The Dictionary of Hindustani Classical Music

In this book the author has dealt with the musical terms as found in the old sastras and are also in common use. He has explained these terms in simple language with reference to their history of origin. Description of seventy-eight different musical instruments and forty-seven different Talas are also there. An essential aid to research-scholars and students of music.

The Bengali version of the book Bharatiya Sangeetkosh earned for him “Sangeet Natak Academy” award as the best book on music published during the period from 1960 to 1968. Bimalakanta Roychaudhuri was born in 1909 in all illustrious family of musical heritage. He had his training in music from Sitalchandra Mukhopadhyay, Sitalkrishna Ghosh, Amir Khan (Sarod) and then from Inayet Khan, the foremost Sitar players of those days. He also had his musical training from his maternal uncle Birendrakishore Roychaudhuri and maternal grandfather Brojendrakishore Roychaudhuri. He took part in the translation of “Sangeet Ratnakara” from Sanskrit to Bengali under the patronage of Brojendrakishore Roychaudhuri. He was Chairman of the Board of Musical Studies of the University of Calcutta. His work “Raga Vyakarana” (in Hindi) has been published by the Bharatiya Jnanpith.

Review(s)

“This is an excellent text-book for it imparts knowledge of the ocean of music in the form of little drops. It is interesting to note that every word in music literature has a depth of meaning while the author explains the origin of each word with its history and development over the years along with suitable examples. The book reveals the meaning of 341 words and is indeed a music encyclopedia.” – Indica, Vol.:40, No.2, September, 2003

“The work explains, in very simple and clear language, the technical terms as found in Sastras and also those in common use. The history of the origin of the words, description of seventy-eight musical instruments and forty-seven varieties of talas.” – Dwaram V.J. Lakshmi, S.V.U. Oriental Journal Vol.: 46, No.182, 2003

“In this era, when Indian music is spreading worldwide, the author has rightly felt it a duty to prepare this Dictionary of musical terms. He presents the proper interpretation of musical terms of the ancient Sanskrit Sastras and explains them with reference to their origin and development. An additional fact is that the author remains true to Indian tradition and is not influenced by the Western methods of interpretation and presentations. Styled and arranged in such simple and precise form, this book will definitely be an essential aid for researches and students of music.” – V.K. Journal of Oriental Research Vol.71-73. p. 18

“This one covering words and terminology, Sanskrit, derivative and colloquial, applicable and applied to Hindustani Classical (Art) Music, is the foremost one, even considering the more recent publications on the usage of music terminology.” – R.C. Mehta, Journal of the Indian Musicological Society Vol.: 31, Jan-Dec.2000

About the Author(s)

BIMALAKANTA ROYCHAUDHURI had his training in music from many famous gurus like Sitalchandra Mukhopadhyay, Inayet Khan etc. He took part in the translation of “Sangeet Ratnakara” from Sanskrit to Bengali under the patronage of Brojendrakishore Roychaudhuri. He was Chairman of the Board of Musical Studies of the University of Calcutta.