What is this Indian musical instrument?

December 1, 2014 11:58 PM

In the Concert for George, around nine minutes into "Arpan", a musician plays an instrument that looks like a piccolo but which produces a surprisingly deep sound. What is the instrument? And can you point me to other good examples of it being played?
posted by paleyellowwithorange to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

Best answer: I think it might be Pedro Eustache on the Armenian Duduk. He also played with Yanni.
posted by thack3r at 12:53 AM on December 2, 2014

Response by poster: Interesting - not an Indian instrument after all. I'll add relevant tags. Thanks for the clarification and the links.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 3:31 AM on December 2, 2014

Best answer: It is, and he's one of the best non-Armenian duduk players! He does a lot of crossover/international playing on duduk.

Here's a good recording of the most traditional, pure form of duduk playing (two duduks playing together with one player droning steadily [using circular breathing so they never have to stop and breathe in] and the other playing an ornamented melody above the drone).
posted by kalapierson at 1:20 AM on December 3, 2014

Best answer: (And for yet another perspective on it, here are several pieces for duduk plus western instruments, written in contemporary classical styles.)
posted by kalapierson at 1:26 AM on December 3, 2014