl* limited to India ho,e%er+ and he himself had %isited )0 different
countries across continents& 4e composed 3Danaganamana adhina*a-a ja*a he7 and 3;mar Shonar
/angla7+ nationalistic songs that posthumousl* became the national anthems of India and /angladesh
respecti%el* ?/and*opadh*a* A0@& These pieces blend /engali fol- melodies ,ith influences from
Indian classical ragas and talas ?see section /1@+ and Western harmonies& Thus through the /engali
renaissance+ the Indian independence mo%ement+ and the introduction of ,estern philosophies and
music+ the historical conte$t of his time influenced Tagore.s compositions greatl*&
A
0" #tyles of Music
1" Indian Classical Music
Indian Classical Music+ the central art music of the Indian subcontinent+ originates from the
ancient scriptures called the Bedas and has de%eloped o%er thousands of *ears& The basic sound"pattern
of Indian classical music and Western Classical music+ including the 10 distinct tones of the octa%e+
remains the same& This is called viz and is born from a time ,hen the musical cultures of the ,est and
the east ,ere 1uite similar& ; large difference ho,e%er is that historicall*+ Indian classical music uses
just intonation+ as opposed to the tempered scales of the ,est ?Mu-erji =@&
Indian Classical music has t,o main di%isions: 4industani music of the Northern areas of the
subcontinent+ and Carnatic music of the South& The homogeneit* of Indian Classical Music o%er the
past millennium is 1uite astoundingE the onl* basic change in 4industani music ,as a change in the
standard scale of use from the old scale ?,ith CF and 'F@ scale to the bilawal scale ?major scale@ ,hich
occurred A00 *ears ago ?Mu-erji 0@& The music is based on the raga ,hich is not onl* the use of a
specific scale that %aries in its ascent and descent+ but prescribes certain melodic structures long
impro%isations+ lasting often at least )0 minutes& Ragas gi%e a holistic picture of music due to the
specific times of da* that there are to be pla*ed at& There are morning+ afternoon+ e%ening+ and t,ilight
ragas ,hich are indications of ho, integrated music is ,ith life in the Classical musical culture
?Menon+ Indian Music AA@&
The rh*thmic element of the music is -no,n as tala& 4o,e%er+ tala is not simpl* rh*thm+ but
part of the language and spo-en poetr*& Tala is subdi%ided into bars ,hich are repeating c*cles of beats
?matras)& There are t,o distinct matras: the sam and the khali& The rh*thm increases in bus*ness and
%olume until the stressed beat ?sam) is reached and rela$es into the empt* beat ?khali@& ; specific tala is
thus distinguished b* the number of beats+ the number and length of the bars+ and the positions of the
sam and khali ?Menon+ Indian Music !@& Tala thus ties closel* into the melodic structure of the raga

and interacts closel* ,ith the l*rics&

The origin of Indian Classical music is religious& In 4indu m*th+ ragas came out of the god
Shi%a.s mouth and one from his consort+ 8ar%ati& ;nd b* performing Tandava Nrittya+ the cosmic
dance+ accompanied b* a damaru+ a percussion instrument+ >ord Shi%a destro*ed the e%il in the
uni%erse and ga%e birth to rh*thm ?Choudhur*@& In the era of the /engali Renaissance ho,e%er+ the
di%ine oriented music classical music became e$perimented on+ and combined ,ith fol- and ,estern
influences ?;shrafu22aman@&
2" Western Music that Influenced Ta!ore
;t the base of the /engali Renaissance ,as a ne, a,a-ening to the Cpanishads+ ancient 4indu
te$ts+ but also to the positi%e ideas of the Modern West that had alread* been present for at least A00
*ears during #uropean occupation of the subcontinent& These ideas ,ere both social and religious+ and
helped bring do,n caste di%isions+ child marriage+ and promoted uni%ersal education+ literature+ free"
thin-ing+ and in%estment in the arts ?Som 0!@& In /engali music this meant ne, e$periments ,ith the
classical forms+ populari2ation of fol- music+ and implementations of ,estern music and
orchestrations&
#%en before Tagore.s time+ since the /ritish %ictor* at the /attle of 8lasse* in 1<<+ /ritish+
'erman and Italian music entered the /engali soundscape& Tagore.s famil*+ being relati%el* ,ealth*+
allo,ed for his proper introduction to Western Music and literature& 4e recei%ed formal instruction in
%ocals a piano as a child and listened to the music of Chopin+ Berdi+ /eetho%en+ /ach+ and other
classical and romantic composers from a %er* *oung age ?9asgupta@&
4is first %isit to #ngland ,as in 1:<: for post"secondar* studies in la, ?9utta =<@& It ,as a time
of an #nglish musical renaissance ,here it classical music began to shift focus to find a national
=
identit* and a place in #nglish cultural life& 4e enrolled in ,estern classical %ocal music+ and ,as
influenced b* the ,or-s of romantic and classical composers at the time& Tagore described ,estern
music as deepl* mo%ing+ %ast in its structure+ and grand in its composition& In a con%ersation ,ith
;lbert #instein+ Tagore mentioned: 3I ,as affected b* GtheH po,er Gof Western musicH once ,hen a
4ungarian lad* pla*ed on her %iolin some pieces of music+ both classical and modern ?Bis%a"/harati
11@& This earl* ac1uaintance ,ith the intricate pol*phon* and st*les of ,estern music ,as a launching
point into Tagore.s e$perience as one of India.s first modern fusion artists&
Rabindra Sangeet dra,s great parallels ,ith the romantic era in ,estern music ,hich ,as from
1:00 to 1!00

?5amien 0<1@& The idea of strong self"e$pression through music is a -e* characteristic of
Rabindra Sangeet and music from the romantic era ?5amien 0<<@& Ne, mo%ements in the romantic era
such as musical nationalism and e$oticism are part of Tagore.s music& In Rabindra Sangeet ho,e%er+ it
,as ,estern music ,as e$otic and Tagore ,rote man* pieces ,ith ,estern melodies and
instrumentation such as 38urano Sei 9iner 5atha7& ;nother characteristic of the romantic era in
Rabindra Sangeet is program music& Rabindra Sangeet most often tells a stor* or presents a scene of
nature& ;s in #urope at the time+ Tagore ,as an e$ponent of the concept of 3union of the arts7 ,here
poetr* and music ,ere closel* tied together& 6n his first %isit to #ngland Tagore ,as particularl*
influenced b* an artist b* the name of Milson ?Som 0!@& 4e used music to imitate bird songs ,hich
struc- Tagore as initiall* surprising+ but inspired Tagore e$plore program music& Tagore.s e$posure to
,estern music allo,ed for another e$otic dimension to his compositions&
<
C& Musical ;nal*sis
1& ; 8reface to the Indian (ormat
Indian classical melodies are ,ritten in the format of the sargam& Similar to ,estern music there
are se%en swaras+ notes of the octa%e+ representing the se%en degrees of a scale: sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha,
ni& Re, ga, dha,and ni can either be pure+ suddha+ ?e1ui%alent to major scale degrees@ or flattened+
komal+ ?e1ui%alent to minor scale degrees@& Ma+ the fourth scale degree can either be natural+ or raised+
tivra& Sa and pa+ the tonic and dominant+ can onl* be suddha, pure& These swaras are shortened from
their full names ,hich are: S ad !am + Ris abh+ "#ndh#r+ Madhyam+ $a%cam+ &haivata and Nis #d
respecti%el* ?;shrafu22aman@& Together these notes ma-e up the sargam+ e1ui%alent to the ,estern
solfIge of do, re, me, 'a, so, la, and ti( The sargam refers to scale degrees as opposed to an* particular
pitches& ;nd+ it is common in classical music that these notes are sung as l*rics ?Sa+ re+ ga etc&@ in the
performance of a raga or e%en deshi, 'olk, per'ormances ?Mu-erji 1:@&
0& 34e 5hani-er 6tdithi7
The song 4e 5hani-er 6tdithi ,as ,ritten b* Rabindranath Tagore in 1!0

?Choudhur*@& This is
a song of lost romance and sadness+ ,ith one lo%er calling the other merel* 3-hani-er otdithi7 or %isitor
for a moment& This is one of Tagore.s compositions that e$plores secular life+ rather than di%ine or
religious themes& The melod* is based on an Indian Classical raga -no,n as /haira%i+ and a tala
-no,n as -ahar,a

?Taal )awarha *+*@& The piece is closest to the thumri st*le of Classical Music
,hich often contains fol- and secular themes& 4o,e%er rather than this being a half hour impro%ised
raga+ the influence from the baul+ m*stic fol-+ culture of /engal turns this into a singable melod* based
on the scale of the raga& Through the e$perimentation ,ith these three st*les of music+ Tagore achie%es
his o,n st*le of fusion music+ Rabindra Sangeet+ ,ith its o,n uni1ue melod*+ harmon*+ meter+ form+
and original instrumentation&
:
2"1 Melody
In Rabindra Sangeet+ melod* is the most distincti%e component of the music& Tagore said
himself that his songs do not re1uire instrumentsE a single %oice is enough to capture the passion of
most of his pieces& 34e* 5hani-er 6tdithi is an e$cellent e$ample of this l*rical fol- 1ualit* of
Rabindra Sangeet& The flo,ing melod* dictates the rh*thm and harmon* of the piece and carries
influences from the m*stic fol- music of /engal as ,ell as from Indian Classical music
?/and*opadh*a*a 1=@&
The melod* is built upon the raga bhairavi and its scale+ -no,n as bhairavi thaat

?;shrafu22aman@ is e1ui%alent to the phr*gian mode in Indian classical music& This raga can be further
classified as a ragini ,hich constitutes a feminine 1ualit*& The raga+ragini significance is no,
generall* disregarded+ but it is important to understanding the secular male"female ideals in classical
Indian art and music ?Mu-erji 1!@& In this song ho,e%er+ there is a difference bet,een the ascending
and descending melodic lines in terms of the notes of the scale& ;scending+ the notes are: Sa+ suddha re+
-omal ga+ ma+ 8a+ -omal ga+ -omal ni& This is e1ui%alent to: C+ 9+ #b+ (+ '+ ;b+ /b& This is essentiall*
the aeolian mode& 9escending+ the re becomes a -omal re ?9 becomes 9b@ thus ma-ing it e1ui%alent to
the phr*gian mode& This difference in ascending and descending 1ualities of a scale is idios*ncratic of
Tagore& In the third bar of the / section of the piece+ both %ersions of the re ?9@ are sung in the same
bar& This usual change in mode is characteristic of Indian classical music ,here ragas often contain
different ascending and descending scales& Raga bhairavi ho,e%er does not contain the sudda re ?9
natural@ ,hich is e%idence of Tagore.s de%iation from the traditional rules of classical music&
2"1"1 Moti-es and #tructure
The main motif is the title line 3he* -honi-er atithi7 ?(ig& C 0&1&1@& This motif is repeated after
!
e%er* %erse& The repetitions feature different notes for the l*rics 3he* -honi-er7 ho,e%er 3atithi7
al,a*s resol%es on the fifth of the scale+ $a& (or the purposes of this anal*sis it ,ill be labeled A& This
A motif lasts for ) c*cles of the tala ?see ;nal*sis of Meter 0&) belo,@ ,hich is e1ui%alent to )
measures of AJA time&
(ig C 0&1&1 Main Moti' o' ,-ey )haniker .tdithi /&utt 0)
The 0 section immediatel* follo,s the ; and lasts for : measures& The uni1ue feature of this is
that it contains an appoggiatura on the first beat ?(ig C 0&1&0@& The teevra ma ?(F@ is not part of the
scale and is an important ornamentation that adds tension to the piece+ clashing ,ith the $a ?'@ in the
harmon*& This is the onl* appoggiatura in this piece and correlates to the %er* sparse ornamentation
that Tagore tends to use in his other pieces ?Mu-erji )0@& 6rnamentation+ ,hile it is %er* common in
the Indian Classical st*le+ is much more limited in baul music from ,hich focuses more on strong
melodic moti%es& The 0 section ,hich is the first %erse is immediatel* follo,ed b* the A motif&
(ig& C 0&1&0 The 1irst 2erse /&utt 0)
10
The melod* rises to a higher register in the C section& The main note of resolution in this
section is Sa+ the tonic+ of the upper octa%e& The section lasts for t,el%e c*cles of tala& The melod* here
flo,s up and do,n the scale ,ith much continuit*& ;ll the inter%als ,ithin each melodic phrase are
conjuct and consist onl* of seconds and thirds ?(ig C 0&1&)@& The flo,ing melod* is complemented b*
the st*le of singing ,hich includes mirh+ gliding+ from one note to the ne$t ?Mu-erji <@& The great
Rabindra Sangeet e$ponent+ Indrani Sen+ in her %ersion of the piece uses glides e$tensi%el* to lin- the
melodic phrases together

?>isten to ;ppendi$ III@& This gliding is e$tensi%el* used in Indian classical
st*les& 6ften the e$perience le%el of an Indian classical singer can e%en be determined b* his or her
master* o%er the glide in the impro%isation of a classical raga ?Mu-erji <@& 'liding from one note to
another in%ol%es ,hat are called srutis+ or semi and 1uarter tones+ ,hich are based on just intonation
?Menon+ The $enguin &ictionary 10@& In Tagore.s songs this is left to the singer to shape his or her
mirh based on e$perience& This element of Classical music is beautifull* tied in ,ith this non"
ornamental fol- melod* to create a uni1ue blend of these t,o musical cultures& This section represents
a busier+ more intense section of the song ,hich is higher in pitch and %olume& This second %erse of the
song is follo,ed again b* an A motif&
(ig& C 0&1&) ?9utt !@
In the / section+ the first four measures contain similar moti%es as the 0 section& This section
contrasts the intensit* of the C section as it drops bac- do,n to the lo,er register& This change in the
range of pitches is not sudden as it is bridged b* the A motif& This repetition of a melodic line after
11
each %erse is characteristic of man* of Tagore.s songs including 3#-la Cholo Re7+ 3;mi Cini 'o Cini7
and man* other fol-"st*le melodies ?Choudhur*@& In bar )+ the both komal re ?9b@ and teevra re ?9
Natural@ are found impl*ing a change in tonalit* ?See (ig C 0&1&A@& The teevra re is used ,hile
ascending to ma ?(@ ,hile the komal re is used to lead into sa ?C@& This use of both t*pes of re is not
part of raga bhairavi and instead contains e%idence of ,estern st*le modal changes& In the harmon*
pro%ided b* Samar 9utt in his -e*board notation+ the change from the chord C minor to ( minor
constitutes a change in the 9 to a 9b ?see (igure C 0&1&A@& This change is e1ui%alent to a change from
the aeolian mode to a phr*gian mode+ gi%ing a m*sterious feel ,ith a strong change in tonalit*& The /
section is the third %erse ,hich is repeated and is then follo,ed b* another C section ?C11 and then
finall* b* the A motif&
(ig& C 3(4(* /&utt 45)
6%erall the structure is influenced b* the Indian classical st*le of dhrupad& In a dhrupadic piece
there is generall* four stan2as of ,hich the first and the third are similar and the second and fourth are
similar as ,ell ?Mu-erji 1)@& The 0 and / sections are both of the same length of : c*cles of tala and
are similar in terms of the range and notes of resolution+ komal re ?#b@ and sa ?C@& C and C1 ha%e
e$actl* the same melod* and are of the same length& The A section acts are a repeating l*rical motif
that lin-s together the sections of the song& Through the progression of these sections+ the flo,ing+
conjuct+ l*rical melod* is a characteristic of both baul and Indian classical St*les& 4o,e%er the melod*+
being attached to poetic l*rics is more characteristic of a baul fol- song than a classical impro%isation&
10
The -e* distinction bet,een this melod* and common Western fol- melodies is the use of the phr*gian
mode ,hich is 1uite uncommon to the latter& 4o,e%er the scales and modes used are present in
Western music+ especiall* the correspondence of melod* to underl*ing chords as seen in bar ) of the /
section and throughout the song& (rom these three influences Tagore creates a melod* and l*rics that
are genuinel* his o,n and become are in the fields and cities of /engal for *ears to come

?Som 1A0@&
2"2 Rhythm and tala
34e* 5hani-er 6tdithi7 is accompanied b* the tala or rh*thm called 5ahar,a

?Taal )awarha *+
*@& This is an Indian Classical tala ,hich is 1uite similar to Western AJA time& The accompaniment is
generall* done ,ith the tabla drums+ ,ith one drum being the bass+ bayan+ and the other being the
treble+ dayan ?Menon 1<@& The structure of this song is that of a dhrupad ho,e%er ,hich traditionall*
uses the pa-ha,aj+ a large c*lindrical t,o faced drum ?Menon 1)<@& /* using the tabla as
accompaniment+ Tagore fuses the sounds of fol- and Indian Classical dhrupad *et again&
The tala 5ahar,a is a %er* common tala and consists of : matras in each c*cle of tala di%ided
into t,o bars of A beats ?(ig& C 0&0&1@& The sam or stressed beat is labeled b* the sign belo, the first
bar+ and the khali or unstressed beat is mar-ed b* the 6& The rh*thm increases in bus*ness in %olume
from the khali to the sam+ the sam being the most stressed beat ?Menon+ Indian Music A!@& T,o bars of
5ahar,a is e1ui%alent to one AJA bar in Western Music&
1)
(ig& 0&0&1 6 &iagram o' the Tala )aharwa in 7engali /"eetabitan)
2". $armony
The harmonic structure of Indian Classical Music and Western Music are fundamentall*
different& While the ,estern music of the romantic era at the time relied on chords+ scales+ and
modulations for harmon*+ Indian classical music relied more upon a single tonalit*+ and comple$
modes ?ragas@ in order to reinforce the melod*& In 34e* 5hani-er 6tdithi7 the harmonic
accompaniment traditionall* consists of a tanpura ,hich pla*s drones of the tonic ?sa@ and dominant
?pa@ ?Menon 0)@& In Tagore.s h*bridi2ation of the t,o musical st*les ho,e%er+ chords are often outlined
b* a harmonium ?a -e*board instrument@ and melodic instruments such as the bo,ed esra! or sitar&
This fusion of the structure of the raga+ and chordal harmonies allo,s Rabindra sangeet to be adapted
for a %ariet* of modern instruments such as the piano and guitar& 34e* 5hani-er 6tdithi7 remains in the
same -e*+ ho,e%er as the mode changes in its ascent and descent+ a different tonalit* is implied and it
can thus be accompanied b* chord changes& In this ,a* Tagore brea-s from the restrictions of Indian
Classical harmon* to introduce elements of a chordal structure& Tagore.s harmonies are largel*
consonant as most melodies are fol-"st*le and l*rical in 1ualit*& 9issonance is used sparingl* such as in
the appogiatura in the fourth bar of the piece ,here the (F clashes ,ith the tonalit* of the #b major
chord&
1A
2"4 Te%ture and Instrumentation
The primar* melodic te$ture of this piece+ as in most of Tagore.s pieces+ is %ocal& The te$ture is
homophonic+ and alternates bet,een the %ocal melod* and instrumental interludes& The introduction in
the recording b* Indrani Sen in%ol%es a sitar performing a short classicall* inspired impro%isation& The
te$ture of the sitar is commonplace in Indian music& 8articularl* in this recording the sliding mirh and
impro%isation on the raga bhairavi before the first %erse is a clear fusion of the Indian classical st*le of
dhrupad ,ithin the song& The te$ture of the introduction also includes an electronic -e*board
instrument ,ith a slight %ibrato& While in%ented after Tagore.s time+ this recording sho,s that
electronic instruments can blend easil* ,ith Rabindra Sangeet due to the ,estern influences in the
harmonic structure& ; tanpura+ a four or fi%e stringed instrument+ pla*s the drone of sa and pa& This is
characteristic of an Indian Classical raga( The rh*thmic accompaniment is pro%ided b* the tabla drums&
9uring the interlude a bo,ed esra! contrasts the preceding te$ture of the piece as all other string
instruments are pluc-ed& (inall* the recording includes an electric bass ,hich outlines mo%ing chord
progressions& The te$ture and instrumentation of the piece are thus a blend of the West and the #ast&
9& Western and /engali (ol- 'enres
1" Analysis of iece (&urano #ei /inar )atha,
Tagore.s compositions e$plore the ,hole gamut of human emotion& In his tra%els to /ritain in
the earl* 00
th
centur* he encountered Irish composer Tomas Moore.s Irish Melodies and became friends
,ith poet William /utler Keats ?9utta 1<:@& (rom this friendship emerged Tagore.s inspiration from
Scottish and Irish fol- melodies& Tagore.s piece 38urano Sei 9inar 5atha7 is a clear e$ample of his
Western fol- influences& The melod* is based on a pentatonic Scottish fol- melod*+ the %er* same that
Robert /urn.s poem 3;uld >ang S*ne7 is sung to& The first t,o lines of the song can be translated
roughl* to 3tal- of the old da*s+ can ,e e%er forget themL7+ ,hich co%e*s the same meaning as 3;uld
1
>ang S*ne7& In Indian classical terminolog*+ the piece is ,ritten in the raga misra& The emphasi2ed
pentatonic scale degrees and the rising and falling melodic structure of both pieces are similar to a large
e$tent ?See (ig& 9 1&1@
(ig& 9 1&1 $entatonic Scale &egrees in ,$urano Sei &iner )atha8 /&utt 49)
The song is in triple meter ,hile 3;uld >ang S*ne7 is in duple meter& The rh*thmic
accompaniment is done ,ith the tabla ho,e%er there is much the feel of a ,alt2& This is -no,n as the
taal khemta ?Choudhur*@& 4armonicall*+ Tagore uses chords pla*ed b* a -e*board instrument such as a
harmonium or piano to emulate the te$ture of a ,estern fol- song& The piece has a flo,ing melod* and
a light dance"li-e feel ,hich is characteristic of the /engali fol- music of the bauls& In this sense
Tagore blends together the fol- music of Scotland and /engal through this composition&
1=
Conclusion
Tagore.s o,n genre Rabindra Sangeet+ carries man* influences of Western+ and Indian classical
music+ combined ,ith his /engali (ol- bac-ground& Rabindra Sangeet ,as instrumental in shaping
Indian music and /engali music from the 00
th
Centur* until toda*& (rom his upbringing in both Indian
and Western classical music+ Tagore combines the 2eitgeist of ,estern romanticism ,ith ancient
traditional Indian music& Tagore.s use of the Indian Classical form of dhrupad ,ith a /engali fol-
melod*+ and ,estern modal harmonies in -ey )haniker .tdithi sho,s the fusion of three different
musical influences& Tagore.s e$ploration of the Scottish fol- genre that led to his composition $urano
Sei &iner )atha created a further musical lin- bet,een /engal and the ,est& Thus through the anal*sis
of melod*+ harmon*+ meter+ te$ture+ and form in Tagore.s compositions+ these influences are sho,n to
be full* integrated into Rabindra Sangeet+ a distinct musical culture in its o,n right& The music
continues to be performed in man* Western and Indian arrangements& It constitutes the blood of
/engal.s fol- heritage&
1<
/ibliograph*
&ublications
/and*opadh*a*a+ /eerendra& Rabindra+Sangit The Songs o' Tagore& Calcutta: 'ranthala*a
8ri%ate >imited+ 8ublish *ear un-no,n& 8rint&
/ose+ Sunil& Indian :lassical Music( Ne, 9elhi: Bi-as 8ublishing 4ouse+ 1!!& 8rint&
9utt+ Samar& Rabindra Sangeet in Sta'' Notation 2olume 4& ;rlington: Mr& Samar 9utt+ 000<& 8rint&
9utta+ 5rishna and ;ndre, Robinson& Rabindranath Tagore; The Myriad+Minded Man(
Menon+ Ragha%a R& Indian Music; The Magic o' the Raga& Ne, 9elhi: Somai*a 8ublications+ 1!!:&
8rint&
Menon+ Ragha%a R& The $enguin &ictionary o' Indian :lassical Music& Calcutta: 8enguin /oo-s+ 1!!&
8rint&
Mu-erji+ 9&8& Indian Music; 6n Introduction& 1!A+ Ne, 9elhi: Rupa M Co+ 0000& 8rint&
Sailen+ 9ebnath& Secularism; <estern and Indian( Ne, 9elhi: ;tlantic 8ublishers+ n&d& Web&
Sen+ Suddhaseel& The 6rt Song and Tagore; Settings by <estern :omposers& Cni%ersit* of Toronto
Nuarterl*+ Bolume <<+ Number A+ (all 000:&
Som+ Reba& Rabindranath Tagore The Singer and -is Song& Ne, 9elhi: 8enguin /oo-s+ 000!& 8rint&
Tagore+ Rabindranath& Sisir 5umar 9as& 6 miscellany( Ne, 9elhi : Sahit*a ;-ademi+ 1!!=& >ondon:
Tauris 8ar-e 8aperbac-s+ 1!!& 8rint&
Tagore+ Rabindranath& "itan!ali( >ondon: Indian /oo- Shelf+ 000=& 8rint&
Thompson+ #d,ard& Rabindranath Tagore; -is =i'e and -is <ork& Ne, Kor-: 6$ford Cni%ersit*
8ress+ 1!01& 8rint&
Bis%a"/harati Tagore"#instein Council& :on'luences o' Minds Tagore+>instein :ollo?uy(
Santin-etan: Bis%a"/harati+ 1!!<& 8rint&
Inter-ie2s
Choudhur*+ ;parajita& /engali Singer and Musician+ speciali2ing in Rabindra Sangeet& 8ersonal
Inter%ie,& 0 ;ug& 001)&
;shrafu22aman+ 9u-e& /engali Musician and 8resident of the Bancou%er Tagore Societ*&
8ersonal Inter%ie,& 0 ;ug& 001)&
Websites
9asgupta+ ;nirban& 3Rabindra"Sangeet as a Resource for Indian Classical /andishes7& n&p&+ n&d& Web& !
Sept& 001)& O,,,&parabaas&comJrabindranathJarticlesJp;nirban1&htmlP
Ma2umdar+ ;braham& 3Tagore in s*mphon* ,ith /ach and /eetho%en " in 'erman*7 &eccan -erald
G5ol-ata+ IndiaH 1< ;pr& 0010& Web& 0 9ec& 001)&
Ohttp:JJ,,,&deccanherald&comJcontentJ0A0=:Jtagore"s*mphon*"bach"beetho%en"
german*&htmlP
3Taal 5a,arha A"A7& "eetabitan( n&d& Web& 1= Sept& 001)& O,,,&geetabitan&comJtaalJ-ahar,a&htmlP
Recordin!s
Sen+ Indrani& 34e* 5hani-er 6tdithi&7 n&d& /* Rabindranath Tagore& n&p& Web& 00 9ec& 001)&
O,,,&*outube&comJ,atchL%Q2WNoK4bMp:#P
5umar+ 5ishore& 38urano Sei 9iner 5otha&7 n&d& /* Rabindranath Tagore& n&p& Web& 01 9ec& 001)&
O,,,&*outube&comJ,atchL%Q;eN1ijSm-::P
1:
;ppendi$ I: 34e* 5hani-er 6dthithi7 in Staff Notation
9utt+ Samar& Rabindra Sangeet in Sta'' Notation 2olume 4& ;rlington: Mr& Samar 9utt+ 000<&
8rint& pp& !"11&
1!
00
01
;ppendi$ II: 38urano Sei 9inar 5atha7 in Staff Notation
9utt+ Samar& Rabindra Sangeet in Sta'' Notation 2olume 4& ;rlington: Mr& Samar 9utt+ 000<&
8rint& pp& 1="1!&
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