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West Meets East

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work

West Meets East is a joint album by sitar player Ravi Shankar and violinist Yehudi Menuhin, released in 1967. It grew out of their performance in June 1966 at the Bath Festival. Their friendship began in the early 1950s in India, and Menuhin had since done a great deal to make Indian music known in the West. Tabla player Alla Rakha, pianist Hephzibah Menuhin and Prodyot Sen on tanpura also play on the record.

It opens with Prabhati, a composition by Shankar based on Raga Gunakali. Swara Kakali is a reworking of a piece based on Raga Tilang. The whole of the second side is filled with the third violin sonata by the Romanian composer George Enescu, Menuhin's teacher. The album spent eighteen weeks at the top of the American classical chart and won a Grammy in 1968. It was the first time an Asian musician received one, at a time when pop groups were picking up sitar sounds.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Prabhati and notice the interplay between the violin and the tabla. Hear how a Western violinist makes an Indian raga his own.

Track list

  1. 1Prabhati (Based on Raga Gunkali)4:11Apple Music ↗
  2. 2Raga Puriya Kalyan11:46Apple Music ↗
  3. 3Swara-Kakali (Based on Raga Tilang)8:51Apple Music ↗
  4. 4Violin Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 25 "Dans le caractère populaire roumain": I. Moderato malinconico8:23Apple Music ↗
  5. 5Violin Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 25 "Dans le caractère populaire roumain": II. Andante sostenuto e misterioso8:19Apple Music ↗
  6. 6Violin Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 25 "Dans le caractère populaire roumain": III. Allegro con brio, ma non troppo mosso7:13Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗

Categories: Albums and songs