'Hayagriva' refers to a horse-headed being from Indian and Tibetan sacred literature, and Param Vir's piece explores aspects of this character's supernatural powers rather than telling a story.
Composition History
'Before Krishna' won the 1987 Benjamin Britten Composition Prize, which helped establish Param Vir's name in the musical world.
Composition History
'Wheeling Past the Stars' was commissioned by cellist Rohan de Saram and is a cycle of four settings of poems by Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, translated by William Radice.
Compositional Technique
'Before Krishna' is Param Vir's only piece to rigorously exploit serial techniques, using a specific 'Krishna row' of notes that appears in various forms throughout the work.
Compositional Technique
In 'Raga Fields', Param Vir connects European modernism with Eastern sensibility, using contemporary harmonic techniques in the Western ensemble to facilitate a confluence with Indian musical traditions, rather than imitation.
Composer Biography
Param Vir's early life in Delhi, India, was immersed in Indian classical music through his mother, a poet and vocalist, and he began Western piano and composition lessons at a young age.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Param Vir, the composer, believes that regardless of compositional techniques, the musical image must always be crystal clear, arresting, and comprehensible.
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