MOTHER SARASWATI WEEPS IN SILENCE ... 3
In an age of crass commercialism the audience, untrained in music and gullible as it is, is fooled by noteworthy strikers of discordant notes who go by the name of musicians. The worst hit is the world of Hindustani classical music where all sorts of puerile pretenders to performance of this sublime art-form dupe them with sonic nonsense masquerading as music. I am so filled with revulsion at all this that I can hardly write in protest against this despicable decline in culture.
Only those who are gifted with a sufficient musical ear to be able to pick the grain from the chaff in this refined artistic discipline ought to pursue this art-form. They must have the capacity to discern how far they fall short of any degree of excellence and in accordance with it restrict their performance to their own private chambers and not spoil the mood of the appreciative audience with low-calibre music and plenty of other persuasive charms of manner, attire and a plethora of pretence. To give these unmusical musicians audience is a crime against culture and the sooner they are rid off the musical stage the better for the sustenance of whatever remains yet of our pristine tradition of the notes and the ragas. Worst of all when these are acclaimed to be Devi Saraswati's relations and representatives when, for sure, she weeps in silence at the degeneration of her so-called progeny.
So, it is time and time, indeed, to go back to the music room and get to rigorous riyaaz (practice) so as to equip oneself with musical method and memory for performance in a future life when better talent, better sense and better sensibility will prevail to the delight of the audience who now have to suffer atrocious discordance in the name of a classical vocal performance. Till such good sense prevails Mother Saraswati shall weep in silence for she dare not weep in tune to the obvious embarrassment of her self-proclaimed progeny.
Written by Sugata Bose
In an age of crass commercialism the audience, untrained in music and gullible as it is, is fooled by noteworthy strikers of discordant notes who go by the name of musicians. The worst hit is the world of Hindustani classical music where all sorts of puerile pretenders to performance of this sublime art-form dupe them with sonic nonsense masquerading as music. I am so filled with revulsion at all this that I can hardly write in protest against this despicable decline in culture.
Only those who are gifted with a sufficient musical ear to be able to pick the grain from the chaff in this refined artistic discipline ought to pursue this art-form. They must have the capacity to discern how far they fall short of any degree of excellence and in accordance with it restrict their performance to their own private chambers and not spoil the mood of the appreciative audience with low-calibre music and plenty of other persuasive charms of manner, attire and a plethora of pretence. To give these unmusical musicians audience is a crime against culture and the sooner they are rid off the musical stage the better for the sustenance of whatever remains yet of our pristine tradition of the notes and the ragas. Worst of all when these are acclaimed to be Devi Saraswati's relations and representatives when, for sure, she weeps in silence at the degeneration of her so-called progeny.
So, it is time and time, indeed, to go back to the music room and get to rigorous riyaaz (practice) so as to equip oneself with musical method and memory for performance in a future life when better talent, better sense and better sensibility will prevail to the delight of the audience who now have to suffer atrocious discordance in the name of a classical vocal performance. Till such good sense prevails Mother Saraswati shall weep in silence for she dare not weep in tune to the obvious embarrassment of her self-proclaimed progeny.
Written by Sugata Bose
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