Daud Rahbar (1926-2013) was a Pakistani scholar of comparative religion who taught at various North American universities. In this fascinating essay, Rahbar distills for the Urdu reader a history of orchestral music in the Western tradition, and his reading of its relationship with premodern Christianity. Rahbar draws parallels between what he considers to be the Christian, Islamic and Hindu approaches to sound and performance, and makes the key argument about why the operatic form is alien to Indo-Islamic sensibilities. Furthermore, he elaborates on why and how Western conceptions of harmony have crept into Indian music, and how national radio serves as a platform for popularizing musical experimentation. The essay is part of Rahbar’s 1987 memoir “Bāteñ kuch surīlīsī” (Musical Conversations).

Featured music:
1. New York Classical Players – Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550

2. Orquestra de Cordas Laetare – Dimitri Shostakovich’s WaltzNo. 2

3. Pioneer Valley Symphony – Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 3

4. Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra - Tristan und Isolde,Act 3, “Isolde Kommt!”

5. Anna Makhova - Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake