It is not easy to categorize my Fantasy on Vedic Chants either Indian or Western classical. It is truly East-Western composition since I have drawn most compatible elements of both the Indian and Western traditions and blended them to find a new direction.

This is not an atonal composition. There are, however, some solo improvisational sections for the Indian violin that are microtonal. These sections are based on Ragas (melodic system) of South Indian classical music. (Incidentally, there are two systems of classical music in India: the South Indian or "Carnatic" Music and the North Indian or the "Hindustani" Music.) Indian music can be traced to the "Vedas", which date back to 4000 BC. The Vedas, four in number, are the most sacred texts of the Hindu and contain about a thousand hymns. They were used to preserve a body of poetry, invocations and mythology in the form of sacrificial chants dedicated to the gods. These were passed by oral tradition and were not written down till much later. Of the four Vedas - the Rig Veda, the Sama Veda, The Yajur Veda and the Atharvana Veda laid the foundation of Indian music. At first the chants were recited in a monotone. Later, they were developed to three tones by the addition of two other tones, one higher and one lower to accentuate the text, which was of primary importance. Still later, another note was added to form the first tetra chord and ultimately three more notes added to complete the first full scale of seven notes. Indian music developed from this as one system all over the country until the twelfth century, when it was split into South and North Indian music due to political, social and economical changes at the time.

The Key melodic motive of my Fantasy on Vedic Chants is based on the three-toned chants of the Vedic hymns; hence the title. The opening statement of the theme, which is based on only three notes, is played by the solo violin with a traditional Indian  drone, the tambura (a long, unfretted lute-like instrument tuned to tonic and dominant), and the cellos sustaining the pedal-tone. This music is not in any time signature. When the theme is repeated for the second time, it is in 5/8 meter. as the piece develops there are several Indian rhythmic cycles and rhythmic cadences that are repeated three times, a concept typical of Indian music. Another typical Indian concept used here is that of trading a musical phrase between the soloist and the accompanist. There are trade-offs between the soloist and the orchestra, between the soloist and the Indian percussionists and also between various orchestral instruments and orchestral sections.

This has been done to produce different colour and tonal qualities. There are also sections with complex poly rhythms created by the soloist and the orchestra with the Indian percussionists. During the cadenza, the violin soloist on very complex rhythmic patterns, like playing 5, 6,7,8 and 9 notes per beat. There are also various contrasting melodic and rhythmic sections developed from the simple three-toned key motive.

The form of the composition itself is new. It is not a concerto form, though it does have three movements, fast, slow and fast respectively. The composer has also incorporated some elements of the Kriti form, a traditional South Indian music form that originated in the fifteenth century. In the Kriti form, which also has three sections (called Pallavi, Anupallavi and the Charanam respectively), the opening sentence at the end of each section. In my Fantasy, the key motive is repeated in all the three movements, though not always at the end. Thus it is a totally new concept.

There are passages that are completely modal, alternating with passages rich in complex Western harmony. There are also some modal passages with a harmonic structure, the harmony derived from the mode itself. I also use, in one section, several beautiful ragas (modes) in quick succession, creating colour patterns and giving an image of chromatic harmony but statying within the framework of both traditions. in addition to the Indian violin (which is tuned, held and played differently from the Western style), there are three Indian percussionists, one playing the ghatam (the clay pot), and the others playing the mridangam and other secondary percussion instruments, and the traditional Indian drone, the tambura.

Thus, with my knowledge of both the systems of music, I have been able to draw on the best Indian and Western classical music in all spheres, with form, musicality, instrumentation, melodic structures, rhythmic and thematic concepts blended with my own creative ideas in all these areas to produce a unique and original piece.

The Indian instruments:
Mridangam. This is the classical South Indian  drum and is the main percussion instrument. It consists of a wooden barrel shaped body with two heads on either side made up of layers of different types of hide, like sheepskin calf-hide and buffalo-hide. The heads are stretched by leather straps that run along the sides of the body. The right head has a black spot in its center made up of a manganese powder and rice paste. The right head is tuned to the tonic. The left head is the bass, to which a paste of semolina must be applied in order to produce the proper tone.

Ghatam. This is a clay pot used as rhythmic accompaniment in a South Indian concert. The mouth of the ghatam is usually kept facing the stomach of the performer, or sometimes, facing upwards. A much deeper tone ca n be produced by pressing the ghatam against the performer's stomach.

Tambura: This is a long-necked, unfretted drone instrument that is played throughout a classical concert, providing the basic pitch. It has four to six strings, which are plucked continuously with the fingers of the right hand. The wooden bowl at the base of the instrument amplifies the sound. The tambura is tuned to tonic and dominant 

NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA *
Maestro Zubin Mehta
Lincoln Centre , New York (Opening of N. Y. Philharmonic's 1985 Season to coincide with the Festival of India in the U.S. - Four Performances)

CENTRAL TV & RADIO LARGE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA +
Maestro Vladimir Fedoseyev
Tchaikovsky Hall, Moscow (Festival of India in the U.S.S.R. in the presence of H.E. The President of India, Sri. R. Venkataraman)

CENTRAL TV& RADIO LARGE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA +
Maestro Vladimir Fedoseyev
Moscow, Radio Concert Hall for National Broadcast

COLLEGIUM ACADEMICUM DE GENEVE
Maestro Thierry Fischer
Geneva (To celebrate India Summer in Switzerland)

ORCHESTRE REGIONAL DECANNES-PROVENCE
Maestro Philippe Bender
Theatre Claude-Debussy
Cannes (Midem Festival)

ORCHESTRE REGIONAL DECANNES-PROVENCE
Maestro Philippe Bender
Salle Gaveau
Paris

ORCHESTRA GULBENKIAN+
Maestro Philippe Bender
New Delhi, Bombay and Madras (Three Performances)

OCCIDENTAL SYMPHONY
Maestro Alan Gross
Los Angeles (Two Performances)

KIROV ORCHESTRA
Maestro Djemal Dalgat
India (Three performances to celebrate the Festival of U.S.S.R in India.)

BUDAPEST SYMPHONY +
Maestro Andras Ligetti
Budapest (Two Performances)

TRANSVAAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Maestro Leslie Dunner
South Africa (Three Performances; Lenasia, Johannesburg and Pretoria

NATAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Maestro Leslie Dunner
South Africa (Durban)

RIAS YOUTH ORCHESTRA
Maestro Bartholomew Berzonsky
World culture Centre, Berlin.
Broadcast live in 28 nations

STATE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA (25th Performance of Fantasy on Vedic Chants)
Maestro Petre Sbarcea
Sibiu, Romania.

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