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The Lectures, instituted by the Indian Musicological Society, were delivered on April 17, 18 & 19, 1992 at the Geeta Mandir Hall, Bharatiya Vidya B ha van, Bom bay, in collaboration with the B ha van's, Bharatiya Sangeet - Nartan Shiksha Peeth, Bombay. The essay published here is a substantially revised and enlarged version of the original
Points of Discussion : A Brief Note on the Lectures
- As Prepared by Dr. Premiata Sharma
I. The Idea of History, Indian and Western : Its Application in Music
A. GENERAL
a) The Greek view of history represented by Herodotus, Thucydides to whom the method of original history is ascribed.
b) Hegel's view of History, Reflective History and Philosophical History
c) Western opinion about history in the orient, specially India
d) The Indian view of Time and Space
e) Itihasa is not "History"
B. APPLICATION OF THE IDEA OF HISTORY TO INDIAN MUSIC
a) The 'beginning' of modern 'Music History' in the 19th century and early 20th century, S. M. Tagore and V. N. Bhatkh^nde
b) History of Indian Music in the mid-twentieth century
c) History of theory and interpretation of Sangeeta-Éastra
d) General review of the work done in the 19th and 20th centuries
e) The wide spectrum of change and the thread of continuity
II. Reconstruction of the History of Indian Music : Main Areas of Enquiry
a) Peri odi /.at i on : Eschewing existing models of periodization such as Vcdic, Epic, Natya Sastra Period; etc.; Suggested periodization with relation to the textual tradition :
Period I: Primary and Formative : 5000 B.C. to 500 A.D.
Period II: Expository and Expansive : 600 A.D. to 1200 A.D.
Period III: Rcconciliatory and Revaluative :1300A.D. to 1750 A.D.
Period IV : Critical and Interpretative : 1750 A. D. onwards;
The process of abstration and generalization.
b) Sources : Textual, oral, archaelogical, literary works in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsa, utc. Persian sources; works in regional languages, etc.
c) Methodology : Inter-disciplinary or multi-disciplinary approach essential; Drama, literature, painting, sculpture, architecture etc. closely inter related with music; Problems of discovering laksyalaksana relationship.
III. The Problems of Formulation
A holistic approach is commendable, but formulation does esentially involve categorization or division. Three broad divisions are proposed :
a) Text...