Tagore's Dance-Drama Omnibus

Book Details

• Author: Utpal K. Banerjee

• Publisher: Niyogi Books

• Language: English

• Edition: First Edition

• ISBN: 9789381523537

• Pages: 184

• Cover: Paperback

• Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches

About The Book

Rabindranath Tagore’s Dance-Dramas offers an insightful translation of six of the revered poet’s most celebrated dance-dramas, a culmination of his deep passion for dance. These works represent the peak of Tagore’s creative evolution, particularly in the last decade of his life when his dance-consciousness reached its zenith. This collection includes two music-dramas—Taser Desh (interspersed with prose dialogue) and Shapmochan (with narrator)—as well as four full-bodied dance-dramas: Chitrangada, Shyama, Chandalika, and Mayar Khela (revisited).

The dance-dramas are predominantly ‘recitative’ music dramas, where the clear storyline is supported by melodiously articulated dialogues and narratives intertwined with songs. Through this translation, Utpal K. Banerjee captures the essence of Tagore’s original works, adhering closely to the rhythm, metre, and even the internal rhymes of the original Bengali text. This ensures that readers can experience the exquisite poetry and lyrical beauty of Tagore’s works, even in English.

This book allows readers to explore the emotive power of Tagore’s dance-dramas, which blend lyrical dialogues with the movement of dance, shedding light on Tagore’s artistic genius and his dedication to the transformative power of music and dance. It is a must-read for lovers of both literature and dance.