Amjad Ali Khan Samaagam. Three Ragas
Khan; Scottish Chamber Orchestra / Murphy

World Village 468102

Release date June 2011

Following the success of live performances given in March last year, Amjad Ali Khan, ‘one of the 20th Century’s greatest masters of the sarod’ (Songlines Magazine) joined the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and conductor David Murphy to record Samaagam. Samaagam comes from a Sanskrit word meaning 'confluence' or 'flowing together' and is used as the title for this concerto for sarod, concertante group and string orchestra. The work, conceived by Khan and realised by conductor Murphy is, in Khan’s words, ‘a Bouquet of Ragas’ and certainly lives up to the description. By way of an introduction to the concerto, Khan has recorded three ragas as solo pieces. These appear in the third and final section of the concerto, though twelve different ragas are used in total (some a little, some more so). The three main sections of the work imitate the traditional concerto form but the similarities stop there. The first section is built upon three ragas that Khan has composed (though in his note Khan expresses that he feels they are evoked rather than created). The blend of western string sound combining with the eastern sarod creates some stunning textures and harmonies. The aim, as Murphy explains, was to ‘joyfully explore the common DNA of both traditions'. The middle section, Medley of Ragas, uses seven ragas and is altogether more improvisatory in nature. SCO Lab (the SCO’s experimental group) joins the orchestra and soloist here. The final section moves from the more serene Khamaj and Bhupali ragas and finally to Bhairavi (one of India’s most popular ragas) that builds to an exciting climax. From the outset it is clear why this work was so well received; this is an altogether mesmerising and superbly well crafted work that fuses western and eastern traditions in a sensitive way. The recording was made at Greyfriars Kirk.

Reviewed by Dawn Gibson