Rabindra Sangeet Questions and Answers

Answer: B

The key gives Kalmrigaya as the opera that contains the song 'Sakali phooralo'. Kalmrigaya is the gitinatya of Tagore on the story of the hunter King Dasharatha, which is drawn from the Ramayana. Valmiki Pratibha, Parishodh and Mayar Khela are Tagore's other works of song-drama, each with its own songs, and the key does not place this song in any of them. The keyed answer is Kalmrigaya. Kalmrigaya was written for the family theatre and its songs are in a form that suits the stage, as is the case with Valmiki-Pratibha.

Answer: D

The total number of songs written by Tagore is not exactly 4,000, 3,500 or 2,000 in the sense of the key, which gives 'None of these'. Tagore wrote about two thousand two hundred and thirty songs, which are collected in the Gitabitan, so the round figures offered are not the right total. Since 4,000 and 3,500 are too high and 2,000 too low, the option 'None of these' is the keyed answer.

Answer: C

The maximum number of notations (swaralipi) of Tagore's songs was prepared by Dinendranath Tagore, the poet's grand-nephew, who was the keeper of his songs and the first teacher of Rabindrasangeet. Sarala Devi, Jyotirindranath Tagore and Indira Devi also made notations of some songs, but Dinendranath is the one who notated the largest number. The keyed answer is Dinendranath Tagore. Dinendranath Tagore was the poet's grand-nephew and is remembered as the keeper of the songs, because he learnt them directly from the poet.

Answer: A

The song 'Phule phule dhole dhole' is based on a western tune, according to the key. Tagore took a number of western melodies and gave them Bengali words in his Bhanga Gan, the songs adapted from foreign tunes. 'Prem e chhilo', 'Basanta ki sudhu kebal' and 'Eyito bhalo legechhilo' are the other songs offered, and the key does not list them as based on western music. The keyed answer is the first song. The songs adapted from foreign melodies form a group of their own in the Gitabitan, and the key names the one from the options.

Answer: B

The song composed by Tagore for the harvest ceremony is 'Aaye re mora fasal kati', which welcomes the cutting of the harvest. The words fasal kati mean 'cutting the crop'. 'Jete jodi hoi, jabo' is a song of parting, 'O amar desher mati' is a patriotic song to the soil of the country, and 'Esho shyamol sundaro' is a song of the rainy season, so these do not refer to the harvest. The keyed answer is the second option.

Answer: A

The song 'eto din je boshechhilem path cheye aar kaal gooney' is included under the thematic category Prakriti (nature), according to the key. In the Gitabitan the songs are grouped by theme into Puja, Swadesh, Prem, Prakriti and Bichitra, and the song about waiting for the season belongs to nature. Puja is for devotional songs, Bichitra for the mixed ones, and Swadesh for the patriotic ones, so these are not the category of this song.

Answer: D

The song 'Suno lo suno lo balika' is from Bhanusingher Padavali, the collection of songs in the Vaishnava padavali style that Tagore published under the pen-name Bhanusingha, according to the key. Valmiki Pratibha, Mayar Khela and Shyama are his stage works with their own songs, which are not the source of this one. The keyed answer is Bhanusingher Padavali. The pen-name Bhanusingha was used by Tagore as a young man, when the poems in the manner of the old Vaishnava poets were first published.

Answer: B

Rabindranath composed the song 'Joy hok taba joy' on the occasion of the felicitation of Jagadish Chandra Bose, the scientist, according to the key. The song is a wish for victory to the scientist who had gone abroad. The wedding of Surendranath Tagore, the felicitation of Bankimchandra and the thirty-second Indian National Congress are the other occasions offered, and the key does not connect the song with them. The keyed answer is the felicitation of Jagdishchandra Bose.

Answer: B

The character Uttiyo appears in the dance drama Shyama, a work by Tagore on the theme of love and sacrifice. Uttiyo is the young man who loves the courtesan Shyama. Kalmrigaya, Valmiki-Pratibha and Chandalika are the other works offered, with different characters: Chandalika has Prakriti and Ananda, and the others have Valmiki and the king, so none of them has Uttiyo. The keyed answer is Shyama.

Answer: A

The song 'aaj jyotsnarate sobai gechhe boney' belongs to the thematic category Prakriti, the songs of nature, according to the key. It is a song of a moonlit night in the forest, and nature songs are the section of the Gitabitan about seasons, the moon and the forest. Bichitra is for miscellaneous songs, Swadesh for songs of the country and Puja for devotional songs, so the song does not fit them. The keyed answer is Prakriti.