jalsaghar

El salón de música, Satyajit Ray (1958)

The action occurs in a palace in Nimitia, in Bengal, at the beginning of the century. On his terrace, smoking a hookah, the zamindar has his memory stirred by the sound of some music from the coming of age ceremony of his neighbor's son. He recalls his own son's initiation and the recitals in his salon to which he invited the finest musicians, the most beautiful singers, the greatest dancers. Now his wife and his son are dead and his status as an important landowner has declined. Goaded by his neighbor, an arrogant pretender who boasts of his taste in music, the zamindar opens his salon once again and ruins himself with a final recital. He savors the music. He savors his victory and toasts his ancestors. At dawn, he departs on his horse and leaves this elegant world behind.

La obra de Ray es a partes iguales un bello y dramático poema de la soledad, el amor y la vida y un documento musical extraordinario. Recreado en flashbacks, con la característica expresividad y tragedia que el bengalí imprimía a todos sus planos. En lo musical: el sitar de Vilayat Khan y el shehnai de Bismillah Khan dicen el resto y Salamat Ali Khan y Begum Akhtar redecoran con sus voces los ragas. Para muestra dos clics:

première jalsa
l'ultime jalsa avec le chanteur