Listen: A Khadim Hussain Khan recording echoes the time musicians sat down to listen to their peers
The presence of musicians in the audience could provide a different perspective to listening and could even guide lay listeners through their responses. Khadim Hussain Khan. | Screengrab via YouTube.
Hindustani music festivals running over two or more days have always featured many sets of performers. But conventionally, a standalone concert would present only one set. The concert would go on for three hours or even more depending on the calibre of the performer and the response from the audience.
However, over the past two decades or so, concert organisers have been trying to feature many performers in a single session. They have probably been driven to doing this in order to reach out to diverse audiences with varied tastes. As a result, musicians are forced to squeeze content within 60 to 90 minutes and the conscientious among them are even worried tha