"A masterpiece - spinning a mood of musical harmony, suffused with emotional portrayal and novel intensity. The team of over one hundred eminent musicians and renowned vocalists makes the performance acquire a sublime, pristine virtuosity. The mood of the composition - dedicated to peace and presented in five movements - is conveyed in a perfect balance of differing styles and exhilarating rhythms" -
S. Mazumdar, The Financial Express

"Eloquent music of a malleable quality that conveys the horrors of war, the forces of darkness and the simple joys of life in a peace-filled world fit for children" -
The Cultural Causerie 

Movement No. 1 : Discord

Our world is fraught with discord. Despite inherent similarities and manifest differences that collectively represent the gamut of our wondrous, common lineage, the human condition is mired in suffering. The passage of time compounds the feeling of helplessness. Discordance shrinks perceptions to focus on myopic selfishness. An occasional, lone voice rises above self-serving frays to signal hope. Small movements of similar intent coalesce. Tendencies to perpetuate the status quo drown their impact. Dissonance persists.

 Movement No. 2 : Discernment

Voices of the immortal human spirit seek to intervene. Let us not deceive ourselves, they warn. The world around us is distraught because our spirit as a species is broken. It wanders rudderless. If we are not at peace with our own selves, how can we expect collective peace? From one we are many. The lost, broken spirit of the individual has put the world into chaos. 

To mend the world, we must first mend ourselves

Let each one discern our own self in another

Let us see in another the spark of the common divinity we share

Undivided, our supporter, it lives in each of us as if divided between us

Let us unite the sparks we see in each other to perceive the larger brilliance

May we bask in the forever glory bestowed by such common brilliance

Recognizing the genuine, united brilliance born of each other will keep hostility at bay

Peace in our hearts will cause peace among us

Peace among us will cause peace in the world we share

Movement No. 3 : Odyssey

Fortified with this essential truth, the odyssey of the human quest for peace begins. Amongst mountains of doubt a path opens to those who believe in it. Amidst chasms of deception the learned mind remains unsullied. In between ravines of suspicion trust guides the way forward. Suffused with foresight of its vast implications, the journey to fulfill the possibilities of discernment continues - determined to realize peace by implementing the edict of the eternal spirit.

Movement No. 4 : Oneness

The quest to perceive the essence of one’s spirit in another entails a process of shedding acquired illusions of one’s own self. Self-imputations of status, pride, ownership, half-truths or immortality need to be reevaluated. The essence of an individual can only be identified by cleansing it of the burden put on it by the passage of time and events. Like a mirror covered in dust, the light of the sun shielded by darkness, and god-like emotions muffled by anger, a realization of who one is requires dismantling the makings of one’s ego. When this is accomplished, it is easy to see the same spark of divine existence in another similarly shorn of the inessential. The path to discovering oneself invariably leads to discovering others for who they truly are. Rooted in such shared understanding, peaceful, joyous individuals create a peaceful world.

Movement No. 5 : Elation

Elation is a natural corollary of peace. A realization of oneness stemming from seeing sparks of the same divinity in one another unburdens relationships from shackles of possession and selfishness. We see differences amongst us as but a collective representation of the breadth of our oneness.The consequent sense of freeness encourages creation of that which leads to existential happiness. Peace enables individuals to feel the meaning of immortality in their lives of now. Because one is in essence no different than another, the happiness of one is but part of the happiness of others. Peace enables the world to live as a family. To view the world as a family enables peace.

PT. VIJAY RAGHAV RAO : ODE TO PEACE - SYMPHONY FOR LARGE ORCHESTRA & VOICES 

Performed by The Indian National Orchestra & Vocal Ensemble 

Vocalists Smt. Sarla Bhide, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, Pt. Vidhydhar Vyas, Pt. Mani Prasad & Pt. Ajay Pohankar

Composed & Conducted by Pt. Vijay Raghav Rao 

 Special thanks to All India Radio (AIR) / Prasar Bharati of the government of India  

Special thanks to the wonderful musicians and vocalists who made this music: they shall be remembered forever 

Special thanks to Smt. Lakshmi V. Rao  

Original analogue recordings of live performances remastered and post-produced by The Red & Green Company  

Album notes by Steve Elchuri, partly based on sentiments from Pt. Vijay Raghav Rao, the Bhagvad Geeta and the Taittriya Upanishad  

CD Album manufactured by Bison Disc  

Sound Executive Dr. Vijay Vardhan Elchuri  Executive Producer Sanjay Kumar  

Copyright by Pt. Vijay Raghav Rao & Family  

From The Red & Green Company