Indian Art Music Talk

8/13/2019 Indian Art Music Talk

1/18

Indian Art Music

A n I l l u s t r a t e d T a l k

by

Dr. Chintamani Rath Ph.D. (Indian Music)

www.ragaculture.com


2/18

M U S I C Where there is humanity,

there is music

(but : what is music?)


3/18

M u s i c

O r g a n i s e d&

emotionally expressives o u n d


4/18

.

MUSICAL GENRES IN PRESENT DAY INDIA

ART

(CLASSICAL)

SOUTH

INDIAN

(CARNATIC)

NON - ART(LIGHT/POPULAR)

TRIBAL

FOLK

N O R T H

I N D I A N

(HINDUSTANI)

PROVINCIALCINEMA

MUSIC

THEATRE

MUSIC

NON-INDIAN

IMPORTS

RELIGIOUS

OR

PHILOSOPHIC

Has religious/philosophic rootsHas a highly formalised grammar,dictated by textual as well as oral tradition

Has different genres(VocalAlap, Dhrupad /Dhamar,

Kh ayal, Sadra, Thum ri, Bhajan, GeetetcInstrumentalAlap, Masidkh ani,

Rajakhani, Firozkhani, Amir khani Gatetc)

Has different styles (called Geeti, BaniorBaaj)

Has regional schools of presentation(currently called Gharanas)

Has regional variations in choice of

Ragas , Talas, etc.

INDUSTRIAL


5/18

The Two Systems of Art Music in India

Hindustani (North Indian) Music

Continuity back to Vedic times (6,000 BC)

Codified in a large number of ancient andmedieval music treatises

Developed independently of folk music,albeit occasionally importing folk orregional elements, metamorphosing themsuitably

Raga based, mostly improvised

Capable of intense expression in very slowspeeds

Vast range of ornaments, particularlyduring slow passages

Subtle use of microtones in slow passages

Steady, long-held notes, mostly approachedand/or quitted by little ornamental phrases

Gradual building up of tempo from veryslow to very fast

Convention of time and season

Clear enunciation of rhythmic cycle bypercussion accompanist (in dominantpresent day forms like Khayal, Sadra,Thumri, Bhajan etc.)

True to Hindu traditions: so-called Persianinfluences fully integrated within itsessential and ancient grammatical format

Carnatic (South Indian) Music

Of more recent origin

Codified in medieval texts written bymusicologists, the influential ones among

whom studied in North India and thereafter

returned to South India to fashion Carnatic

music out of the prevalent regional musical

forms to be found in South India

Composition based, mostly fixed

A fairly quick tempo from the start, so lacks

the intensity, introspection, microtones and

several ornaments found in Hindustani

music

Notes are not held for long and are mostly

quitted by a characteristic oscillation using

indeterminate pitch

Constant and fairly fast tempo throughout

No convention of time or season

Percussion accompanist does not

enunciate rhythmic cycle clearly, so a

second percussionist and/or a timekeeper

showing and/or clapping out beats (in

which the audience joins) is necessary

Contrary to advocated argument, has

Muslim influences


6/18

The Gamut of Notes

8. SaShadjaDoTonic

7. NiNishadaSi/TiLeading Note

7. NiKomala Nishada6. DhaDhaivataLahSubmediant

6. DhaKomala Dhaivata5. PaPanchamaSohDominant

# 4. Ma Tivra/Kari Madhyama

4. MaMadhyamaFahSubdominant

3. GaGandharaMiMediant3. GaKomala Gandhara

2. ReRshabha ReSupertonic

2. ReKomala Rshabha

1. SaShadjaDoTonic


7/18

Sound in Indian Art Music

Static Note

Unembellished tones:

Used for teaching or

analysing musical

phenomena but not

(except but rarely) in

performance

Ornamented Note

Tones embellished by

different types ofornaments, such as

Meend, Soot, Andolan,

Gamak, Krintan, etc. :

Used in performance


8/18

Ornaments (Alankar) used in Hindustani Music

Andolanoscillation on a noteGamakfastAndolan. Gamak may range from the heavyand guttural to the light and almost superficial. Again,

Gamakmay be of varying speeds

Sparsha Svara, Kan or Krintangrace note(acciaccatura)

Meend glissando

Sootor Aanshfast Meendfrom one note to another

distant noteMrkiakin to mordent

Khatkaakin to turn

Kampanvibrato


9/18

Elements of MusicMelody notes sounded successivelyHarmony notes sounded simultaneouslyRhythm pulses in timeDynamics intensity volume)Timbre tone colour


10/18

Organising Notes

Melodic Organisation:

According to the

principles codified bythe system of

- RAGAs

-TALAs and

- performance practice

Harmonic organisation:

Against a fixed system

of static notes soundedcontinuously but softly

in the background

and

in unintended

counterpoint, from an

imitating accompanist


11/18

R A G A

a melodic concept capable of intense emotionalcommunication and comprising:

- a given set of notes, ascending and descending

- characteristic microtones

- characteristic phrases

- relative importance of the notes

- characteristic ornaments or lack thereof

- the general speed to be adopted

- the register to be used (low or high pitch)

- an accepted time of performance


12/18

Organising TimeTempo (Laya, Gati)

Tempo (Laya)

Slow

(Vilambita)

Very Slow

(Ati

Vilambita)

Slow

(Vilambita)

Medium

Slow(Maddhya

Vilambita)

Very Fast

(Ati

Druta)

Fast

(Druta)

Medium

Fast

(Maddhya

Druta)

Medium

(Maddhya)

Fast

(Druta)

Cyclic

(Tala-Yukta)

Linear

(Tala-Heena)


13/18

T L

Tala the cyclic organisation of periodic beats (Matra) = anendlessly repeated series of ordered rhythmic syllables in time

Rhythmic syllables Names of sounds on percussion instruments

(Dha, Na, Dhin, Tin, Thum, Kat, Tita, Tirakita, Ghe, Dhita, etc.)

A Tala has:

Cycleseach cycle is called an Avartana

Divisions into bars, which may be equal or unequal

Accent points, which may be beaten (Tali) or unbeaten(Khali)

A primary accent point (Sama) the point of rhythmic resolution

A vocal enunciation of the ordered rhythmic syllables in anAvartana,called Theka


15/18

Rhythmic Improvisation (Layakari)

Dgndouble speed Tigntriple speed

Chognquadruple speed

Panch, Chhey, Sat, Ath, Na, etcgnrespectively 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 etc timesthe original speed

Aad3/2 times the original speed Aad ka lta2/3 times the original speed

Kadtwo viewpoints: 5/4 or 9/4 times the original speed

Kad ka lta4/5 or 4/9 times the original speed

Biyadthere are several varieties of this: 7/4 or 27/8 (Kad of Aad = 9/4of 3/2) times the original speed, etc.

Biyad ka lta4/7 or 8/27 times the original speed

Paun3/4 times the original speed

Paun ka lta4/3 times the original speed


16/18

Performance Practice

Hindustani

Recital

VocalInstrumental

ClassicalLight-

Classical

Percussion MelodicInstrument

Dhrupad &

Dhamar

Khayal

Thumri

Bhajan

Tarana Ghazal

ClassicalLight-

Classical

Gayaki Ang

Tantrakari Ang

Dhrupad Ang

Khayal Ang

Dhun


17/18

Khayal Recital

Auchr-lp

Vilambit (Bada) Khayl

- Vistr (Badhat)

Sthyi, Antar- Behlv

- Tn

Drut (Chhot) Khayldeveloped similarly as above


18/18

nstrumental Recitallp, Jod, Jhl

Masidkhni Gat

* Gat, with Uthn on Tabl

* Soloist Accompanist Dialogue

Razkhni Gat

developed similarly as above

Jhl

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