‘Dhrupad Fantasia’

The Hathor Consort brings English violin fantasias face to face with the Indian Dhrupad tradition. Dhrupad, literally ‘the immovable word’, is one of the oldest genres in Indian music. The flat tones – played on gambas on this occasion – create an imploring effect that is typical of this repertoire. Over this, Uday Bhawalkar sings highly refined and nuanced melodies. The free character of this music is strongly reminiscent of the English consort music that was heard in the court of Elizabeth I over four hundred years ago. For this programme, Romina Lischka, the founder of the consort, not only plays the gamba but also demonstrates her vocal talents.