Radhe Radhe: Rites of Holi

Radhe Radhe: Rites of Holi is a studio album by American jazz musician Vijay Iyer. It was released on November 7, 2014 under ECM Records as a soundtrack for Prashant Bhargava's experimental documentary film Radhe Radhe.[2] The album was commissioned by Emil Kang, Executive Director of the Carolina Performing Arts as part of a wider series of works to celebrate the centenary of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring (1913).[3]

Radhe Radhe: Rites of Holi
Studio album by Vijay Iyer
Released	November 7, 2014
Genre	Soundtrack
Length	32:59
Label	ECM ECM 5507
Producer	Manfred Eicher, Lauren Snelling, Vijay Iyer
Vijay Iyer chronology
Mutations (2013) Radhe Radhe: Rites of Holi (2014) Break Stuff (2014)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Orlando Weekly	[1]

Reception

Ian Patterson of All About Jazz stated "With a lesser orchestrator and technician than Iyer it would have been easy to succumb entirely to Bhargava's seductive visual poetry, with the music relegated to second plane. Iyer, however, is finely attuned to the dramaturgy unfolding and his highly empathetic score traces the arc between the myriad manifestations of the festival's early morning preparations and the unfolding maelstrom of mass euphoria that follows. To the initial frames of nature—so still they seem to be photographs—the dual pianos of Iyer and Cory Smythe impose contrasting tension—a harbinger of the drama to come."[4]

Jason Ferguson of Orlando Weekly wrote "Much like Stravinsky’s Rite, Iyer and Bhargava’s Rites is a work that’s steeped in dissonance and dashed expectations. As the day unfolds and societal strictures are loosened, the music and filmwork intensifies, immersing the viewer in the dizzying, suppressive chaos of celebrations that gradually turn threatening, especially to the women taking part; meanwhile, the coupling of Radha and Krishna follows a similarly pulse-raising path, with Radha’s sly smile turning ominous and imposing."[5]

Track listing

All music is composed by Vijay Iyer

Part I: Adoration.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Dawn"	3:25
2.	"Promise"	3:13
3.	"Summoning"	1:43
4.	"Spring Fever"	1:51
5.	"Procession"	1:53
6.	"Colors"	3:41

Part II: Transcendence

No.	Title	Length
7.	"Thirst"	3:08
8.	"Intoxication"	3:09
9.	"Exaltation"	2:14
10.	"Spirits"	1:43
11.	"Rituals"	2:22
12.	"Purging Rites"	4:24
Total length:		32:59

Personnel

• Adam Sliwinski – conductor
• Vijay Iyer – piano (left channel), electronics
• Cory Smythe – piano (right channel)
• Amir Elsaffar – trumpet
• Jennifer Curtis – violin
• Gareth Flowers – trumpet
• Rebekah Heller – bassoon
• Laura Cocks – flute
• Joshua Rubin – clarinet
• Kyle Armbrust – viola
• Kivie Cahn-Lipman – cello
• Eric Lamb – flute
• Tyshawn Sorey – percussion
• Ross Karre – percussion[6]

References

1. Ferguson, Jason. "'Radhe Radhe' intensely embodies Holi, the festival of colors". Orlando Weekly. orlandoweekly.com. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
2. Margasak, Peter. "An interview with MacArthur 'genius,' jazz pianist, and composer Vijay Iyer". Chicago Reader. chicagoreader.com. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
3. "Prashant Bhargava / Vijay Iyer Radhe Radhe: Rites of Holi". Allmusic. allmusic.com. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
4. Patterson, Ian (December 22, 2014). "Vijay Iyer / Prashant Bhargava: Radhe Radhe, Rites Of Holi". All About Jazz. allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
5. Ferguson, Jason. "'Radhe Radhe' intensely embodies Holi, the festival of colors". Orlando Weekly. orlandoweekly.com. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
6. "Radhe Radhe - Rites Of Holi (Music For The Film By Prashant Bhargava)". Presto Classical. Retrieved 2021-01-31.