This piece is inspired by both Western Art Music and Indian Classical traditions. Based around Rag Kharaharapriya, the piece moves gradually through other centres and variations on this Rag. 

The fusion between the two traditions is achieved through taking musical characteristics of both musical traditions. For example, from the Western Art strand, I use the virtuosic and free, Caprice form, the Western violin posture and performance style as well as the use of extended string techniques such as harmonics, sul tasto, sul ponticello, senza vib. and so on. From the Indian Classical strand, I found the Raga I wished to explore (Raga Kharaharapriya) using the improvisatory melodies and jolty time-signatures (or talas) to set tabla-like rhythmical music to. 

The two traditions are also used in conjunction with one another to achieve my chosen fusion sound-world. For example, sul ponticello playing is used in this piece to pay tribute to the Tanpura (drone) instrument found commonly in all South Asian performances. Pizzicato coupled with heavy vibrato and note-bending almost mimics the sound of the beautiful sitar instrument that dominates so much of the Indian Classical repertoire.

Performed by the most brilliant Marc Danel. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiwbG1tilLM&ab_channel=MusicDepartment%2CUniversityofManchester

©2021

Caprice in Raga Kharaharapriya, for solo violin (Marc Danel)

This piece is inspired by a rather irrational, and common, fear of bees. The opening figure is representative of the tension felt when one first hears the buzz of a bee flying around the room. This tension only grows as you notice its size, and inability to fly out of the window. However, it is common knowledge that bees would only cause harm if they are provoked or feel threatened. They are, for the most part, completely harmless to us. In fact, honey bees, including the Apis cerana indica (the Indian honey bee), would die if they were to sting. 

The focus on this honey bee in particular came from my interest in Indian Classical music. These bees have a very low yield of honey, so low, that they are actually quite a neglected species, with India importing and keeping European honey bees instead of the native ones. Indian honey bees also rarely exhibit swarming behaviour. With these factors in mind, the middle section of the piece depicts the image of this honey bee. This is achieved by maintaining sparse, melancholic, musical textures, use of ragas, resonant pedals and soaring, improvisatory melodic passages.

The choice to return to the opening material was to illustrate that the real threat was to the bees themselves. The commodification of bees’ honey production has left the native species neglected and may well lead to their extinction in India.

Performed by Ben Powell. Video performance available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_Erqxxpjvw&list=RDGMEM8h-ASY4B42jYeBhBnqb3-w&index=3&ab_channel=Vinthya

©2021

Apis cerana indica, for solo piano (Ben Powell)

Vinthya Perinpanathan, Flight UL505, premiered Saturday 18th June 2022 by the ADAM Quartet at the NSKA 20th Anniversary String Quartet Festival in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Flight UL505, for string quartet (ADAM Quartet, June 2022 LIVE @ NSKA 20th Anniversary Concert)

Performed by:
Supriya Nagarajan
Tom Hall
Samy Okuma-Chin

19th July 2022

Bow, for violin, vibraphone and Carnatic Indian voice (Samy Okuma-Chin, Tom Hall, Supriya Nagarajan)

Vinthya Perinpanathan - Imbalance

Violin and piano duo, commissioned by Merel Vercammen and Dina Ivanova for Noorderkerk Concerten.

Premiered at Noorderkerk, Amsterdam, Saturday 23rd September 2023.

perinpanathan

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