The Real Education: Music Education

While medicine & engineering are sought after professions, they may not always fulfil all human creative needs. That may be why many eminent people of those professions, also cultivated their interest in music.

Dr. Albert Schweitzer was a doctor who practiced tropical medicine in Africa with his wife Helene serving as his anaesthesiologist when he performed surgery. He was also an authority on Bach & wrote books on Bach & also on the art of building Organs.

Albert Einstein was an excellent violinist, who used his violin playing as a brain storming tool when he had problems with physics.

Homi Bhabha, the nuclear physicist was a Western classical music enthusiast who felt that music was as important as maths & physics & made life worth living.

Raja Ramanna, the nuclear physicist, had passed a Trinity College exam & was an accomplished pianist. He also authored a book on Western & Karnatic music.

Dr. Abdul Kalam was playing the Veena & his ambition was to play "Endaro Mahanubhavulu" on it.

The high school students in western countries are encouraged to learn to play a musical instrument of their choice. During their "Cultural Revolution", the Chinese foolishly destroyed many musical instruments but they quickly realised their mistake & now there are many Chinese virtuosi on the international stage.

Pandit Ravi Shankar's last creation

Oliver Craske in his book "Indian Sun" writes that Pandit Ravi Shankar was commissioned by the London Philharmonic Orchestra to compose his first (& only one, as it turned out) Symphony. He writes that Panditji wanted to look at Western Symphony through the prism of Indian music, like Prokofiev did in his "Classical Symphony", looking at 18th century music through the prism of the twentieth.  

The work contains four movements.

1. Allegro (in Sonata form) Raga Zila Kafi
2. Lento in Raga Ahir Bhairav
3. Scherzo in Raga Do Ga Kalyan
4. Finale in Raga Banjara (Folk melody)

The highlight of the work is the third movement, a scherzo. The Raga here is Do Ga Kalyan, Panditji's own creation. The conductor, David Murphy writes that this Raga omits the second note of the Kalyan scale, but had both the thirds & an augmented fourth. So if C is the tonic, the scale would be C, Eb, E, F#, G, A, & B.

This last work is not only his first Symphony but also contains his last created Raga, Do Ga Kalyan. It was premiered at the Royal Festival Hall on 1st July 2010 with Anoushka Shankar as the solo sitarist. It was also recorded live & issued as a CD.

The Book which rejuvenated a Record

Vikram Seth's novel "An Equal Music" (1999) deals with the fictional Maggiore Quartet & especially with its second violinist Michael Holme. One of his students tells him about Beethoven's String Quintet in C minor Op.104, of which he was unaware. The work has an additional viola added to the standard string quartet.

He starts a frantic but futile search through London record stores. Crestfallen, he orders a printed score from a music library. Then he starts again to search in record shops. Finally, in a store basement, an old man pulls out an East European pressing of the record for him. Delighted, he heads home with his treasured possession. This section of the book is a sheer delight to seasoned record hunters.

The Beethoven Quintet, which was all but forgotten, was given a second lease of life after the publication of the book & the LP & CD sold well. Also a record set was brought out containing all the music pieces mentioned in the book.

Dark Night of the Soul

Though this is title of a poem by the 16th Century Spanish Mystic, St. John of the Cross, the idea is prevalent from the time of  St.Thomas, one of the 12 apostles. When the Resurrection of Christ occurred, he was not present & doubted the experience of his fellow apostles. Then Christ appeared before him & offered to show him his wounds. Then he believed.

St. Teresa of Avila, the 16th century Spanish Mystic, wrote in her book "Interior Castle" that it contains seven "mansions" or stages of spiritual progress. The penultimate mansion, the sixth, offers great trials including physical infirmity to the aspirant.

The next reference occurs in an allegorical way in John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress" when Christian is imprisoned in "The Doubting Castle" by Giant Despair.

The nineteenth century St.Therese of Lisieux also suffered the dark night of the soul towards the end of her short life of 24 years.

She was later declared one of only four female Doctors of the Church.

Interestingly, this phenomenon is not confined to Christianity. Swami Vivekananda, the Hindu spiritual leader also experienced it. "M", the author of "The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna" records that the Swami told him that "there is no such thing as God." It should be remembered that this was during the last days of Sri Ramakrishna, who had already provided the Swami with many spiritual experiences.

The Other Elizabeth Taylor (1912 - 1975)

This one, an accomplished writer, was an older contemporary of her legendary  namesake, the iconic film star. According to Kingsley Amis, "She was one of the best novelists in 20th century." Antonia Fraser  rated her as "One of the most under-rated writers of the 20th Century."

She also wrote short stories, all of which are published in an omnibus volume. One of them, called "Sisters", begins like this: "On her return from shopping, Mrs.Mason was called upon in her house by a young man, who brought her to the edge of ruin." At the end of the story, she attends a bridge party, on leaving which, she wonders whether they were all talking about her already." This is because the young man, a journalist has ferreted out the secret that her sister, dead now, & kept hidden from her circle, had led a scandalous life & worse, written about it in a series of best-sellers, ascribing all the naughtiness to herself, the innocent sister. 

Another story, "The Flypaper", could well have been authored by Daphne du Maurier, the mistress of the deeply unsettling & horrifying stories. Here a little girl, seemingly rescued in public by a kindly woman from a male predator, finds out too late that they are in league with each other in private.

It is the readers' good fortune that her books are still in print.

Great Example of a Great Form

Bach's "Die Kunst der Fuge" (BWV 1080), though incomplete, is arguably the greatest example of the purest abstract form of Western Classical Music, the Fugue. It consists of 14 contrapuncti & 4 canons in D minor.

The Fugue is a musical form in which the stated subject is followed by an answer, an imitation of the subject, a perfect fifth above or a perfect fourth below it. Interestingly, the subject also continues simultaneously with the answer, providing a contrary melodic line, in harmony, which is now called the counter-subject. A Fugue can have four voices.

The Fugue also uses the mathematical concepts of the Fibonacci numbers & the Golden Ratio. The Fibonacci numbers 1, 3 & 5 are also the semitones used in the C major chord, C, E & G. A piano octave consists of a total of 13 keys, 8 white & 5 black. The ratio of 13/8 is approximately equal to the Golden Ratio of mathematics.

Though it was presumably written for a keyboard instrument, versions featuring a string quartet, orchestra & vocal versions are available.

Though Bach composed his monumental set of "The 48" comprising preludes & Fugues in all the semitones of an octave (12) in both major & minor keys (24) twice over (48), "The Art of Fugue" occupies a special space in his ouvre.

A Semantical Study of the Arabic word "Jihad"

Both "fight for righteousness" & "fight for justice" are understood to be represented by the word "Jihad" in Arabic. In fact, Quran Surah 2, Verse 190 explicitly states "Fight (in the cause of God) those that fight you, but commit no aggression. God does not love aggressors." So Jihad can be only defensive, never offensive. This is like the NFU policy of India, which has publicly declared that it will never be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict.

Interestingly, this has been in vogue since the time of the two Avatars (Incarnations of God) in the Hindu pantheon. The central point in both Ramayana & Mahabharata are the wars for righteousness & justice. In one case, recovery of an abducted wife & in the other, recovery of a due share in the kingdom. In Ramayana, the first aggression was committed by abduction. In Mahabharata, just before the war, the foremost warrior of the Pandavas, even laid down his arms. Lord Krishna, God incarnate, persuaded him that fighting in a righteous cause for justice (Jihad?) is his bounden duty, to protect Dharma.

So in the original meaning of the Arabic word "Jihad", may lie the eternal human quest for righteousness & justice. Due to narrow self-interests driven by political/historical needs, the word has been downgraded to mean intolerant fanaticism.

Girls & Gables in Literature

The most famous girl associated with gables is the heroine Anne Shirley of "Anne of Green Gables" (1908) by L. M. Montgomery set in the fictional town of Avonlea in Canada. She is an orphan coming to live with middle-aged siblings Matthew & Marilla. Impetuous but good-hearted, she becomes an inseparable part of their household. She even sacrifices her ambition of a college education to live  with Marilla when Matthew passes away.

The second girl is Phoebe Pyncheon, who appears in "The House of

Seven Gables" (1850) by Nathaniel Hawthorne, who also wrote arguably the most perfectly constructed novel of all time, "The Scarlet Letter." H.P.Lovecraft, the famous master of horror stories, called "The House of Seven Gables" as "New England's greatest contribution to weird literature". In a role  reversal of "Romeo & Juliet", Phoebe Pyncheon marries a descendant of the feuding Maules. A TV film was also made, starring the (former) greatest child actress of all time, Shirley Temple as Phoebe.

Fathers preying on sons in literature

"A Tragedy of Two Ambitions" by Thomas Hardy (1888)

An alcoholic mill-wright wastes the money which his wife had painstakingly saved for their sons' higher education, after her death. But the sons, by hard work, educate themselves & also their sister to be a lady. But their father turns up with a slatternly wife just before his daughter's engagement to the village squire, threatening to disrupt, if he is not allowed into the family again. Soon afterwards, he falls into a weir & shouts for help, with the sons still within earshot.  But the brothers delay, knowing that all their hard won decent lives will end if he lives. 

His body was found six months later, after his daughter had married the squire. But the sons, though clergymen, are still guilt-ridden.

"Marali Mannige" by Shivarama Karanth (1941)

In this classic Kannada novel, Lakshmana, though married, becomes a wastrel & abandons his family, leaving them to fend for themselves as best as they could. His son Rama, with great difficulty & his mother's sacrifice, educates himself & gets a job as a hotel cashier. His father somehow gets to know this & starts frequenting it with his friends & leaving without paying. After sometime, Rama, realising that he has to pay his father's bills & deprive his mother of the money he is sending her, forbids the waiters from serving his father. His father, furious, kicks up a ruckus about "unfilial (!)" sons, & leaves.

"Bhitti" by S. L. Bhyrappa (1996)

As if an almost mirror image of the above, in  "Bhitti" the autobiography of S.L.Bhyrappa, the author's father, is a village accountant by profession. But through sheer laziness, becomes a vagabond (author's own word) but expects to be supported by his son & calls the whole village to support him! It is almost a relief to his children when he passes away.

Platonic relationships in Literature

Eugenie Grandet is the eponymous heroine of Balzac's famous novel. She, the daughter of a rich miser, falls in love with her cousin. He, however, after promising to marry her, leaves & on his return, (in debt), wants to marry someone else for his social advancement. Eugenie pays his debts & sets him free. On the advice of the local clergyman, she marries a local luminary, stipulating however that he not insist on his conjugal rights. He dies after a few years, leaving her a richer widow. Though in her thirties & still handsome, she leads the rest of her life  devoted to philanthropy.

Lucia, in the Mapp & Lucia set of novels by E. F. Benson, is married to "Pepino" & is attended by "Georgie" as knight errant. After Pepino's death, Lucia & Georgie decide to marry for social reasons only, They are still only middle aged but holding contemporary Freud's ideas in abhorrence, decide not to consummate their marriage.

Hoovaiah & Seeta in Kuvempu's "Kanooru Heggadithi", fall in love. But due to elders'  machinations, Seeta is married off to Hoovaiah's younger cousin. But the cousin commits suicide, due to a traumatic event in the family. Hoovaiah is of a spiritual disposition much like Alyosha in Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov", & has remained unmarried. Though Seeta, now widowed, lives in the same village, their earlier romance moves into a spiritual plane, not needing physical proximity. Both engage in social service in the village.

"World Elder Abuse Awareness Day - June 15"

It is the "new normal" to neglect elderly parents & consign them to old age homes. It may also be due to the fact that millennials are not well read enough to realise that there are better role models in literature.

In Ramayana, a teenager named Shravan Kumar appears, whose filial piety is exemplary. Dasharatha, Rama's father, kills him accidentally & is cursed by his grieving parents to die when separated from his son, Rama.

In Padma Purana, the story of Pundalik appears. Unlike Shravan Kumar, he was married, uxorious & neglected his parents at first. However, a Sage named Kukkuta, advised him to mend his ways. He did, to such an extent that when Krishna visited him, he asked him to wait till he finished serving his parents!

Even in Western literature, two novels stand out. In George Eliot's "Silas Marner", Eppie, abandoned by her rich father, is brought up by Silas. When her biological father later offers her wealth & status, she refuses & stays with Silas as a loving pillar of strength even after marrying a poor but good farmer.

In L. M. Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables" Anne Shirley, an orphan, adopted by elderly siblings Matthew & Marilla, sacrifices her higher education to live with Marilla in her old age after Matthew's death. It should be noted that both Eppie & Anne are not even related by blood to the elderly people they choose to live with!

Raga of Two Legends

When Satyajit Ray passed away in 1992, his friend & early collaborator in providing music for his films, Pandit Ravi Shankar created a Raga named "Satyajit" to pay respect to his memory. He recorded it in 2012, when he himself was 92!

As Panditji himself has stated, this Raga is derived using the "murchana" system from the popular morning Raga, Ahir Bhairav, by shifting the tonic to the fourth. So the notes of the new Raga are, 

1.Shadja.                      C

2.Shuddha Rishabha       D

3.Komal Gandhara.        Eb

4.Shuddh Madhyama.    F

5.Teevra Madhyama.     F#

6 Shuddha Dhaivata.     A

7.⁠ ⁠Komal Nishada.         Bb

Panchama (G) is omitted. The use of both Madhyamas (F & F#) side by side, gives the Raga shades of another morning raga, Lalit.

Connosieurs of Western Classical Music will notice that "Murchana" is conspicuous there also by the name of "Modulation." The Master of Modulation was Mozart.

"Generation Gap" natural or man-made?

The root of this idea of separating the generations into artificial compartments could have been started in the Bible, Genesis (2:24) saying "Therefore shall a man leave his mother & father & cleave unto his wife." Even if "cleaving unto wife" is accepted, why should a man leave his mother & father, who brought him into this world & nurtured him into adulthood?

In a contrasting & more inclusive view, Taittiriya Upanishad says "Mathru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava" (Mother is God, Father is God.), the reason being they have brought one into this world & nurtured into adulthood. Gratitude plays a major role in this, if nothing else.

The break-up of the family system in the western world, probably inspired by the Bible quote, is painfully visible. Shared family values, irrespective of the age of the members, have disappeared. Another reason may be, excessive & exclusive association with peer age groups to the detriment of a more inclusive interaction with diverse age groups, from infants to more mature people.

Unfortunately, confusing modernity with westernisation, Hindu populace have also forgotten their Upanishadic roots & climbed on the wagon of arbitrarily classifying people into different generations, as if they are aliens to each other.

Famous "Quartet" Novels

These are famous works of literature which encompass four volumes each.

The first is Romain Rolland's "John Christopher", a fictionalized biography inspired by Beethoven. It comprises volumes titled "Dawn & Morning", "Storm & Stress", "In Paris" & "Journey's End." It comprises 1496 pages & was awarded the Noble Prize for Literature in 1915. Sir Edmund Gosse, the English poet, called it "The noblest work of fiction of the twentieth century."

The second is Lawrence Durrell's "The Alexandria Quartet" (1957-60) comprising Justine, Balthazar, Mountolive & Clea. The characters comprise a motley crowd of Jews, Christians & Muslims in Alexandria. Durrell said "Three sides of space & one of time constitute the continuum. The first three parts interlap in the spatial relation. The fourth part represents time & is a true sequel." Totalling 896 pages, it is considered a towering achievement.

The third is Paul Scott's "The Raj Quartet" comprising "The Jewel in the Crown", "The Day of the Scorpion", "The Towers of Silence" & "A Division of the Spoils". The subject matter is the tumultous time just before the end of the colonial rule in India. The set comprises 2239 pages & was written during  1965-75 & was awarded the Booker Prize. The Times Literary Supplement called it "A Veritable Taj Mahal of a Book."

Two Modern Myths

There are two universally accepted myths. One being that Science (including Medicine) can solve all humanity's problems & the second being that marriage (or romance) is the goal of life, almost guaranteeing lifelong happiness.

While it is undeniable that Science has made the quality of human life better & medicine has controlled the innumerable scourges which plagued humanity, they have by no means made earth a paradise. Though plague, cholera, polio have been tamed, new scourges like AIDS, COVID etc., have surfaced, spreading with lightning rapidity across the globe because of air travel.

As far as marriage is concerned, free choice of partners of choice was supposed to alleviate the agony of arranged marriages. But, no, incompatibility of natures led these also into divorces. The irony is that hardly is the (metaphorical) ink on the divorce papers is dry, than the partners rush headlong into another marriage, proving that (futile?) hope triumphs over (bitter?) experience.

One probable reason for the above myths is the marginalising of religion & spirituality in human life. Not only Hinduism, but Christianity & Islam also unequivocally teach that love of God must take precedence over wealth & human relationships, which are transient at best & repulsive at worst. How else to explain that the same features which attracted the partners to each other, are themselves the cause of repulsion later on in many cases?

Here Schopenhauer, the German philosopher, felt that the attraction between the sexes is a ruse contrived by nature only to ensure the propagation of the species in which the happiness of the partners is of no interest to nature.

Quantum mechanics applied to human relationships

A Quantum object can exist in multiple states simultaneously until an observer appears. In human terminology, for example, a female can be at the same time, a daughter, sister, wife and mother, depending on whether her parents, siblings, husband or children are observing of her. She remains the same exact object. Only the observer (or relations) see her differently. 

Also this view puts paid to the illusory nature of the so-called romantic love. How can a husband see in her attractive points which her brothers have not noticed since birth, unless he has projected his mind's image onto her? Using this momentary self-projected illusion as the foundation for building a lifetime of happiness, makes for a very shaky marriage indeed, as shown by the increasing divorce rates.

The only justification for marriage is the biological necessity for parents to nurture the children when they are helpless, to ensure the continuation of the species, & not the "happiness(?)" of the husband & wife as commonly believed. This is simply brought out by the word "Sahadharmini" in Hinduism emphasising that the wife is primarily a companion in the path of right living. This is also implied surprisingly in the last of "The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer, called "The Parson's Tale."

Islamic Mystic Abu Yazid & Advaita

In his insightful treatise "Hindu & Muslim Mysticism", R. C. Zaehner writes about Abu Yazid, the Sufi Mystic. He was born in the village of Bistam in Western Khorasan, Iran, in 804 A.D. His father & uncles were ascetics & so was he, who for the first time in Islam, dared to make himself equal with the deity. It was he who first said "I am He", echoing the famous "Tat Twam Asi" of the Chandogya Upanishad & the "Aham Brahmasmi" of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.

He also reportedly said "Subhani" (Glory be to me), which is blasphemous to Muslim ears. But "Mahyam Eva namo namah" says Brihatsannyasa Upanishad, meaning "Homage, homage to me." He is also reported to have said "I have sloughed off my skin like a snake & I am He." Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, (4.4.7, 12) says "As the sloughed off skin of a snake lies, so does this body lie." But a man should know himself & should say, "I am He."

"As soon as I reached God's unity, I became a bird, flew & perched on a tree. I Iooked down & then I knew it was all deceit." says Abu Yazid. So did Shankara in his "Brahma Satyam Jagat Mithya" in his "Viveka Chudamani." Incidentally the Quran (47:36) also says "This world is but a sport & diversion", echoing the "Maya" theory of Advaita. This tree also seems to be none other than the Cosmic Tree of Katha Upanishad (also mentioned in the Mundaka & Svetasvatara Upanishads.)

To avoid a head-on collision with the religious authorities, he encouraged the idea that he was mad. Also Naradaparivrajaka Upanishad says that the perfect sannyasin should behave like an idiot. Dr. Margaret Smith, in her "Early  Mysticism in the near & middle East" writes that early Muslim  Mysticism is, in its overwhelming emphasis on the love of God, so much indebted to the thoughts of the Christian Mystics of a slightly earlier period. On the contrary, mainstream Islam, promises believers the delights of a sensual Paradise, while making it quite clear that Allah does not reside there.

To conclude, Abu Yazid may have absorbed the new (for Muslims) doctrine of "Fanaa" (dying in mystical union with Allah) from his mentor, Abu Ali al-Sindi. He was also born just later than Adi Shankaracharya (8th Century.) Abu Yazid's s ideas seem quite similar to the ideas of "Jeevan Muktas" of Advaita, namely Sri Ramakrishna & Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi.

Bibliography:

The Following Upanishads.

1. Brihadaranyaka.
2. Brihatsannyasa.
3. Chandogya.
4. Katha.
5. Mundaka.
6. Naradaparivrajaka.
7. Svetasvatara.

Others:

1. Adi Shankara, Viveka Chudamani.
2. Smith, Dr.Margaret. "Early Mysticism in the Near & Middle East.
3. The Holy Quran.
4. Zaehner, R.C. "Hindu & Muslim Mysticism."

Earliest records of Pt. Ravi Shankar

These, though not heard frequently now, are perfect little gems from the early part of his career. They were issued presumably on 78 rpm shellac records prevalent in those days, playing for about 3 minutes on each side. They were later reissued on four 45 rpm extended play (EP) records, each carrying two ragas on each side.

The 16 ragas are, Marwa, Hemant, Yamani Bilaval, Prach, Sindhu Bhairavi, Tilak Shyam, Nat Bhairav, Puriya Kalyan, Bhatiyar, Hameer, Kirawani, Rasiya, Ahir Lalit, Panchami se Gara, Yamani Manj & Bengali Kirtan. Subsequently, several of these pieces were issued in LP & CD format also.

Apart from these, 4 EPs were issued, playing 6 minutes each side, containing ragas Kaushi Bhairav, Khamach, Todi, Manj Khamach (last two with Ali Akbar Khan), Megh, Nand, Janasammohini & Mishra Gara.

In addition, during Bangladesh war of 1971, a special EP was issued with Panditji himself singing two Bengali songs on one side & a duet with Ali Akbar Khan featuring Raga Mishra Jhinjoti on the other.

All these ragas, though of limited duration, perfectly showcase Panditji's genius in compressing the essence of the ragas in a brief time & are unmissable by connoisseurs.

Work, Profession or Albatross?

An albatross is something that hangs around a person's neck, inhibiting his/her freedom. Now one's work or profession, especially in the urban areas where commuting is becoming more time-consuming & nerve wracking, has become an albatross, preventing one from having any other interests or social activities. Instead of providing a livelihood for a person to lead a full life, it is stultifying & suffocating human dignity.

Art, Culture & Sports which alone distinguish man from animals are banished from everyday life, effectively dehumanising man into an economically productive robot. Now itself, one listens with increasing frequency,  about burnout, heart attacks & even suicides as if life is only possible under these toxic  work conditions. Posterity can only tell what calamitous effect this can have on future generations. Corporate Culture, the main stay of "non-compassionate" capitalism, limping from quarterly to ever higher quarterly returns, is aiming to return humanity to the dark ages of the industrial revolution, where human resource was considered the cheapest of all natural resources.

Return of the "Golden Calf" in the 21st Century?

The Golden Calf story appears both in the Bible, Exodus (32-4 & 32-8) & the Quran (7-148). When Moses had gone to Mount Sinai, impatient at his return, his people created a golden calf & began worshipping it. It can of be considered a symbol of materialism. On his return, Moses destroyed it & preached the correct way to human happiness.

In the Bible, Luke (16:15) also reiterates "what is exalted in the eyes of men, (namely WEALTH, STATUS), is an abhorrence in the eyes of  God." In Matthew (19:24), Jesus Christ says "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."

The Quran says "Your hearts are taken up with worldly gain from the cradle to the grave." (102:1). "Your wealth & children are but a temptation.(64:15). "The life of this world is but a sport & diversion." (47:36).

In Bhagavadgita, the quintessential Hindu text, in chapter 16, verse 13, one is cautioned against hankering after wealth. The Saint Sri Ramakrishna also preached against excessive attachment to family & wealth, like in the Quran (64:15) above.

Curiously, in the tale "Hans in Luck" by the Brothers Grimm, Hans, after serving his master faithfully for seven years, is given a lump of gold, as big as his head, as his wages. By a series of incidents, he exchanges his gold for various other objects, finally ending with some stones. By an accident, the stones fall into a well. Then Hans, cries out "There is no man under the sun so fortunate as I" & runs home free of any burden, as happy as Christian in "The Pilgrim's Progress" was, when he got rid of his burden.

Even with all these examples, the people in the twenty first century have again started to worship the "Golden Calf" of materialism under the euphemisms of "meeting targets" & having "good quarterly returns."