Shringara rasa (romantic mood) represents the aesthetic and spiritual as well as the physical flavours of love. Just as in India, where body ornaments and make up (also called shringara) enhance the romantic illusion, so too the flautist adorns and embellishes the notes, creating a stream of romantic impressions.
In Romantic Ragas, Sachdev, on bansuri bamboo flute, and Jnan Ghosh on tabla, bring a wonderful selection of classical pieces to the Western ear that may be discovering this form of music.
The Ragas:
Raga Des - the mood is sad - romantic which is evoked during the brief opening alap. After the introduction of the tabla, the flute explores the theme with its myriad variations. A faster rhythm tin tal of 16 beats completes this expressive rendition of one of India's most beloved ragas.
Kajri - The jaunty playfulness of this piece is a pure delight. In Uttra Pradesh, in Northeastern India, it originated as a folk song celebrating springtime.
Raga Madhuvanti - A romantic mood infuses this raga with a mysterious sweetness. There is a progression from the lower register to the higher with each successive cycle increasing in intensity, creating an effect of an upward spiral.
Sachdev is an adept at condensing these romantic ragas to their bare minimum on the bamboo flute, deleting all that is extraneous. He rarely plays light classical but when he does it seems his first love.
