Description

Aneesh begins with spontaneously selected phrases covering the gamut of matras or rhythmic units only to converge after every sixteen-matra cycle on the sam or the first matra of the succeeding cycle in a slightly different manner. He negotiates these twists and turns and almost imperceptibly enters the first composition called Peshkar, the major introductory piece in a tabla solo recital. Following a theme and variations format, a peshkar is open to incorporating cross-rhythms and strokes other than those present in the theme. The peshkar concludes with a tihai, a device peculiar to indian music affirming the all-important position enjoyed by the sam. The tihai is a phrase or a musical statement repeated thrice in a manner that the last stroke of the third round coincides with the first stroke of the approaching cycle.