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Differences
between Indian and Western Music:
The
concept of classical beauty in the West is
essentially ethereal, as in the elevated stance of
ballet and use of the soprano in opera ; in India,
t is essentially earthy. In Indian classical
dance, the feet are firmly planted on the ground,
and rhythm plays a major role in both Indian dance
and music. Indian rhythm is cyclic, whereas
Western rhythm is linear. Another difference in
aesthetic temperament is the Indian use of
microtones. Moreover, unlike Western classical
music, the structure of Indian music is based on
the improvised development of a given composition.
Indian musical tradition is an oral one, imparted
directly from teacher to student rather than via
the written - notation system used in the West.
Also, Western music is based on harmony, and
Indian music is based on melody.
Hindustani
Classical Music
The
system of Indian classical music can be traced
back to its origin in Vedic hymns. The chanting of
Vedic hymns gave birth to Chand-Prabandh, which is
metre-oriented music, from which emerged Dhrupad -
sombre, austere and full of grandeur. Dhrupad was
given the shape of Khayal prevalent Hindustani
classical vocal music- by several innovators,
notable among whom was the scholar-musician of the
thirteenth century, Amir Khusro. It is .commonly
believed that Thumri- a form of classical music
which dwells on romantic sentiment - is the
off-spring of Khayal. It attained eminence and
popularity in the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of
Oudh during the l9th century, . and was then
formally termed "Thumri". Some believe
that Thumri earlier co-existed with Dhrupad and
Khayal under, some other name. The syllable `thum'
is derived from `thumak', meaning the sway of a
gait, and the syllable `ri' denotes its feminine
character. The allied forms of Thumri are Dadra,
Hori, Kajri, Jhoola; Chaiti, Sawan, and Ghazal.
Thumri and its associated styles are classified as
semi-classical, which has at its core, the `raga'
- the melodic form. There are innumerable `ragas',
and each `raga' has a precise structure, with a
specific ascending and descending scale, and
specific syntax, accent and phraseology. A `raga'
is associated with a particular time of day or
night, and sometimes with a season.
The
'raga' unfolds itself within a time -cycle, called
the `tala'. A `tala' can be as intricate as a
`raga', for within the framework of the fixed
beats, the percussionist also improvises. Exciting
moments for a seasoned listener are when both
musicians, after elaborate improvisation, meet at
the starting point of the rhythmic-cycle, called
the `sum', which is always emphasised. It is said,
that the rhythmi- cycles, of a `tala' reflect the
Hindu philosophy of birth and re-birth, whereby
Hindustani music can be seen as an expression of
this philosophy.
The
Natya Shastra, an ancient treatise on music, dance
and drama, speaks of the Nav Rasas, or the nine
emotions which govern human lives :- romance and
eroticism, pathos, humour, valour, fear, anger,
disgust, wondrous amazement, and peacefulness.
Thumri and its aliied forms are steeped in
Shringara Rasa or the emotion of love, symbolised
by the colour blue which represents infinity - the
ocean and the sky. Actually, the Nav Rasas over
which flows the entire gamut of human experience,
from the sensuous to the sublime - can
collectively be found in one `rasa' : the
all-encompassing, composite Shringara Rasa.
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Semi
- Classical Hindustani Music
The
basic difference between classical and
semi-classical music is that while a classical
singer ~adheres rigidly to the format of a `raga',
a semi classical singer takes liberties in
departing briefly from this format, perhaps using
a forbidden note, perhaps entering another `raga'
which has some point of commonality, and then
re-entering the original `raga'. The movement of
re-entry requires dexterity, as it should be a
smooth transition, never abrupt.
Thumri
is of three types - `bol-bant' or `bandish-ki-thurnri'
which is composition-oriented; `artha-bhava thumri'
sung for Kathak-dancers, who delineate words
through dance, imbuing them with their own
interpretations and connotations; and the supreme
`bol - banao thumri'. `Bo!-banana' means selecting
a word or , phrase from the text and creating
musical variations in and around it, thereby
conveying different emotional nuances while
drawing out every possible shade of meaning
lurking in that word or phrase. An important
element in `bol-banana' or musical variations of a
textual word or phrase, is `kahan', the speech
intonations within the musical framing.
Lucknow,
Banaras and Gaya were the homes of Thumri. Here,
the style of singing, called `purab-ang', is
subdued, dwelling on the purity of notes, laying
more stress on emotional quality rather than
technical virtuosity. The Patiala school of music
- flamboyant, robust, vigorous - in which the
style of singing is called 'Punjab-ang', later
adapted the `Purab-ang thumri' to its own style.
The
language of the textual compositions is a form of
archaic Hindi, called Brij-bhasha, or else,
regional dialects of Uttar Pradesh - Purbi and
Oudhi.
Before
present-day concert halls, Indian music resided in
three places temples, palaces or salons where
musical soirees were held, and villages. Dadra is
a stylized version of folk music, having both
rustic earthiness and classical refinement. There
are intrinsic differences between Thumri and Dadra.
The tempo of a `dadra' is sprightly. The word `dadra'
is derived from `dadur' meaning frog, implying
that the rhythmic movement in a `dadra' is like
the leaps of a frog. The varying musical phrases
in a `dadra' are tightly entwined with the rhythm,
thereby maintaining the lilt of the rhythm
throughout the musical rendition. Rather than a
single word, textual phrases are chosen for
musical elaboration and a `dadra' often has more
textual content than a `thumri'. Conversely, the
musical treatment of a `thumri' is languid, as the
tempo itself is slow, with loose phrasing, often
of a single word.
Hori,
Chaiti, Kajri, Sawan and Jhoola are associated
with the Indian calendar. Hori compositions
describe the fun, and frolic of the colourful
festival of Holi, and generally revolve around the
Radha-Krishan theme. Chaiti is sung in the month
of `chait' just after Holi, when summer begins -
the warm weather is reflected in chaiti
compositions, which have a languorous quality. A
chaiti composition always contains the phrase `Ho,
Rama', as this is the month of the festival
Ramnaumi which celebrates the birth of Lord Rama.
Both Hori and Chaiti are sung either in dadra-style
or thumri-style.
Kajri,
Sawan and Jhoola are traditionally sung during the
monsoon- period, capturing the essential lyricism
of the season, and mirroring its effect on the
human heart. A Kajri composition usually laments
separation from one's beloved - when even the
skies shed tears" - amidst the lush freshness
of nature during the rains. It is sung in dadra-style.
A Sawan generally has a similar theme, but is sung
in thumri-style. A Jhoola usually has a happier
mood and evokes the joyfulness of wet, green
earth, when girls in rural areas sit swinging on
wooden planks tied with ropes to trees. The word `Jhoola'
itself means swing. The musical phrasing in a
Jhoola must convey the swaying movement of a
swing. Jhoola is sung in dadra-style.
Textually,
a `dadra', drenched in romanticism, sometimes has
a dual motif - romantic and mystical love: This is
called Nirgun Dadra - a Sufi or Bhakti Movement
concept when the yearning for union with the
beloved is interpreted as the human soul's
yearning to be blissfully united with the
Universal Soul. This dual motif sometimes also
exists in Ghazal.
The
Ghazal as a poetic form came to India from Persia,
during the Moghul period. The language of the
Indian Ghazal - Urdu - is a mixture of Hindi
Persian, Turkish and Arabic. The Ghazal consists
of couplets, and the musical presentation can be
highly sophisticated. In Urdu poetry, the gender
of the first person is always masculine, while in
the Hindi poetry of semi - classical music, the
gender of the first person is always feminine.
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Its
Existence Today
Despite
its inherent strength, .semi-classical music may
not survive, as it was earlier sustained by the
courtesans of yesteryears, who no longer exist.
These courtesans, often renowned musicians,
pampered their male patrons - rajas and
maharajas-with coquettish renderings of'
semi-classical styles. Post-independent India
abolished the maharajas' states, and patronage of
these courtesans ceased. The Indian government at
that time, adopted a somewhat moralistic attitude
towards these women musicians - some
radio-stations asked some female-musicians to
produce marriage-certificates to establish their
respectability. In due course, political changes
having brought about social changes, semi
classical music dwindled.
Some
classical musicians scoff at semi - classical
music, derisively dismissing it as
"light". Being practitioners of more
austere forms, they think that the romantic
character of this music smacks of frivolity. In
actuality, proper Thumri - singing entails
training in Khayal, and can match its creativity,
although Khayal has more technical complexity.
Many Khayal-singers include Thumri in their
repertoire as a concluding piece, without treating
it as a specialised genre, and therefore sing it
in a generalized manner. Its allied forms remain
sadly neglected, excepting Ghazal. which has more
textual content and popular appeal. It continues
to thrive, mostly as diluted and tune-oriented
renditions for mass- appeal. Today's ghazal-
singers are usually unversed with Thumri. They
belong to the world of. Hindi film-music, the
equivalent of Indian popular music.
REKHA
SURYA
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