Traditional
77-748: The Tamil Trinity (also known as the Tamil Moovar) commonly refers to the three Tamil composers of early Carnatic music. They were Muthu Thandavar (?1560 - ?1640 CE), Arunachala Kavi (1712–1779) and Marimutthu Pillai (1717–1787), and lived five decades before the Tiruvarur Trinity or Trinity of Carnatic Music . They introduced several innovations that led to the evolution of the Carnatic kriti (song). Carnatic music Traditional Carnatic music or Karnataka Sangita (known as Karnāṭaka saṃgīta or Karnāṭaka saṅgītam in
154-673: A raga . The features and rules of the raga (also known as the sanchaaraas of a raga) include how each note of the raga should be stressed, the scale of the raga, and so on. All varnams consist of lyrics, as well as swara passages, including a pallavi , an anupallavi , muktayi swaras , a charanam , and chittaswaras . Known for their complex structure, varnams are a fundamental form in Carnatic music. Varnams are practised as vocal exercises in multiple speeds by performers of Carnatic music, to help develop voice culture, and maintain proper pitch and control of rhythm. In Carnatic music concerts, varnams are often performed by musicians as
231-446: A Vedic sacrifice Yajña, sacrifice, is an act by which we surrender something for the sake of the gods. Such an act must rest on a sacred authority ( āgama ), and serve for man's salvation ( śreyortha ). The nature of the gift is of less importance. It may be cake (puroḍāśa), pulse ( karu ), mixed milk ( sāṃnāyya ), an animal ( paśu ), the juice of soma-plant (soma), etc; nay, the smallest offerings of butter, flour, and milk may serve for
308-511: A fixed time cycle or metre, set for a particular composition, which is built from groupings of beats. Tala s have cycles of a defined number of beats and rarely change within a song. They have specific components, which in combinations can give rise to the variety to exist (over 108), allowing different compositions to have different rhythms. Carnatic music singers usually keep the beat by moving their hands up and down in specified patterns, and using their fingers simultaneously to keep time. Tala
385-404: A hint of the song to be performed. Theoretically, this ought to be the easiest type of improvisation, since the rules are so few, but in fact, it takes much skill to sing a pleasing, comprehensive (in the sense of giving a "feel for the ragam") and, most importantly, original raga alapana. Niraval, usually performed by the more advanced performers, consists of singing one or two lines of text of
462-635: A long time in Sri Lanka, Carnatic music was associated with Indian immigrants, and was often derogatorily referred to as " thosai kade music" ("music from the dosa shop"), in reference to the South Indians-owned restaurants and eateries that typically played this kind of music. From the 20th century, Carnatic music gained significant popularity among certain social strata of the Sri Lankan population , who were then heavily influenced by
539-591: A prominent cultural movement known as the Hindu revival. Carnatic music was thus appropriated and highly promoted during the 1920s and 1930s as a cultural and identity marker of the Colombo and Jaffna bourgeoisies, and by extension of the Sri Lankan Tamils . The place given to Carnatic music in the construction of a modern Sri Lankan Tamil identity has reached significant proportions, such as its rise in
616-621: A sacred fire, sometimes with feasts and community events. It has, states Nigal, a threefold meaning of worship of the deities ( devapujana ), unity ( sangatikarana ) and charity ( dána ). The Sanskrit word is related to the Avestan term yasna of Zoroastrianism . Unlike the Vedic yajna , however, the Yasna is the name of a specific religious service, not a class of rituals, and they have "to do with water rather than fire". The Sanskrit word
693-485: A song repeatedly, but with a series of melodic improvised elaborations. Although niraval consists of extempore melodic variations, generally, the original patterns of duration are maintained; each word in the lines of text stay set within their original place ( idam ) in the tala cycle. The lines are then also played at different levels of speed which can include double speed, triple speed, quadruple speed and even sextuple speed. The improvised elaborations are made with
770-526: A symbol of their impending marital union, and the groom announcing his acceptance of responsibility to four deities: Bhaga signifying wealth, Aryama signifying heavens/milky way, Savita signifying radiance/new beginning, and Purandhi signifying wisdom. The groom faces west, while the bride sits in front of him with her face to the east, he holds her hand while the Rig vedic mantra is recited in the presence of fire. The Saptapadi (Sanskrit for seven steps/feet ),
847-438: A system called the melakarta , which groups them according to the kinds of notes that they have. There are seventy-two melakarta ragas , thirty six of whose madhyama ( subdominant ) is shuddha ( perfect fourth from the tonic), the remaining thirty-six of whose madhyama (subdominant) is prati (an augmented fourth from the tonic). The ragas are grouped into sets of six, called chakras ("wheels", though actually segments in
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#1732776654769924-405: A total of 108 tala s. Improvisation in raga is the soul of Indian classical music – an essential aspect. " Manodharma Sangeetam " or " kalpana Sangeetam " ("music of imagination") as it is known in Carnatic music, embraces several varieties of improvisation. The main traditional forms of improvisation in Carnatic music consist of the following: An alapana, sometimes also called ragam,
1001-590: A type of musical sound that is a single note, which defines a relative (higher or lower) position of a note, rather than a defined frequency. Svara s also refer to the solfege of Carnatic music, which consist of seven notes, "sa-ri-ga-ma-pa-da-ni" (compare with the Hindustani sargam : sa- re -ga-ma-pa- dha -ni or Western do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti). These names are abbreviations of the longer names shadja , rishabha , gandhara , madhyama , panchama , dhaivata and nishada . Unlike other music systems, every member of
1078-542: A verse at the end of the charana , called the madhyamakāla . It is sung immediately after the charana , but at double speed. There are many composers in Carnatic music. Purandara Dasa (1484–1564) is referred to as the Pitamaha (the father or grandfather) of Carnatic music as he formulated the basic lessons in teaching Carnatic music, and in honour of his significant contribution to Carnatic music. He structured graded exercises known as Swaravalis and Alankaras , and at
1155-427: A view of outlining the raga, the tempo, and the theme of the composition. Kalpanaswaram, also known as swarakalpana, consists of improvising melodic and rhythmic passages using swaras (solfa syllables). Like niraval, kalpanaswaras are sung to end on a particular swara in the raga of the melody and at a specific place ( idam ) in the tala cycle. Kalpanaswaras have a somewhat predictable rhythmical structure;
1232-578: Is adept enough to perform at a concert. Yajna Yajna ( Sanskrit : यज्ञ , lit. 'act of devotion, worship, offering in fire', IAST : yajña ) also known as Hawan in Hinduism refers to any ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras . Yajna has been a Vedic tradition, described in a layer of Vedic literature called Brahmanas , as well as Yajurveda . The tradition has evolved from offering oblations and libations into sacred fire to symbolic offerings in
1309-410: Is believed to be a divine art form which originated from the devas and devis ( Hindu gods and goddesses), and is venerated as symbolic of nāda brāhman . Ancient treatises also describe the connection of the origin of the svaras , or notes, to the sounds of animals and birds and man's effort to simulate these sounds through a keen sense of observation and perception. The Samaveda , which
1386-482: Is believed to have laid the foundation for Indian classical music, consists of hymns from the Rigveda , set to musical tunes which would be sung using three to seven musical notes during Vedic yajnas . The Yajurveda , which mainly consists of sacrificial formulae, mentions the veena as an accompaniment to vocal recitations. References to Indian classical music are made in many ancient texts, including epics like
1463-488: Is commonly called Yajna is really the chaste life of the student of sacred knowledge, for only through the chaste life of a student does he who is a knower find that, What is commonly called Istam (sacrificial offering) is really the chaste life of the student of sacred knowledge, for only having searched with chaste life of a student does one find Atman (Soul, Self) || 1 || — Chandogya Upanishad 8.5.1 The later Vedic Upanishads expand
1540-416: Is constantly increasing. The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in a singing style (known as gāyaki ). Like Hindustani music , Carnatic music rests on two main elements: rāga , the modes or melodic formulae, and tāḷa , the rhythmic cycles. Today, Carnatic music
1617-464: Is fire. Agni and yajna play a central role in Hindu weddings . A typical Hindu marriage involves a Yajna, with Agni being considered the witness of the marriage. Various mutual promises between the bride and groom are made in front of the fire, and the marriage is completed by an actual or symbolic walk around the fire. The wedding ritual of Panigrahana , for example, is the 'holding the hand' ritual as
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#17327766547691694-473: Is formed with three basic parts (called anga s) which are laghu , dhrtam , and anudhrtam , though complex talas may have other parts like plutam , guru , and kaakapaadam . There are seven basic tala groups which can be formed from the laghu , dhrtam , and anudhrtam : A laghu has five variants (called jaathi s) based on the counting pattern. Five jaathis times seven tala groups gives thirty-five basic tala s, although use of other anga s results in
1771-476: Is further related to Ancient Greek ἅζομαι (házomai), "to revere", deriving from the Proto-Indo-European root *Hyeh₂ǵ- ("to worship"). Yajna has been a part of an individual or social ritual since Vedic times . When the ritual fire – the divine Agni , the god of fire and the messenger of gods – was deployed in a Yajna, mantras were chanted. The hymns and songs sung and oblations offered into
1848-399: Is integral to Ragam Tanam Pallavi. Originally developed for the veena, it consists of expanding the raga with syllables like tha, nam, thom, aa, nom, na, etc. Ragam, Tanam, and Pallavi are the principal long form in concerts, and is a composite form of improvisation. As the name suggests, it consists of raga alapana, tanam, and a pallavi line. Set to a slow-paced tala , the pallavi line
1925-426: Is often composed by the performer. Through niraval, the performer manipulates the pallavi line in complex melodic and rhythmic ways. The niraval is followed by kalpanaswarams. Tani Avartanam refers to the extended solo that is played by the percussionists in a concert, and is usually played after the main composition in a concert. The percussionist displays the full range of his skills and rhythmic imagination during
2002-412: Is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in gāyaki (singing) style. Although there are stylistic differences, the basic elements of śruti (the relative musical pitch), svara (the musical sound of a single note), rāga (the mode or melodic formulae), and tala (the rhythmic cycles) form
2079-458: Is presented by musicians in concerts or recordings, either vocally or through instruments. Carnatic music itself developed around musical works or compositions of phenomenal composers (see below). Śruti commonly refers to musical pitch. It is the approximate equivalent of a tonic (or less precisely a key) in Western music; it is the note from which all the others are derived. It is also used in
2156-677: Is the Brahmin of sacrifice" and the goal of sacrifice was complete release and liberation ( moksha ). The blessings offered ranged from long life, gaining friends, health and heaven, more prosperity, to better crops. For example, May my rice plants and my barley, and my beans and my sesame , and my kidney-beans and my vetches, and my pearl millet and my proso millet , and my sorghum and my wild rice, and my wheat and my lentils , prosper by sacrifice ( Yajna ). Yajnas, where milk products, fruits, flowers, cloth and money are offered, are called homa or havan . Kalpa Sutras list
2233-443: Is the exposition of a raga or tone – a slow improvisation with no rhythm, where the raga acts as the basis of embellishment. In performing alapana, performers consider each raga as an object that has beginnings and endings and consists somehow of sequences of thought. The performer will explore the ragam and touch on its various nuances, singing in the lower octaves first, then gradually moving up to higher octaves, while giving
2310-458: Is the most important ritual in Hindu weddings, and represents the legal part of Hindu marriage. The couple getting married walks around the Holy Fire ( Agni ), and the yajna fire is considered a witness to the vows they make to each other. In some regions, a piece of clothing or sashes worn by the bride and groom are tied together for this ceremony. Each circuit around the fire is led by either
2387-401: Is traditionally taught according to the system formulated by Purandara Dasa . This involves sarali swaras (graded exercises), alankaras (exercises based on the seven talas), geetams or simple songs, and Swarajatis . After the student has reached a certain standard, varnams are taught and later, the student learns kritis . It typically takes several years of learning before a student
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2464-423: Is usually only one variant of each note present. The exceptions exist in "light" ragas, in which, for artistic effect, there may be two, one ascending (in the arohanam ) and another descending (in the avarohanam ). A raga in Carnatic music prescribes a set of rules for building a melody – very similar to the Western concept of mode . It specifies rules for movements up ( aarohanam ) and down ( avarohanam ),
2541-604: The Ramayana and the Mahabharata . The Yajnavalkya Smriti states, " vīṇāvādana tattvajñaḥ śrutijātiviśāradaḥ tālajñaścāprayāsena mokṣamārgaṃ niyacchati" (The one who is well versed in veena , one who has the knowledge of srutis and one who is adept in tala, attains liberation ( moksha ) without doubt"). Contemporray Carnatic music is based on musical concepts (including svara , raga , and tala ) that were described in detail in several ancient works, particularly
2618-694: The Taittiriya Shakha 2.10 of the Krishna Yajurveda ). Tadeusz Skorupski states that these sacrifices were a part of ritual way of life, and considered to have inherent efficacy, where doing these sacrifices yielded repayment and results without the priests or gods getting involved. These Vedic ideas, adds Skorupski, influenced "the formulation of Buddhist theory of generosity". Buddhist ideas went further, criticizing "the Brahmins for their decadence and failure to live in conformity with
2695-430: The divya prabandham , thevaram and ugabhoga are often performed similarly, however, these forms can also have a set melody and rhythm like the devaranama , javali , padam , thillana and thiruppugazh forms. The most common and significant forms in Carnatic music are the varnam and the kriti (or kirtanam ). Varnams are short metric pieces which encapsulate the main features and requirements of
2772-595: The Bharata 's Natya Shastra and Cilappatikaram by Ilango Adigal . Owing to Persian and Islamic influences in North India from the 12th century onwards, Indian classical music began to diverge into two distinct styles — Hindustani music and Carnatic music. Commentaries and other works, such as Sharngadeva 's Sangita Ratnakara , further elaborated on the musical concepts found in Indian classical music. By
2849-684: The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (~800 BCE), Chandogya Upanishad , Kaushitaki Upanishad and Pranagnihotra Upanishad . The Vedic text Satapatha Brahmana defines a sacrifice as an act of abandonment of something one holds of value, such as oblations offered to god and dakshina (fees, gifts) offered during the yajna. For gifts and fees, the text recommends giving cows , clothing, horses or gold. The oblations recommended are cow milk, ghee (clarified butter), seeds, grains, flowers, water and food cakes (rice cake, for example). Similar recommendations are repeated in other texts, such as in
2926-599: The Dravidian languages ) is a system of music commonly associated with South India , including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , Kerala , Tamil Nadu and portions of east and south Telangana and southern Odisha . It is one of three main subgenres of Indian classical music that evolved from ancient Hindu texts and traditions, particularly the Samaveda . (The other two are Hindustani music and Odissi music .) The main emphasis in Carnatic music
3003-477: The Maratha rulers of Tanjore . Some of the royalty of the kingdoms of Mysore and Travancore were themselves noted composers and proficient in playing musical instruments, such as the veena , rudra veena , violin , ghatam , venu , mridangam , nadaswaram , and swarabat . Some famous court-musicians proficient in music were Veene Sheshanna (1852–1926) and Veene Subbanna (1861–1939), among others. During
3080-816: The Trinity of Carnatic music include Sripadaraja , Vyasatirtha , Kanakadasa , Vadiraja Tirtha , Arunachala Kavi , Annamacharya , Narayana Theertha , Vijaya Dasa , Jagannatha Dasa , Gopala Dasa , Bhadrachala Ramadas , Sadasiva Brahmendra and Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi . Other composers are Swathi Thirunal , Gopalakrishna Bharathi , Neelakanta Sivan , Patnam Subramania Iyer , Mysore Vasudevachar , Koteeswara Iyer , Muthiah Bhagavathar , Subramania Bharathiyar , Kalyani Varadarajan , M. Balamuralikrishna and Papanasam Sivan . The compositions of these composers are rendered frequently by artists of today. Composers of Carnatic music were often inspired by religious devotion and were usually scholars proficient in one or more of
3157-541: The ghatam , kanjira , morsing , venu flute, veena , and chitraveena . The greatest concentration of Carnatic musicians is to be found in the city of Chennai . Various Carnatic music festivals are held throughout India and abroad, including the Madras Music Season , which has been considered to be one of the world's largest cultural events. Like all art forms in Indian culture , Indian classical music
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3234-441: The scale of which notes should figure more and which notes should be used more sparingly, which notes may be sung with gamaka (ornamentation), which phrases should be used or avoided, and so on. In effect, it is a series of obligatory musical events which must be observed, either absolutely or with a particular frequency. In Carnatic music, the sampoorna ragas (those with all seven notes in their scales) are classified into
3311-530: The 16th and 17th centuries, there was a clear demarcation between Carnatic and Hindustani music; Carnatic music remained relatively unaffected by Persian and Arabic influences. It was at this time that Carnatic music flourished in Vijayanagara , while the Vijayanagara Empire reached its greatest extent. Purandara Dasa , who is known as the "father ( pitamaha ) of Carnatic music", formulated
3388-562: The 18th century, South Indian immigrant communities abroad increased, especially in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka . Communities such as the Nattukottai Chettiars participate in the extension of the Carnatic cultural scene abroad, thanks to their rich patronage activity. Carnatic music artists therefore perform abroad among South Indian communities who request their coming, in order to enliven local community life. For
3465-521: The Brahmanic legacy of the ancient Brahmins", who claimed the Vedic ancients "lived in self restraint, were ascetics, had no cattle, no gold, and no wealth". The Buddha sought return to more ancient values, states Tadeusz Skorupski, where the Vedic sages "had study as their grain and wealth, guarded the holy life as their treasure, praised morality, austerity and nonviolence; they performed sacrifices consisting of rice, barley and oil, but they did not kill
3542-491: The Carnatic music repertoire. The performance of the Sanskrit sloka , Tamil viruttam , Kannada Ugabhoga and Telugu padyamu or sisapadya forms are particularly unique. Though these forms consist of lyric-based verses , musicians improvise raga phrases in free rhythm, like an alapana , so both the sound value, and the meaning of the text, guide the musician through elaborate melodic improvisations. Forms such as
3619-731: The North and Karnataka (later called Carnatic) in the South. The term "Karnataka" music originated from the Vijayanagara Empire, historically known as the Karnataka Empire. The British later influenced the change in name to "Carnatic" music, and the term is only about 150–200 years old. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Carnatic music was mainly patronised by the local kings of the Kingdom of Mysore , Kingdom of Travancore , and
3696-599: The Sanskrit yaj meaning 'to worship, adore, honour, revere' and appears in the early Vedic literature, composed in 2nd millennium BCE. In Rigveda, Yajurveda (itself a derivative of this root) and others, it means "worship, devotion to anything, prayer and praise, an act of worship or devotion, a form of offering or oblation, and sacrifice". In post-Vedic literature, the term meant any form of rite, ceremony or devotion with an actual or symbolic offering or effort. A yajna included major ceremonial devotions, with or without
3773-514: The adhvaryu, the udgata and the Brahma. The functions associated with the priests were: The central element of all Vedic sacrifices is the ritual fire, which is essential regardless of the complexity of the ceremony. Three ritual fires are traditionally used during a Vedic sacrifice. These are the householder's fire ( garhapatya ), the southern fire ( anvaharyapacana or daksinagni ), and the offertorial fire ( ahavaniya ). Oblations are offered into
3850-444: The conventional representation) grouped according to the supertonic and mediant scale degrees. There is a system known as the katapayadi sankhya to determine the names of melakarta raga s. Raga s may be divided into two classes: janaka raga s (i.e. melakarta or parent ragas) and janya raga s (descendant ragas of a particular janaka raga). Janya ragas are themselves subclassified into various categories. Tala refers to
3927-450: The cows". In Vedic rituals, the sacrifice is offered by a patron known as the yajamana . Commonly translated as "sacrificer", yajamana doesn't personally perform the sacrifice but rather hires priests for it. The yajamana acts as the patron, and the sacrifice is conducted for his benefit. Vedic ( Shrauta ) yajnas are typically performed by four priests of the Vedic priesthood : the hota,
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#17327766547694004-445: The curricula of most Jaffna colleges, where it gradually replaced from the mid-1930s the teaching of Western classical music , or its high esteem among the upper social classes of Colombo and Jaffna, where the learning of Carnatic music among young women is expected as a sign of good education. Many people have travelled to India for improving their skills, and the flow of students to India from Sri Lanka or of Sri Lankan Tamil origin
4081-510: The dialogues are part of a dramatic representation and discussion of spiritual themes. The Vedic sacrifice ( yajna ) is presented as a kind of drama, with its actors, its dialogues, its portion to be set to music, its interludes, and its climaxes. The Brahmodya Riddle hymns, for example, in Shatapatha Brahmana's chapter 13.2.6, is a yajna dialogue between a Hotri priest and a Brahmin priest, which would be played out during
4158-495: The evolution of Carnatic music. Most Carnatic compositions are in Telugu and Sanskrit. Carnatic music is usually performed by a small ensemble of musicians, consisting of a principal performer (usually a vocalist), a melodic accompaniment (usually a violin ), a rhythm accompaniment (usually a mridangam ), and a tambura , which acts as a drone throughout the performance. Other typical instruments used in performances may include
4235-399: The fire were a form of hospitality towards the Vedic gods. The offerings were believed to be carried by Agni to the gods; the gods in return were expected to grant boons and benedictions , and thus the ritual served as a means of spiritual exchange between gods and human beings. The Vedangas , or auxiliary sciences attached to the Vedic literature, define Yajna as follows: Definition of
4312-444: The fire. Among the ingredients offered as oblations in the yajna are ghee , milk, grains, cakes and soma . The duration of a yajna depends on its type, some last only a few minutes whereas others are performed over a period of hours, days or even months. Some yajnas were performed privately, while others were community events. In other cases, yajnas were symbolic, such as in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad hymn 3.1.6, where "the mind
4389-737: The following yajna types: The Vedic yajna ritual is performed in the modern era on a square altar called Vedi ( Bedi in Nepal), set in a mandapa or mandala or kundam , wherein wood is placed along with oily seeds and other combustion aids. However, in ancient times, the square principle was incorporated into grids to build large complex shapes for community events. Thus a rectangle, trapezia, rhomboids or "large falcon bird" altars would be built from joining squares. The geometric ratios of these Vedi altar, with mathematical precision and geometric theorems, are described in Shulba Sutras , one of
4466-460: The foundation of improvisation and composition in both Carnatic and Hindustani music. Although improvisation plays an important role, Carnatic music is mainly sung through compositions, especially the kriti (or kirtanam) – a form developed between the 14th and 20th centuries by composers such as Purandara Dasa , and the Trinity of Carnatic music . Carnatic music is also usually taught and learned through compositions. Telugu language predominates in
4543-458: The friction of meditation, one may see the Deva who is hidden, as it were". The nature of Vedic sacrifice and rituals evolved over time, with major changes during the 1st millennium BCE, changes that influenced concepts later adopted by other traditions such as Buddhism. Early Vedic period sacrifices involved animal sacrifice, but the rituals were progressively reinterpreted over time, substituting
4620-416: The idea further by suggesting that Yoga is a form of Yajna (devotion, sacrifice). The Shvetashvatara Upanishad in verse 1.5.14, for example, uses the analogy of Yajna materials to explain the means to see one's soul and God, with inner rituals and without external rituals. It states, "by making one's own body as the lower friction sticks, the syllable Om as the upper friction sticks, then practicing
4697-436: The languages Kannada , Malayalam , Sanskrit , Tamil , or Telugu . They usually included a signature, called a mudra , in their compositions. For example, all songs by Tyāgarāja (who composed in Sanskrit and Telugu) have the word Tyagaraja in them, all songs by Muttuswāmi Dīkṣitar (who composed in Sanskrit and Maṇipravāl̥am) have the words Guruguha in them; songs by Śyāma Śāstri (who composed in Sanskrit and Telugu) have
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#17327766547694774-404: The late 19th century, the city of Madras (now known as Chennai) emerged as the locus for Carnatic music. With the dissolution of the erstwhile princely states and the Indian independence movement reaching its conclusion in 1947, Carnatic music went through a radical shift in patronage into an art of the masses with ticketed performances organised by private institutions called sabhās . From
4851-714: The musical element itself. This poses a special challenge for the musicians because rendering this music does not involve just playing or singing the correct musical notes; the musicians are expected to understand what was conveyed by the composer in various languages, and sing musical phrases that act to create the effect that was intended by the composer in his/her composition. There are many types/forms of compositions. Geethams and swarajatis (which have their own peculiar composition structures) are principally meant to serve as basic learning exercises. Compositions more commonly associated with Indian classical dance and Indian devotional music have also been increasingly used in
4928-423: The musician's interpretation. A Carnatic composition really has two elements, one being the musical element, the other being what is conveyed in the composition. It is probably because of this fact that most Carnatic music compositions are composed for singing. In addition to the rich musical experience, each composition brings out the knowledge and personality of the composer, and hence the words are as important as
5005-481: The offerings and making it non-violent or symbolic, with the superiority of knowledge and celebration of sound of mantra replacing the physical offerings. Ultimately, the external rituals were reformulated and replaced with "internal oblations performed within the human body". These ideas of substitution, evolution from external actions ( karma-kanda ) to internal knowledge ( jñana-kanda ), were highlighted in many rituals-related sutras, as well as specialized texts such as
5082-470: The opening item – acting as a warm up for the musicians, and as a means of grabbing the attention of the audience. Carnatic songs (kritis) are varied in structure and style, but generally consist of three units: This kind of song is called a keerthanam or a kriti . There are other possible structures for a kriti , which may in addition include swara passages named chittaswara . A chittaswara consists only of notes, and has no words. Still others have
5159-474: The precursors to the development of mathematics in ancient India. The offerings are called Samagri (or Yajāka , Istam ). The proper methods for the rites are part of Yajurveda , but also found in Riddle Hymns (hymns of questions, followed by answers) in various Brahmanas . When multiple priests are involved, they take turns as in a dramatic play, where not only are praises to gods recited or sung, but
5236-885: The presence of sacred fire ( Agni ). Yajna rituals-related texts have been called the Karma-kanda (ritual works) portion of the Vedic literature, in contrast to the Jnana-kanda (knowledge) portion found in the Vedic Upanishads . The proper completion of Yajna-like rituals was the focus of Mimansa school of Hindu philosophy . Yajna have continued to play a central role in a Hindu's rites of passage, such as weddings. Modern major Hindu temple ceremonies, Hindu community celebrations, or monastic initiations may also include Vedic Yajna rites, or alternatively be based on Agamic rituals. The word yajna ( Sanskrit : यज्ञ , romanized : yajña ) has its root in
5313-835: The purpose of a sacrifice. — Apastamba Yajna Paribhasa-sutras 1.1 , Translator: M Dhavamony In the Upanishadic times, or after 500 BCE, states Sikora, the meaning of the term Yajna evolved from "ritual sacrifice" performed around fires by priests, to any "personal attitude and action or knowledge" that required devotion and dedication. The oldest Vedic Upanishads, such as the Chandogya Upanishad (~700 BCE) in Chapter 8, for example state, अथ य द्यज्ञ इत्याचक्षते ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तद्ब्रह्मचर्येण ह्येव यो ज्ञाता तं विन्दतेऽथ यदिष्टमित्याचक्षते ब्रह्मचर्यमेव तद्ब्रह्मचर्येण ह्येवेष्ट्वात्मानमनुविन्दते ॥ १ ॥ What
5390-595: The same time, introduced the Raga Mayamalavagowla as the first scale to be learnt by beginners. He also composed Gitas (simple songs) for novice students. The contemporaries Tyagaraja (1767– 1847), Muthuswami Dikshitar , (1776–1835) and Syama Sastri , (1762–1827) are regarded as the Trinity of Carnatic music because of the quality of Syama Sastri's compositions, the varieties of compositions of Muthuswami Dikshitar, and Tyagaraja's prolific output in composing kritis . Prominent composers prior to
5467-408: The sense of graded pitches in an octave . While there are an infinite number of sounds falling within a scale (or raga) in Carnatic music, the number that can be distinguished by auditory perception is twenty-two (although over the years, several of them have converged). In this sense, while sruti is determined by auditory perception, it is also an expression in the listener's mind. Svara refers to
5544-559: The solfege (called a swara ) has three variants. The exceptions are the drone notes, shadja and panchama (also known as the tonic and the dominant ), which have only one form; and madhyama (the subdominant ), which has two forms. A 7th century stone inscription in Kudumiyan Malai in Tamil Nadu shows vowel changes to solfege symbols with ra, ri, ru etc. to denote the higher quarter-tones. In one scale, or raga , there
5621-409: The solo, which may take from two to twenty minutes. In contrast to Hindustani music of the northern part of India, Carnatic music is taught and learned through compositions, which encode many intricate musical details, also providing scope for free improvisation. Nearly every rendition of a Carnatic music composition is different and unique as it embodies elements of the composer's vision, as well as
5698-418: The swaras are sung to end on the samam (the first beat of the rhythmical cycle). The swaras can also be sung at the same speed or double the speed of the melody that is being sung, though some artists sing triple-speed phrases too. Kalpanaswaram is the most elementary type of improvisation, usually taught before any other form of improvisation. Tanam is one of the most important forms of improvisation, and
5775-519: The system that is commonly used for the teaching of Carnatic music. Venkatamakhin invented and authored the formula for the melakarta system of raga classification in his Sanskrit work, the Chaturdandi Prakasika (1660 AD). Govindacharya is known for expanding the melakarta system into the sampurna raga scheme – the system that is in common use today. By the 16th century, Indian classical music split into two styles: Hindustani in
5852-657: The words Ś yāma Kr̥ṣṇa in them; all songs by Purandaradasa (who composed in Kannada and Sanskrit) have the words Purandara Vitthala ; while Gopalakrishna Bharathi (who composed in Tamil) used the signature Gopalakrishnan in his compositions. Papanasam Sivan, who has been hailed as the Tamil Tyagaraja of Carnatic music, composed in Tamil and Sanskrit, and used the signature Ramadasan in his compositions. Carnatic music
5929-416: The yajna ritual before the attending audience. Who is that is born again? It is the moon that is born again. And what is the great vessel? The great vessel, doubtless, is this world. Who was the smooth one? The smooth one, doubtless, was the beauty (Sri, Lakshmi ). What is the remedy for cold? The remedy for cold, doubtless,
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