Andrew Robertson Mackereth
Indian Rhapsody
Based on Raga Malkosh for Concert Band
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Andrew Robertson Mackereth
Indian Rhapsody
Based on Raga Malkosh for Concert Band
- Instrumentation Concert Band
- Composer Andrew Robertson Mackereth
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Difficulty Level
- Edition Score and Parts
- Publisher Editions Marc Reift
- Order no. EMR92063
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Description:
This instrumental piece was written for my school band in 1995 but never finished. When I discovered it in a pile of old papers in early 2025, I set myself the challenge of completing it. The melody is based on the Indian raga Malkosh, which was often used to teach the rules of Indian classical music. It is one of the oldest ragas in Indian classical music. According to Indian classical tradition, Malkosh is a raga that is "sung in the early hours of the morning, shortly after midnight" and is said to have a calming and intoxicating effect. This composition is said to evoke a time before sunrise. The sunrise comes in the last bars, and the closer we get to it, the faster the drone D-A becomes. The notes in Raga Malkosh are Sa, komal Ga, shuddh Ma, komal Dha and komal Ni. In Western classical notation, this corresponds to tonic, minor third, perfect fourth, minor sixth and minor seventh. (D, F, G, A, C) Essentially, Malkosh is a pentatonic raga that creates its characteristic melancholic and introspective mood. Performance note: The percussion parts can be further elaborated, for example by adding wind chimes, glockenspiels etc. All gong parts can be played on a suspended cymbal. The second bassoon part and the second tuba part are completely optional and are played simultaneously.