On this New Sounds program, listen to Western Music inspired by Hindu scriptures, including works by Benjamin Verdery, Douglas J. Cuomo, and Philip Glass. The texts of these works draw mainly from about 700 verses of sacred text known as the Bhagavad Gita, a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna which takes place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Philip Glass, in his opera “Satyagraha,” sets parts of the Bhagavad Gita in the classical Sanskrit, while embracing both Indian music and the political and spiritual philosophies of Mahatma Gandhi. We’ll listen to excerpts from the Glass opera and we’ll also hear a work that shares the same name, Benjamin Verdery’s “Satyagraha.” Verdery’s piece is based on an eight-note raga, with nods to both Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Johannes Brahms. Rounding out the show is music by Douglas J. Cuomo (perhaps best known for writing the theme for Sex And The City), also with text from the Bhagavad Gita. We’ll listen to Cuomo’s new acoustic opera/music-theatre work, “Arjuna’s dilemma,” which combines Eastern and Western vocal and instrumental music, Qawali style sufi singing, and jazz improvisation.

PROGRAM # 2566, Music Inspired By Hindu Scripture (First aired on Fri. 7/7/06)

ARTIST(S)	RECORDING	CUT(S)	SOURCE
Benjamin Verdery	Start Now	Satyagraha [5:30]	Mushkatweek #4782 ** www.benjaminverdery.com
Philip Glass	Glassmasters	Satyagraha, Act I, Scene 3, “The Vow” [13:00]	Sony #62960** Available at Amazon.com* or see www.philipglass.com
Douglas Cuomo	Arjuna’s Dilemma	The Dilemma [9:00] Interlude I [3:00] The Answer [5:00]	Private CD. Info at www.douglasjcuomo.com
Philip Glass	Glassmasters	Satyagraha, Act III, Scene 3, “Evening Song” [8:30]	See above.