Utsyo Chakraborty: Mahabhūta Symphony - 2: Apas (2024)

Mahabhūta: great elements (Sanskrit)
Apas: water (Sanskrit)

After composing in a relatively international style for some time, I felt a growing need—fueled by requests from performers and listeners—to express myself through an idiom inspired by the rich and diverse culture of my homeland. However, I wanted to approach this in a way different from typical world music. I tried to infuse my love for music with a modernist flavour with the thoughts and ideas that permeate my Indian way of life. "Navrasa" for piano, based on the nine emotions in Indian performing arts, was my first step in this direction.

The concept of the pancha mahabhūta has always been a part of my consciousness. According to Hindu philosophy, any human or cosmic creation is a holistic unification of five great elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. Reflecting on these ideas inspired me to conceive a large-scale orchestral work. This initial conception eventually developed into a symphony, my first attempt in six years (my previous attempts in the genre have been suppressed).

"Apas", a story on the shape of water: from hazy mists to rippling raindrops, from jumping water striders to the schooling of fish, from rapids and waterfalls to warm sun rays coloring a still and quiet lake, was sketched in April 2024 and orchestrated/expanded in August.