summary of The Sound of Music part 2 Class 9th
Answers
The lesson beautifully deals with the early life of Bismillah khan in Dumraon in Bihar. His grandfather was a shehnai-nawaz of the bhojpur king’s court. Bismillah khan took to music early in life when he was 3 years old in the company of his maternal uncle. His life is a source of simplicity and communal harmony from the very beginning when he used to sing ‘ Chiata’ in Bihariji temple and practicing shehnai in Vishnu temple and Mangala Maiya temple of Varanasi. Bismillah khan got his big break with the opening of All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938. He also played shehnai on 15 August, 1947 from Red fort in presence of Pandit Nehru.
Bismillah khan gave many memorable performances both in India and abroad where he was honoured with so many awards. He also gave music in two movies ‘Gunj Uthi shehnai’ and ‘Sanadhi Apanna”. He was so fond of his motherland India, Benaras and the holy Ganga that he refused an offer to be the Head of Shehnai school in USA. In 2001, Ustad Bismillah khan was awarded India’s highest civilian avard, the Bharat Ratna. In the end, his life is a perfect example of the rich, cultural heritage of India, one that effortlessly accepts that a devout Muslim like him can very naturally play the shehnai at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Answer :
The chapter 'The Sound of Music (Part II) Shehnai of Bismillah Khan' focuses on the development and evolution of the shehnai and Bismillah Khan's role in bringing it to the international stage.
Emperor Aurangzeb banned the playing of the musical instrument called 'pungi' in royal residential areas because of its high-pitched and unpleasant sound. However, a barber from a family of musicians decided to improve the sound quality of the pungi. For this purpose, he chose a pipe with a natural hollow stem that was longer and broader than the pungi and made many holes in the body of the pipe. When he played on this pipe by closing and opening some of the holes, soft and melodious sounds were produced.
The barber played the instrument before the royal court and everyone was impressed with the sound quality of this new instrument. The instrument greatly differed from the pungi and so had to be named. Since it was first played in the Shah's chambers and was played by a nai (barber) this new instrument came to be known as 'shehnai.'
Ustad Bismillah Khan is credited with bringing the shehnai to the national and international classical stage. Bismillah Khan belonged to a famous family of shehnai players from Bihar. He got fascinated with the shehnai at the young age of three years when he observed his maternal uncles playing it. His uncle was appointed to play the shehnai at the Vishnu temple of Benaras and Bismillah regularly accompanied him.
He started taking music lessons on playing the shehnai. He practised playing the instrument on the banks of the Ganga where the flowing waters inspired him to invent new raagas. He started playing the shehnai on the All India Radio in 1938 and became the first Indian to greet the newly independent country on 15 August, 1947.
The King of Afghanistan became so fascinated by Bismillah's music that he gifted him expensive Persian carpets. Vijay Bhatt named a film 'Gunj Uthi Shehnai' after being impressed by his music at a festival. He has played at the Lincoln Centre Hall in the United States of America, the World Exposition in Montreal, the Cannes Art Festival and the Osaka Trade Fair. He also enjoys the honor of having the auditorium 'Tahar Mosiquee Ustaad Bismillah Khan' named after him. He is a proud recipient of the Padmashri, the Padma Bhushan, the Padma Vibhushan and the Bharat Ratna. His life exemplifies the rich, cultural heritage of India.