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Darkness Dreaming combines classical form and language with musical elements associated with the jazz tradition, especially the vibrant swing rhythms of Gypsy Jazz. Much of the melodic and harmonic material of the piece is derived from an Indian scale known as the “Todi Raga,” believed to have originated in Rajasthan, a region of Northern India also known as the ancestral homeland of the European Gypsies. The Rajasthani culture is renown for their artistic tradition of miniatures, in which they give the ragas human form and character–in this case the raga is depicted as “Ragini Todi,” a “lovesick woman who attracts the deer.” An Indian audience listening to a successful performance of this raga should experience a mood of “delighted adoration in a gentle, loving sentiment.”
For a westerner, such a connotation would be pretty hard to fathom. In fact, the sound of the music would more likely convey an eerie, perhaps even macabre quality, which is a common Western stereotypical view of both Indian and Gypsy music. Even though my father was born and raised in India, I must confess that I also find the sound of this scale more odious than adoring, more jarring than gentle. But if I try I can faintly conceive of the possibility of the Indian viewpoint (hence the title). I was also of course greatly inspired by the challenge of writing for Sharon Isbin and John Jorgenson, both of whom generously shared their music and ideas.
David Balakrishnan -
March, 2004
NCO Music Alive Composer-In-Residence (2005-2008)
The residency of David Balakrishnan with the NCO was made possible through Music Alive, a residency program of the American Symphony Orchestra League and Meet The Composer. This national program is designed to provide orchestras with resources and tools to support their presentation of new music to the public and build support for new music within their institutions. Funding for Music Alive is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and The Aaron Copland Fund for Music.
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