Enlightening the Listener: Contemporary North Indian Classical Vocal Music Performance/Prabha Atre. New Delhi, 2000 with  audio cassette

Contents: Preface. 1. Music making. 2. Bandish: a perspective. 3. The importance of Bandish (song-text) and its words in Khyaal. 4. The role of Taal of Bandish in Khyaal. 5. Raag-Ras (Mood) and Raag-Samay (Time): a query. 6. Significance of Sargam in Hindustani classical vocal music. 7. Khyaal and modernity. 8. Kirana Gharaanaa. 9. Thumri--a light-classical vocal genre towards abstraction. 10. Ghazal singing in the twentieth century. 11. Film music - orchestra programmes. 12. Music makers. 13. Teaching music at institutions. 14. Studying and teaching at the University of California, Los Angeles, USA. 15. Music criticism: a plea for artist-critic understanding. Index.

"The writings on Indian music have been mostly on theoretical aspects and mainly by theoreticians and not by practising musicians. It is still rare to find a woman performer who has written on music performance from different angles. In Enlightening the Listener, Prabha Atre, a noted vocalist examines with a liberal and holistic approach various aspects of a contemporary North Indian classical vocal music performance for a lay listener. While doing this she critically and objectively tries to seek in the context of changing times new meaning appropriate to what has come down from tradition. Her academic background, analytical mind, logical approach and communication skills put this book in a special category.

"This book deals with various aspects of music performance as also persons and institutions involved in 'Music making'. Dr. Atre's diverse experience as a singer, composer, teacher and thinker has lent authenticity to this work. From a point of view of a lay listener, she unfolds artistically the creative process of music making and thus gently guides the reader towards better appreciation.

"The accompanying cassette with illustrations is an added feature of this book. Listening to it will help the reader to identify the musical material and forms and gives an idea of the techniques involved." (jacket)

[Dr. Prabha Atre was former Professor and Head of the Department of Music SNDT College, Bombay.]