Inside The Kremlin

Not merely a great sitar player, Ravi Shankar is also a superb composer. Here Shankar performs inside the Kremlin, in a 1988 concert that was the culmination of a year-long Indian festival in the former Soviet Union. For the closing event Shankar was asked to compose original music for a concert that would be performed by over 140 musicians and singers. It's a spectacular collaboration between the Russian Folk Ensemble, the Chamber Orchestra of Moscow Philharmonic, the Government Chorus of Ministry and Culture, and an Indian ensemble comprising many of Shankar's disciples.
Shankar composed seven pieces for this event, mostly ragas, all of which are heard here. The wonderful synergy between these disparate cultures creates inspirational music. The concert's highlight is the grand finale, "Bahu-Rang", beginning with drumbeats followed by a mix of classical Indian and Russian instruments. Towards the end of the piece, a folk motif leads into the spellbinding "Unity of Friendship".|