A unique reference book on music incorporating terms and references from both the traditions in Indian classical musicýthe Carnatic and the Hindustani. The Penguin Book of Indian Classical Music, the first of its kind, provides definitions of musical terms and descriptions of the traditions and styles that constitute the rich musical heritage of India. From the primary enunciation of a raga as ýaaý, the unstructured, emotionally inspired musical rendering, to the Urdu term ýzamzamaý that refers to the back and forth movement of a note, the dictionary defines the A to Z in Indian classical music. Comparison between the two systems in terms of ragas and the use of notes is facilitated by cross-references. And Raghava Menonýs introduction provides a perceptive insight into what constitutes Indian classical music, both in emotive and technical terms. Complete with photographs of the major instruments used in the two traditions as well as those of some of the all-time great musicians in Indian classical music, the volume is intended to be a valuable reference book for the virtuoso and the lay person aspiring for a greater understanding of Indian music.

Pandit Amarnath was regarded as a musicians' musician and the foremost interpreter of the Indore Gharana. In this book, he demystifies the many terms associated with Hindustani classical music for the common man interested in this art form. From crucial terms such as avaart and kharaj bharna to musicological terminology like moorchhana and shrutee to short profiles of stalwarts in the field and telling musical 'proverbs' and sayings of the great masters, this is a pathfinder to the otherwise closed traditions of Hindustani classical music whose secrets and philosophies have been restricted to masters and connoisseurs. Pandit Amarnath reveals the terms in both their etymology as well as their implications in musical practice and listening. First published twenty-five years ago to great critical acclaim and now being updated by Rekha and Vishal Bhardwaj, this will be a must-read for music lovers and musicologists, musicians and students, linguists and historians alike.

This superbly authoratitive new work provides a comprehensive A-Z guide to some 1000 years of Western music. It explores in detail the lives and achievements of a vast range of composers, as well as looking at such key topics as music history (from medieval plainchant to contemporary minimalism), performers, theory and jargon. Throught Griffiths skilfully blends lightly worn scholarship with personal insight, whether examining the emotional colouring that different musical keys achieve or charting the rise and development of the symphony.

In this book the author has dealt with the musical terms as found in the old sastras and are also in common use. He has explained these terms in simple language with reference to their history of origin. Description of seventy-eight different musical instruments and forty-seven different Talas are also there. An essential aid to research-scholars and students of music. The Bengali version of the book Bharatiya Sangeetkosh earned for him Sangeet Natak Academy award as the best book on music published during the period from 1960 to 1968. Bimalakanta Roychaudhuri was born in 1909 in all illustrious family of musical heritage. He had his training in music from Sitalchandra Mukhopadhyay, Sitalkrishna Ghosh, Amir Khan (Sarod) and then from Inayet Khan, the foremost Sitar players of those days. He also had his musical training from his maternal uncle Birendrakishore Roychaudhuri and maternal grandfather Brojendrakishore Roychaudhuri. He took part in the translation of Sangeet Ratnakara from Sanskrit to Bengali under the patronage of Brojendrakishore Roychaudhuri. He was Chairman of the Board of Musical Studies of the University of Calcutta. His work Raga Vyakarana (in Hindi) has been published by the Bharatiya Jnanpith.

This book argues that Carnatic music as it is practiced today can be traced to the musical practices of early/mid eighteenth century. Earlier varieties or 'incarnations' of Indian music elaborately described in many musical treatises are only of historical relevance today as the music described is quite different from current practices. It is argued that earlier varieties may not have survived because they failed to meet the three crucial requirements for a language-like organism to survive i.e., a robust community of practitioners/listeners which the author calls the Carnatic Music Fraternity, a sizeable body of musical texts and a felt communicative need. In fact, the central thesis of the book is that Carnatic music, like language, survived and evolved from early/mid eighteenth century when these three requirements were met for the first time in the history of Indian music. The volume includes a foreword by Paul Kiparsky.

First published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

In this volume, sixty-eight of the world's leading authorities explore and describe the wide range of musics of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kashmir, Nepal and Afghanistan. Important information about history, religion, dance, theater, the visual arts and philosophy as well as their relationship to music is highlighted in seventy-six in-depth articles.