I gave a defence of Pt. Bhatkande in my review of Janaki Bhakle’s book over here: debating shastriya sangeet blog . That was mostly about the historical perspective. Even more baffling is modern-day criticism of Bhatkande. In some cases it seems a bizarre continuation of the feud Krishnarao Shankar Pandit had with Bhatkande and I do not really understand what that originally was about. Krishnarao S.P. had also set up music schools and published compilations of compositions, so it wasn’t about that (that some ustads did not approve of). Is it about the authenticity of the compositions? “Authentic” Gwalior musicians (from the branch that did NOT go to Maharashtra- Balkrishnabua Ichalkaranjikar etc.) might think their versions are the correct ones but I am not convinced. Different sometimes, yes, but often not so different, to me more like legitimate variations. I am talking about the vilambit khayals. Out of curiosity I always have looked up compositions I have learned from Pt. Sharad Sathe in Bhatkande. I have never felt that I was getting a better version, and on the contrary, one thing that I found better was the setting in tal. Pt. Bhatkande probably worked with several versions, chose the better one, and spent time to set in nicely in the tala cycle. I have never found anywhere in the compositions in Bhatkande where some words are stretched or some cramped to fit into the tal, unlike with Pt. Sathe, who sets it on the spot, and that is how I am to fix it permanently. Problem is that when I hear the same composition sung by Arolkarbua or Neela Bhagwat it is set differently. Not to mention their great hero, Krishnarao S.P. who is wildly chaotic in how he sings the composition- and not just in the setting.
Bhatkande’s six volumes “Kramik pustak malika” full of hundreds of compositions meticulously notated is an amazing document. Nothing remotely comparable has appeared since, except for Pt. Ramashreya Jha’s “Abhinav Gitanjali” (focused though on raga descriptions and challans). It (KPM) seems destined to be like the bible of Hindustani music, especially if the Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkatta or anyone else ever gets around to publishing the recordings Pt. K.G. Ginde was in the process of completing when he died of singing all the bandishes in the Bhatkande volumes! Mahle saheb told me that Bhatkande himself composed over 300 compositions included in the KPM. I have learned a few of them myself and they are very good. I have heard that the original notebooks of Bhatkande that are in Ahmedabad are likely to be available. How interesting that could be! I can only be awestruck by what Bhatkande accomplished and very grateful.
