40 years of 36 Chowringhee Lane

2021 marks 40th anniversary of 36 Chowringhee Lane. 1981 was an important year - The Telegraph of Calcutta was launched, Maruti Suzuki was born. At the height of paralell cinema movement 1981 witnessed one of the first English language movie in India - 36 Chowringhee Lane. There are many more Like English August, Monsoon Wedding to come but Aparna Sen definitely paved the path for English language movies in India. 

 This movie also portrayed the Anglo Indians with sensitivity. Movies made on Anglo Indians always portrayed women having a different lifestyle than the contemporary Indians. Satyajit Ray in Mahanagar portrayed them as lipstick-wearing alluring secretary who is teaching one or two steps of seduction to the nubile bengali woman. Saptapadi showed Rina Brown, an Anglo Indian girl not to be accepted by a Hindu household in an inter faith relationship. Julie, a hindi film made on the premise of inter faith relationship also showed prejudice. Aparna Sen broke this myth by portraying the loneliness of an Anglo Indian teacher in a Kolkata school. Jennifer Kendall played to perfection the role of Shakespeare loving spinster Violet Stoneham. Her lack of companionship, students not caring for Shakespeare she loves to teach and those rickshaw ride in tortuous Kolkata bylanes depicted her loneliness. Her student Nandita and Nandita's boyfriend Samaresh bonding with her was temporary and she realized in the end life moves on and her lonliness was not to go. Nandita and Samaresh used her room for their pre marital tete-a-tete in the pretext of writing and Violet mistook their company as friendship. Overall it was an important part of Kolkata displayed in the movie- place of Anglo Indians, lack of space for romantic couples and the love for Victorian relics the city inherited- the English language itself. 

 I will forever remember that last scene - desolate Violet Stoneham reciting Shakespeare to a dog strolling through Queen's Way. 36 Chowrighee lane movie is a piece of Kolkata etched in my heart. This is a movie where a city slowly seeps in as a character. This is a movie much ahead of time. It showed pre marital sex, a taboo in those days and never shown in films. It showed the need of space for romantically inclined couples. It showed Anglo Indians in movies in good light. Overall it became a classic for depicting one of the most humane feeling of Loneliness.

Polymaths and Western Classical Music(Schweitzer,Borodin,Paderewski,Godowsky Jr)

I am writing about multi talented people and their involvement in western classical music. There were doctors who were composers, there was a head of state who also was a concert pianist. So I would exemplify polymaths and their talents in music. I am writing about 4 of them - Schweitzer,Borodin, Paderewsky and Godowsky Jr. I don't include others in this polymath musician category but will try to share about more such multitalented people in classical music in next blog. For this article, I thank Wikipedia and Youtube for providing with such rare information. Even 15 years ago a serious collector will not be privy to such recordings (video especially). Today at the click of fingertip Youtube gives me access to a Schweitzer or Paderewsky videos. Without Youtube and Wiki I could not have finished this article.

1. Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer was a doctor, a theologist and a humanitarian who received a Nobel Peace prize in 1952 for serving the poor in Gabon. He not only dedicated his life for the service of God but also had a lifelong passion for Organ and J.S.Bach.

Youtube has become an archive from where I inserted this rare video of Schweitzer playing Bach on Organ in remote jungle of Lamberene now Gabon. I add another rare video of him playing Prelude in D of Bach below.

Ever since I read about him in high school I idolized him, I believe Schweitzer was one of the greatest human ever alive. He was a multitalented genius whose reverence for life is unquestionable. The famous journalist Norman Cousins wrote in his book An Anatomy of an Illness that despite having a busy schedule of a doctor serving in an African jungle Schweitzer would play his organ late till night.

There are some more audio recordings of Schweitzer in Youtube I dont know if they are authentic. Just putting a record label or CD label may not make it authentic and I leave the veracity of those recordings to the serious collectors.

2. Alexander Borodin

 He was a doctor and a trained chemist, a co discoverer of Aldol reaction every chemistry student knows. But he had a passion for music and he composed symphonies, a symphonic poem, an Opera named Prince Igor and several string quartets. I added his (Borodin), In the Steppes of Central Asia, Polovtsian dances (Svetlanov) above for your listening pleasure. Isn't it beautiful to note a chemist could produce such serene music? Listen to Borodin's Nocturne, one of the most peaceful music you will ever hear.

3. Ignacy Paderewsky
He was Prime Minister of Poland in 1919, a crucial fighter for Poland's freedom. He was a world class concert pianist also and played profusely throughout the United States for fund raising. His own composition Minuet in G reminds you of Mozart and by the time of his death this busy politician and diplomat left behind a volume of instrumental and orchestral works. Thanks to Youtube I could share his original playing of his Minuet in G.

Just 3 years before his death at the age of 77 Paderewsky played Chopin Polonaise no.53 in a movie Moonlight Sonata.

4. Leopold Godowsky Jr

He was a world class chemist who invented the famous Kodachrome colour film and revolutionized photography. He was also a trained classical violinist and played in Los Angeles Philharmonics and San Fransisco Symphony Orchestra. His father Leopold Godowsky Sr was a famous pianist and composer. I could not retrieve any Godowsky Jr work from Youtube or Internet but a rare video of Godowsky senior in NYC in 1935 maybe shot in Kodachrome his violinist son invented.

I will request you to comment and add. I welcome your comments.

Tansen er Tanpura review

I was amused to see Tansen er Tanpura. Concept is nice. It is a nice way to mix Indian classical music in a thriller and present it to new generation for whom classical music holds almost no appeal. Though I did not like Bengali song in Hamsadhwani but other classical songs were relatable especially the raag Kedar ( Kanha re nanda nandana). Bikram Chatterji did a good job, the girlfriend of his is quite forgettable. The idea of sound waves opening a treasure box may be borrowed from Samaddar er Chabi of Satyajit Ray.

However I was quite amused by that pigmyphone, the miniature record player hidden inside the paintings. I was baffled too. I searched for them in Internet and found that Amazon sells a similar looking mini record player with 3 inch vinyl records.

https://www.amazon.com/Crosley-Turntable-3-inch-Records-Silver/dp/B07P83H6KK

The price with record is around $64. This is battery operated. If this is the product they showed in Tansen er Tanpura then the year of hiding this in 1997 is flawed. This is a recent invention. It was not available in 1997. Rather according to RSD website (https://recordstoreday.com/RSD3) this product RSD3 became available in 2019 with the oldest RSD product being available in 2011.

I guess the work Tansen er Tanpura is a fiction and not a reality. The product cannot be functional from 1997 to 2020 because it is battery operated (4 AA batteries) and those batteries cannot be solar powered. So technically showing this product in 1997 and then hiding it for 20 years and suddenly its becoming functional is figment of imagination. But I liked the product and I will buy it. Thank you Tansen er Tanpura series to bring to my notice a technological marvel.

Western Classical Music in advertisements, ringtones,rhymes : Titan,Raymond,Nokia,Bolero,Vivaldi etc

In India through many advertisement jingles we hear western classical music. The most prominent is Titan watches. Titan has been using Mozart's symphony no.25 , 1st movement as their brand's jingle. Every Indian is aware of Titan's jingle. Let us hear the Mozart one and the Titan jingle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQu9AmLwQ9A

Then let us hear Raymond ad for dress materials...the complete man series....it is taken from Schumann - Träumerei, "Kinderszenen" No. 7, Scenes from Childhood

There is a famous Shirt brand in India named after Vivaldi. Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian Baroque age musician. Listen to Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

Mahindra & Mahindra has a car model named Bolero after Maurice Ravel's musical piece Bolero. I guess Mr Anand Mahindra must be an aficionado of western classical music to name car after Bolero. 

Nokia ring tone is taken from Fransesco Tarrega - Grand vals guitar piece. You can hear Tarrega and recollect Nokia tune immediately.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sZQ0m5oKLc

The famous nursery rhyme Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is written by Mozart, KV265 on piano. Listen to this.

Many mobile manufacturers like Nokia, Huawei have used Bocherini minuet as ringtone. Many telephone operators used to put you on hold and the music played was Bocherini Minuet.

Whenever you enter a lift/elevator, you will hear Beethoven's Fur Elise. Listen to it. You hear western classical music unknowingly in a lift or a hotel lobby.

These are some examples of western classical music we hear in daily life. There is music everywhere, only we need to know. I have been correlating these tunes since last 27 years. My readers will catch these tunes and next time they will say " Ah ha, this is Mozart , symphony no 25 !!"

My Beethoven

This year marks 250^th birth anniversary of Beethoven. Almost 27 years ago I was introduced to Beethoven’s heavenly music by my father. He used to like western classical music and quite often he played those cassettes. The very first Beethoven piece that attracted my attention was For Elise. The simple 4 minute piece on piano kept me hooked to Beethoven forever. What a beautiful hummable music that doesn’t leave my memory. Later on I was amused to note this is played in elevators, parking lots and shopping malls. Even my grandmother had a powder case which will play Beethoven’s For Elise when you open its lid. Such is the appeal of this piece. It’s everywhere despite being classical. Let’s hear.

In advertisement world there is a phrase “Top of the Mind” meaning the first example that comes to your mind when you hear a topic. Beethoven is my top of the mind phrase in western classical music. I cannot think western classical music without Beethoven.

The very next piece which attracted me to Beethoven was his violin concerto. That cyclic Rondo, the famous strains of second movement is unforgettable. The violinist I heard was legendary David Oistrach from an old EMI cassette. Later on I had heard many leading violinists like Anne Sophie Mutter (under Karajan), Itzhak Perlman, Lena Nauder (Live in NCPA Mumbai under Cristoph Poppen in 2013), Midori Goto ( under maestro Zubin Mehta live in NCPA Mumbai in 2014); but the unhurried pace and poignant handling by Oistrach has stayed with me forever. Let’s hear it. I have heard many violin concertos by masters like Mozart, Mendelssohn, Paganini, Bach etc but nothing appears as complete as Beethoven’s solo violin concerto. The movements are so well timed and paced as if the transition is seamless from one to another. When you start humming the Rondo you will realize why is Beethoven’s violin concerto unforgettable.

Let’s move to Beethoven’s Symphonies ( 1 to 9). These are his gems for music world. Not without a reason they are recorded again and again, almost every conductor wants to prove their mettle by recording Beethoven symphony cycle.Volumes have been written on his 9^th symphony (particularly the Choral part). However I have a personal weakness for his 6^th symphony, particularly the first movement.  Nobody describes nature musically better than Beethoven. Since it has sounds mimicking gargling brooks, gathering storm and calm 6^th symphony is called Pastoral. I particularly like this because Beethoven wrote this after a bout of near suicidal depression . He wrote a will Heiligenstadt Testament and then got over the depression, went to visit the countryside for rejuvenation. And after that encounter with nature in its full glory what sublime music he wrote. This is a testament of mind over matter. I first heard it from a recording of New York Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ricardo Muti. However I cannot ignore the beauty of last movement of his legendary 9^th or the first movement of his 3^rd symphony –Eroica, dedicated to Napoleon at first. The 9^th symphony I heard was from a recording of Berlin Philharmoniker by Karajan. Though his 5^th symphony rustles a lot of emotion but I don’t have particular fondness for it. 5^th symphony is brooding tempest whereas 3^rd,6^th and 9^th is pure bliss to my ears. I have kept my mobile caller tune the first movement of his 6^th symphony.

Beethoven had a bruised psyche by advancing condition of deafness. I think his music was made in mind. He wrote music from his mind as if he listened them in his mind’s ears. Despite that he churned out gems. My next favourite is Piano Concerto no 5, particularly the 3^rd movement. I remember hearing this from a cassette where Vladimir Ashkenazy played the rumbling thunder of that 3^rd movement.

Now over the period of last 25 years my life changed and Youtube opened up new recordings to be heard and seen. But I will never forget his Tempest sonata and Moonlight sonata. His turkish march is very hummable but I like the constant thunder of the Tempest, as if the wind is growling and you are brooding. Moonlight sonata is a contrast to the Tempest, the most peaceful sublime poignant composition Beethoven had. The Adagio Sostuneto of Moonlight sonata is my all time favorite.

Before signing off I shall discuss the impact of Triple Concerto on me. I heard the recording of Herbert Von Karajan conducting Richter, Oistrach, and Rostropovitch and immediately I fell in love with the somber feeling. A sound so unique, a rendition so impeccable from four of the greatest performers of our times, that, not only it has never been equalled but it also signs one of the most definitive pages of the recorded music of all times.

There is no end to listening, today with Youtube I am privy to rare recordings of Beethoven, I hear different conductors, pianists, violinists but he will be always my top of the mind the moment I think of Western Classical Music.

Antiseptics, bone TB, Joseph Lister and Invictus (William Henley)

This blog is about the linkage between a great poetry and antiseptics. It sounds strange how Invictus, a legendary poetry was written by William Henley when he was admitted under Lord Joseph Lister, the father of antiseptics for treatment of bone TB. Henley, a 26 year old lad who was hospitalised under Lord Lister for his antiseptic treatment wrote this. I was pleasantly surprised by this correlation of chemical antisepsis, TB, Lister and Henley.

Invictus is one of my favorites and every school child should read this. I have always obtained strength from this poetry whenever I felt helpless under the spell of adversity.
I am copy pasting this below.

INVICTUS

"Out of the night that covers me,
      Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
      For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
      I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
      My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
      Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
      Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
      How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
      I am the captain of my soul."

This was written by William Earnest Henley in the year 1875 when he was getting treated by none other than Lord Lister to save him from a sure amputation due to tuberculosis. By that time, William was a 26 year old lad who had already lost a leg, left leg below the knee due to tuberculosis of bone. He had suffered from tuberculosis from an age of 12. By the age 20 he already lost left leg. When he found his right leg has got affected by bone TB he was devastated. One has to remember by 1875 humans did not know what caused tuberculosis, Pastuer's Germ theory just got noticed and antibiotics were a distant dream. Robert Koch discovered Tubercle bacillus in 1882. However by 1875 Joseph Lister, a British surgeon has pioneered use of antiseptics like carbolic acid in surgery to reduce infections. William Henley, scared of an imminent amputation of his remaining right leg, sought treatment of Lister and got himself admitted in Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh in 1873. During the long treatment by Lord Lister he witnessed the pain of so many diseased patients surrounding him and thus was born the poetry Invictus which today has become the symbol of inner strength in the time of untoward circumstances.
I found this information while reading history of microbiology. I was amazed to see how antiseptics pioneered by Lister cured Henley who in turn wrote this classic poetry during his hospitalization and treatment with Lister's antispetics.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Ernest_Henley
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Lister
3.https://www.cdc.gov/tb/worldtbday/history.htm

Irfan Khan : The irreplaceable

I cannot accept Irfan Khan passed away today. It was not the time and age to depart. He had much more to offer. I always looked upto him, the way he became a legend after long struggle is noteworthy. Now everybody is writing he did so well in Hollywood ( The Amazing Spider man, Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire etc ) but if you note he struggled from 1988 ( Salam Bombay) to 2003 till Maqbool shot him into fame. In between he acted in TV ( ChandraKanta, Bharat Ek Khoj etc) but he was fairly forgettable.

Naseeruddin Shah once asked him how he did not become a drunken complainer. He replied he was never satisfied by his performance hence always strived for better. That’s the spirit for a man who came to Bollywood without a godfather and went to Hollywood to become India’s greatest actor. He struggled for 15 years (1988 to 2003) but never lost his focus. He proves by sheer talent you can achieve what you want. We complain so many times that our parents did not help, that circumstances are adverse etc etc. But success of Irfan Khan from a humble background without godfather in a competitive film industry where you are as successful as your last hit shows nothing is impossible. He was a self-made man who reached greatest height. He inspires us to dream. In the end he succumbed to cancer but never to failure. He left head held high. In last 17 years ( Maqbool 2003 to Angrezi Medium 2020) he stayed in the top of the game. 

Just look at the enviable filmography. Maqbool, Life in a Metro, Haider, Namesake, Hindi Medium, Piku, Lunch Box, Slumdog Millionaire, Qissa…..one cannot end, the list is unending. He was indeed very prolific. He never had the looks of a hero but he had portrayed versatile roles. From playing criminal to police officer to university professor to a regular sarkari employee to a chauffer, he did every role with finesse. He made boring roles memorable. For example, his role of a lonely unmarried man in Lunch Box made us fall for his lonely soul. I felt Lunch Box was made for him, nobody in India would turn that mundane role to an award winning one. I still regret why Lunch Box was not sent for Oscars. Goutam Ghosh, the famous filmmaker commented he wanted Lunch Box to be in Oscars as the only Indian entry but everybody vetoed him. Lunch Box was produced by Sony Pictures and had a high chance of getting into Oscars race in 2013. But our bad it was never sent to Oscars. Irfan deserved a standing ovation for Lunch Box. 

His comic timing in Life in a Metro, his slumdog no one in Mumbai Meri Jaan, his uncouth inability to speak English in Hindi Medium, his matter of fact role of driver in Piku, his professorial look in The Namesake, his criminal dacoit role in Paan Singh Tomar…..I cannot stop. His roles ate too many to describe in a short space. Just 2 years ago he played the lead role in Doob, a film made in Bangladesh which became Bangladesh's first official entry to Oscars in 2018. He proved for making a movie you need actors not stars.

 It’s a pity he died during lock down. Twenty thousand would have stood for his cortege, only 20 were actually  allowed. Social media is flooded with homage. He has won hearts and rules the minds of common man.

Pensively, looking at his end, I quote from a poem “ The Burial of Sir john Moore at Corunna”.

“Slowly and sadly we laid him down,

From the field of his fame fresh and gory;

We carved not a line, and we raised not a stone,

But left him alone with his glory”.

I bid adieu Irfan Khan. You are irreplaceable.

Mozart Bird Song : Piano Concerto no 17,K453, 3rd movement

Mozart had a pet bird, a common starling. These birds are known well for singing, they are a kind of song bird. Mozart immortalized his pet bird by copying its chirping in one of his piano concertos. 3rd Movement of Mozart Piano Concerto no. 17, K 453 has strains of the bird song. Mozart thus immortalized his pet bird. It is not unusual to make music mimicking natural sounds and Mozart surely loved his pet bird; he organized a funeral after the pet expired.

I am sharing an Youtube video. These days Youtube makes so many things possible, even 25 years ago I would have scrambled to search for such legends' recordings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsdfPVM0stI

Happy listening.

Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart%27s_starling 

Haydn Farewell Symphony story

Once Haydn wanted to go on a holiday with his orchestra from the court where he was employed. But the prince who employed him refused to given him a holiday. So he decided to ask for leave musically. He composed a symphony which at the end becomes smaller and smaller. The musicians stop, get up, snuff of the candle, take the music sheet and walk out. Until one violinist remains in the hall. The symphony which started with a full orchestra ends with just one violinist. The prince who was present at the first performance of this strange symphony took the hint and have Haydn and his team of musicians a holiday. The symphony came to be known as "Farewell".

Today there is no candle light so no question of snuffing a candle. However in Youtube you can see the orchestra slowly leaving the stage one by one till in the end you have solo violin. I shared this particular video to show how Haydn's orchestra might have surprised the prince then. Next time you ask for leave try something novel like this; hope your boss has a sense of humor !

Also note the opening movement, you will realize how Mozart was influenced by Haydn.

The link about the full story :
https://arts.ucdavis.edu/post/haydn-symphony-no-45-farewell

Travelling Cinema : A lost world

Today the concept of travelling cinema has died a death with introduction of mobiles and digital cinema. Many of my time and older than me will recall there used to be makeshift movie shows on white screens in localities. There used to be evenings of film shows during festivals. Just after Durga Puja in 1986 I remember seeing a bengali Film Dhonni Meye in open air at Tribeni Tissues ground where my father worked. It was 60 Km away from Kolkata, a paper mill with officers quarters, school premises inside. Nearby movie hall was in Tribeni, Bandel or Chinsurah. Most people did not have TV sets those days there. I remember watching that movie in 1986. There was a large gathering sitting on the ground watching Jaya Bhaduri turning from a tomboy to a demure girl in love with Partho Mukherjee, the film's hero. It was entertaining to see the audience laugh, cry and whistle. If they would be happy they will clap or whistle. The seats were first come first served. Those who were late will sit in the opposite side so they watched the film in reverse direction. This kind of shows were quite popular in villages and mofussils those days.

Even I have seen this makeshift movie screens in Manoharpukur, Kalighat in Kolkata in 1980's where I grew up. Every summer vacation there would be a Shitala pujo and for almost a week there will be Jatra shows, jalsha and movie screenings. I recall watching Sholay in 1985 in one such travelling cinema. There used to be reels of films and there will be intervals because those reels needed to be changed. Sometime the cinema technician will go for a smoke and forget that the reel ended which will create a huge furore among the audience who may be now on the edge of very important scene of a film. 

These days such travelling cinema shows are over, you will only be nostalgic about it but you will never see it again. The present generation doesn't even know what simple pleasure we had. Those who have watched Shah Rukh Khan's Swadesh may recall such travelling cinema show inside the film in one scene. Once travelling cinema used to be the only source of big entertainment in villages. But now it has died, nobody shows it again. I will tell my son how it was, he will never see it.