The first part of the book traces the history of Indian music and the continuity of its theory and

practice for more than two thousand years. It is based on many years' research into the vast

ancient Sanskrit literature of music. These valuable technical treatises, which lie in the form

of scarcely catalogued manuscripts throughout the public and private libraries of India, had

hitherto remained unemplored. Part Two transcribes and studies in detail 50 typical Raga-s.

Each is preceded by a Sanskrit poem in translation which depicts the atmosphere; then follows

an analysis of the scale, covering its intervals and expression, a study of the theme with its

characteristic motives and finally a typical development.

The present work is based on the author's two-volume Northern Indian Music published in

London (but not America) some ten years ago, but long out of print and much sought after by

students. It was described by Colin Mason in the Manchester Guardian as "of immense value to

any practical musician" and "an invaluable addition to the very scanty literature of a fascinating

and neglected subject". This new version contains a number of additional Raga-s; the earlier

text has been extensively revised and many music examples redrawn for greater clarity and

accuracy. Some abridgement has taken place, but only of material which appeared originally for

the benefit of Indian readers unfamiliar with Western staff notation, those able to read Sanskrit,

and specialists in Sanskrit literature. The book provides modern composers outside India with

a source of new inspiration and enables practising musicians to play and study some of the

endlessly variegated modes for which Indian music is unique.

About The Author

Alain Danielou was Director of the International Institute for Comparative Music Studies and

Documentation, Berlin, and adviser for Oriental Music to the International Music Council

(UNESCO). Born in Paris, he pursued scientific and artistic studies before specialising in

musicology. He travelled extensively in North Africa, the Middle East, China and Japan and

then settled in India, where he studied Indian music and philosophy, Hindi and Sanskrit, and

made a unique collection (over 800) of Sanskrit manuscripts on music. In 1949 he was appointed

Research Professor of Music at Banaras Hindu University and in 1954 became Director of the

Adyar Library and Research Centre in Madras. In 1959 he returned to Europe, joining the Ecole

Francaise d'Extreme Orient in Paris, and subsequently became Director of Studies of the Centre

d'Etudes de Musique Orientale of Paris. He has written extensively in both French and English

on Oriental Music and on many aspects of Indian history and culture, and has also published

two novels. He was the general editor of the three UNESCO collections of records: "Anthology

of the Orient" (Barenreiter Musicaphon), "Musical Sources". (Philips, Holland) and "Musical

Altas" (EMI, Italy).