West Meets East, Volume 2 | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 15 July 1968 | |||
Recorded | 1967–68 Angel Records, New York City | |||
Genre | Indian classical | |||
Length | 1:03:34 | |||
Label | HMV, Angel | |||
Yehudi Menuhin and Ravi Shankar chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
West Meets East, Volume 2 is an album by American violinist Yehudi Menuhin and Indian sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, released in 1968. It is the second album in a trilogy of collaborations between the two artists, [2] after the Grammy Award-winning West Meets East (1967). [3]
The release followed Menuhin and Shankar's duet on 10 December 1967 at the United Nations in New York, celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. [4] As part of his utopian ideal, [5] international human rights was a cause long supported by Menuhin in his work, [6] while for Indian classical music, this Human Rights Day recital marked the first time that a performance had received a worldwide television broadcast. [7]
Reflecting the celebrity status afforded the sitarist during this period, particularly as a result of his association with George Harrison of the Beatles, [8] [9] Shankar's activities were filmed for a documentary on his life, released as Raga in 1971, [10] and his autobiography My Music, My Life (1968) became a bestseller. [11] Although West Meets East, Volume 2 was another popular success for Menuhin and Shankar, [12] their work together drew further criticism from purists in India, [13] who considered that Shankar was westernising and thus diluting Indian classical music. [14]
The follow-up to West Meets East was announced in February 1968, when Billboard magazine reported that Menuhin and Shankar had been recording new material together at Angel Records' New York studios. [15] While their first album continued to top that magazine's Best Selling Classical LP's listings, [16] Shankar had also achieved mainstream success with the recently released Live: Ravi Shankar at the Monterey International Pop Festival, which peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Top LP's chart – the highest US chart placing he would achieve throughout his career. [17] Angel released the new Menuhin–Shankar set on 15 July that year. [18] The album peaked at number 3 on the Classical LP's listings. [19]
West Meets East, Volume 2 contains a version of the piece played at the United Nations, an interpretation of Raga Piloo. [2] According to Shankar's comments in a March 1968 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, they recorded this selection "just a few days ago". [20] As at the recital, [21] Menuhin and Shankar were accompanied by Alla Rakha on tabla and Kamala Chakravarty, Shankar's female companion, [22] on tambura. [23] The second piece is "Raga Ananda Bhairava", performed by Shankar with his regular accompanist and instrument-maker, Nodu Mullick, [24] on tambura, and Rakha again on tabla. [23]
Side two in the original LP format consists of Menuhin and his sister Hephzibah performing Bartók's Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano. [23]
All selections by Ravi Shankar except where noted.
Side one
Side two
West Meets East, Volume 2 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 15 July 1968 | |||
Recorded | 1967–68 Angel Records, New York City | |||
Genre | Indian classical | |||
Length | 1:03:34 | |||
Label | HMV, Angel | |||
Yehudi Menuhin and Ravi Shankar chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
West Meets East, Volume 2 is an album by American violinist Yehudi Menuhin and Indian sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, released in 1968. It is the second album in a trilogy of collaborations between the two artists, [2] after the Grammy Award-winning West Meets East (1967). [3]
The release followed Menuhin and Shankar's duet on 10 December 1967 at the United Nations in New York, celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. [4] As part of his utopian ideal, [5] international human rights was a cause long supported by Menuhin in his work, [6] while for Indian classical music, this Human Rights Day recital marked the first time that a performance had received a worldwide television broadcast. [7]
Reflecting the celebrity status afforded the sitarist during this period, particularly as a result of his association with George Harrison of the Beatles, [8] [9] Shankar's activities were filmed for a documentary on his life, released as Raga in 1971, [10] and his autobiography My Music, My Life (1968) became a bestseller. [11] Although West Meets East, Volume 2 was another popular success for Menuhin and Shankar, [12] their work together drew further criticism from purists in India, [13] who considered that Shankar was westernising and thus diluting Indian classical music. [14]
The follow-up to West Meets East was announced in February 1968, when Billboard magazine reported that Menuhin and Shankar had been recording new material together at Angel Records' New York studios. [15] While their first album continued to top that magazine's Best Selling Classical LP's listings, [16] Shankar had also achieved mainstream success with the recently released Live: Ravi Shankar at the Monterey International Pop Festival, which peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Top LP's chart – the highest US chart placing he would achieve throughout his career. [17] Angel released the new Menuhin–Shankar set on 15 July that year. [18] The album peaked at number 3 on the Classical LP's listings. [19]
West Meets East, Volume 2 contains a version of the piece played at the United Nations, an interpretation of Raga Piloo. [2] According to Shankar's comments in a March 1968 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, they recorded this selection "just a few days ago". [20] As at the recital, [21] Menuhin and Shankar were accompanied by Alla Rakha on tabla and Kamala Chakravarty, Shankar's female companion, [22] on tambura. [23] The second piece is "Raga Ananda Bhairava", performed by Shankar with his regular accompanist and instrument-maker, Nodu Mullick, [24] on tambura, and Rakha again on tabla. [23]
Side two in the original LP format consists of Menuhin and his sister Hephzibah performing Bartók's Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano. [23]
All selections by Ravi Shankar except where noted.
Side one
Side two