Ustad Shahid Parvez and Pandit Anindo Chatterjee Live in Concert DVD (North Indian Music)
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The crisp digital vision and exceptional sound quality of this DVD capture the essence and the ambience of the performance and with intimate camera angles bring us closer to every nuance of Parvez’s impassioned and humble execution, as well as the emotional interplay between him and Chatterjee. When they get going there certainly is an intense exchange and the vision captures their intricate musical conversation beautifully.Hours of bliss!

The DVD has divided this 90-minute piece Raag Bageshri into the various sections from the Alap to the Drut Gat Tintal… for a greater appreciation of the structure. To learn more about Hindustani music, there is also an additional special feature, a brief history of Hindustani music presented by Adrian McNeil who is interviewed below.

Adrian McNeil presents a special section on the DVD outlining the history of Hindustani music. He has also written at length about the subject in a recently published book "Inventing the Sarod" www.seagullindia.com/books.

Cristina Dio: Shahid and Anindo appear to have a profound relationship as can be seen by the subtle interplay between them. Can you explain a little about the relationship involved between two musicians in this genre?

Adrian McNeil: Yes, the two artists do have a wonderful rapport. But at the same time this interplay is also such a fundamental aspect of Hindustani music per se and is by no means uncommon among most great performers in the tradition. It is probably due to a combination of the improvisatory nature of the music and the musical immediacy that this encourages, the inherent tendencies of the musical form, and the sophisticated levels of technical and aesthetic skills amongst accomplished Hindustani musicians, and the fact that they are enjoying themselves.

Cristina Dio: How does the role and tradition of the musician within Hindustani music stand up today in modern India alongside bourgeoning pop music, progress and technology?

Adrian McNeil: The tradition has undergone enormous upheaval over the last century, and accordingly is constantly being reinvented and readapted. When the gramophone recording first came out, then a few decades later the cassette, both of these had a major impact on the way knowledge was transmitted within the tradition. Specifically they became resources for students. All changes in such a context are a melange of gains and losses. Recent developments in technology will no doubt go the same way. Both of these artists rely heavily on developments in digital technology, communication and transport for their present performance career. What’s probably more portentous than new technology is the way that patronage for music has changed. Technology is mostly welcome and used creatively as a tool, changes in the way that musicians earn their livelihood have by far had the greatest impact. "He who pays the piper calls the tune". The consequences of this change are not fully evident as yet, but if the past is anything to go on, it is likely that the tradition will respond and adapt to it in similar ways to how it has in the past.

For more information on this release or to purchase a copy, visit www.northindianmusic.com