Indian Classical Music
The music is the soul of the nature.
It is present everywhere in the rustling of
trees, the flow of rivers, the pitter-patter of the raindrops, and the sound of
the birds.
The varied human passions like, agony,
ecstasy, sorrow, hope, desire etc found expression in the subtle notes of
music.
Indian music is one of the oldest and the
finest forms of human expression. The Vedas, representing the most ancient
literature known to the world, have distinct melody.
A music
which follows the traditional characteristics is referred as the classical
music. The Indian classical music is very open. It allows a musician to invent
new classical forms, new poetical forms, new modes, and new rhythms. The drone
is the main requirement to develop a raga. The singers are always accompanied
by the tambura or the harmonium.
The Indian classical music has been important
to the Hindus, especially to many Vaishnavite sects. In ancient times, the
priests sung Vedic hymns based on notes assigned by the rules codified in the
Chandogya Upanishad. These priests were called the Samans or the Samavedis.
A number of ancient musical instruments such
as the conch or the Shankhu, the lute or the Veena, the flute or the bansuri,
the trumpets and the horns were associated with the classical music. The name
Raga was first found in the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni.
There were lots of evolutions in the theory of
classical music. The Purana period was characterized by numerous references to
singing, musicians and musical instruments.
The Narada's Sangita Makarandha treatise is
the earliest text where rules similar to the current Hindustani classical music
can be found. Narada actually names and classifies the system in its earlier
form before the advent of changes as a result of Islamic influences.
Also, Jayadeva's Gita Govinda from the 12th
century was perhaps the earliest musical composition in the classical tradition
called Ashtapadi music.
The advent of Islamic rule under the Delhi
Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire over northern India India
The most legendary musician of this period was
Amir Khusrau, who systemized the Hindustani methodologies by studying the forms
of Vedic music theory and spurring a chain of creative composition that melded
Indian with Persian sensibilities. He also invented most of the major genres of
Hindustani music and some of its most important instruments, mainly the Sitar.
Later, during the reign of the Mughal Empire, the dance and music flourished.
The Hindu musician Tansen was the popular
artist of the same time. His ragas which were based on times of the day were
reputed to have been so powerful that according to legend, upon his playing a
night-time raga in the morning, the entire city fell under a hush and clouds
gathered in the sky.
The Hindustani and the Carnatic are the two
major systems of classical music. Though they have similar origins and source,
according to ancient scripts, they are different.
The Raga or the melody is the India
The ragas are made of different combinations
of sapta swaras or seven notes. They are Sa Sadjam, Ri Rishabam, Ga
Gaandhaaram, Ma Madhyamam, Pa Pancham, Dha Dhaivadam, Ni Nishadam. The
combination of these notes weaved into a composition in a way which is pleasing
to the ear is called a raga'. Each raga creates an atmosphere which is
associated with the feelings, the emotions and the sentiments. Any drift
combination of notes cannot be called as a raga'.
A raga is based on the principle of a
combination of notes selected out the 22 note intervals of the octave. A
performer with sufficient training and knowledge alone can create the desired
emotions, through the combination of shrutis and notes. There are a limited
number of raga' in Hindustani classical music. Each Raga has a name and a
character, which can be devotional, erotic, bold and valorous, or tragic.
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