The Oriental Miscellany: Airs of Hindustan

Featuring

Jane Chapman
Yu-Wei Hu
Anonymous
William Hamilton Bird

Did you know?

1/7

Recording & Production

This recording was inspired by Gerry Farrell's book 'Indian Music and the West' and was undertaken as a research project at King's College London, funded by the Leverhulme Trust.

Interpretation

The performer, Jane Chapman, incorporates improvisations in the style of an Indian ālāp before several pieces, exploring the rāg on which the song may have been based, similar to 17th-century préludes non mesurés.

Composition History

William Hamilton Bird's "The Oriental Miscellany" was first published in Calcutta in 1789 and later in Edinburgh, dedicated to the first Governor-General of India, Warren Hastings.

Compositional Technique

William Hamilton Bird's "Oriental Miscellany" includes a Sonata for harpsichord with violin or flute accompaniment, which weaves 'select passages' from at least 8 of the airs into its movements, possibly making it the first work of East-West fusion.

Performer Biography

Jane Chapman, described as 'Britain's most progressive harpsichordist', has premiered over 200 solo, chamber, and electroacoustic works worldwide and is a professor of harpsichord at the Royal College of Music, London.

Instruments

The harpsichord used for this recording is a double manual Jacob Kirckman harpsichord from London, 1772, known for its five-octave compass, three sets of strings, and lute and machine stops.

Historical Context

The publication of "The Oriental Miscellany" came at a crucial time for William Hamilton Bird, a 'Conductor of public amusements' in Bengal, as he was facing mounting debts.