Amazon.co.uk Review
"Between Two Worlds" is a substantial 10-part documentary, telling the sitar player's life story up to his 80th birthday celebrations in 2000. The film is littered with archive footage, including the young Shankar performing with his brother's dance troupe, an emotional reunion with his teacher and guru Baba Allauddin Khan, and his celebrated collaborations with musicians such as John Coltrane, Yehudi Menuhin and The Beatles.
The second part features Shankar performing with a group of Indian musicians, including his daughter Anoushka, herself a celebrated sitar player, at the Union Chapel in London during summer 2002. The electric atmosphere is well captured here, as is the intimacy of the performance. A 19-minute introduction to Indian music and the sitar, delivered by Shankar himself, rounds off the set.
On the DVD: Ravi Shankar in Portrait features both stereo and surround sound options for the concert performance. Subtitles are provided in German, Spanish and French. The accompanying booklet provides a useful introduction to Shankar as well as biographies of his fellow performers. --Rebecca Agnew
DVD Description
‘Benares Ghat’ – Ravi Shankar teaches a new piece to his students
The sitar & Indian music – A personal introduction by Ravi Shankar
Illustrated booklet with notes and biographies in English, French and German
From the Back Cover
The definitive account of India’s most celebrated musician follows two years of Ravi Shankar’s life – filmed in India and America – against the backdrop of seven decades of innovative collaboration with Western musicians like George Harrison, John Coltrane and Yehudi Menuhin. Archive footage shows key performances filmed from the 1930s to the present day.
Disc 2: Ravi Shankar "Live In Concert"
Ravi Shankar performs two ragas (Raga Anandi Kalyan and Raga Rangeela Piloo) in the atmospheric Union Chapel in London, Summer 2002, with his daughter Anoushka and tabla virtuosi Bikram Ghosh and Tanmoy Bose.
