Carnatic Music and Hindustani Music - Classical Concert Pattern

South Indian states including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu as well as Sri Lanka are known for their Carnatic music tradition. It is one of the two primary sub genres of Indian classical music that originated from the Samaveda and other ancient Hindu texts and traditions. The other subgenre is Hindustani music, which was influenced by Persian or Islamic music from Northern India to become a unique genre.

Elements of a Classical Recital

In classical Indian music, vocal performances are valued higher than purely instrumental ones (see "the pecking order"). Compared to the older, purer form of dhrupad, performances of khayal are more commonplace today. A senior or advanced student who is given the opportunity to also play the accompanying tanpura in order to offer a constant drone in the background occasionally supports the soloist (who is typically a maestro of some standing, male or female).

The tabla, used for percussion, and some sort of melodic instrument, ideally a sarangi, are additional accompaniment instruments. However, harmoniums are increasingly frequently used for melodic accompaniment.

There may be a third, depending on the performer's state of mind and the audience's response.

Although khayal is based on a composed song text, it is a highly ornamented spontaneous type of singing, therefore the role of the melodic instrument is essentially a secondary one, mainly shadowing and filling in occasional interludes if the singer needs to pause, or to short think through the following improvisation.

Usually, the drummer sits to the right of the singer, and the person playing the melodic instrument sits to the left. Usually, the tanpura player is seated slightly behind the vocalist.

Currently, especially on international concert stages, it is necessary for the audience to be able to see all of the accompanying musicians. However, in the past, in India, accompanists, especially tanpura players, were almost hidden behind the soloist, and accompanying musicians were typically ignored and frequently left out of recording credits.

The singer starts off with a brief alap (slow, pulse-free introduction) that describes the chosen raag's (melodic structure) key features. Once the raag has been established, the primary song text composition normally starts without any words and is sung at a very slow speed known as vilambit. In khayal, the lyrics are sparse and largely serve as a refrain for the tremendous improvisation that is necessary for this style of singing. The lyrics are typically chosen to fit the raag's overall mood.

Following this, the singer will begin a second composition in the same raag with a typically different taal (rhythm cycle), and the speed is typically accelerated for the second piece. The first piece explores the raag and focuses on its notes; in this piece, the emphasis is on numerous technical flourishes, the performance of intricate taans (melodic sections), and ornamentation known as gamak.

Currently, it is essential for the audience to be able to view all of the supporting musicians, especially on international concert stages. However, in the past, in India, accompaniment musicians, particularly tanpura players, were routinely overlooked and left out of recording credits. They were virtually always buried behind the soloist.

The vocalist begins with a brief alap (slow, pulse-free introduction) outlining the salient characteristics of the selected raag (melodic structure). The main song text composition typically begins without any lyrics and is performed at a very slow speed known as vilambit once the raag has been established. Khayal's limited words mostly act as a refrain for the voluminous improvisation required for this type of singing.

Format of Carnatic Music Concert 

The enormous flowering of the arts, notably music and dance, in the Thanjavur district during the rule of King Ragunath Nayak, a significant patron of the arts in the 17th century, is regarded to have contributed to the current format of Carnatic music performances. Up until the late 19th century, only royal courts or temples supported the music culture.

There were three distinct performance contexts: first, at the royal courts and palaces, where vocal or veena music predominated, and second, starting in the 18th century, songs written by the composers who are now referred to as the "Holy Trinity": Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshithar, and Shyama Shastri.

The temple served as the site of the second performance setting when certain songs were presented as a part of religious rites, ceremonies, or celebrations.

The third and most well-known setting was the music that accompanied temple dances, which were performed by an ensemble that typically included a vocalist, an instrumental accompanist, and any number of percussionists. This ensemble's repertoire typically consisted of songs that were written specifically for dance. Whether or not a dancer is present, such pieces are still performed today.

Even though improvisation is significant, pre-composed vocal music still dominates the genre of Carnatic music. Even when there is no vocalist and the recital is entirely instrumental, the music is almost always taken from the vocal repertoire and is typically performed by a small ensemble made up of a soloist (vocal or instrumental), a melodic accompaniment, which is typically a violin although the harmonium is also fairly common these days. The most popular drum in South India, the mridangam, which can be supplemented by a ghatam or kanjira, typically provides percussion accompaniment. A tanpura is also present, which gives a continuous drone.

The mainstay of a Carnatic music event is the kriti genre, which is a long song composition in three parts. Kriti often takes up the majority of the performance time, but other genres can also be significantly featured. A varnam (a melodic exploration performed with basic phrases), which normally precedes the first kriti song and is typically in the same raga, may frequently start a two- or three-hour concert. Before moving on to the major creative section of the performance, a kalpanaswaram (improvising the notes of a chosen raga within the stylistic guidelines of this form) might be performed.

Before moving on to a niraval or a three-part song genre known as the ragam-tanam-pallavi, or RTP, this portion of the performance is frequently preceded by an alapana (slow, pulse-free introduction). Regardless of the main act, most concerts include at least one segment called tani avartanam where one or more percussionists perform alone and demonstrate their abilities through a variety of intricate rhythmic patterns. One common approach to wrap-up performance is with the recitation of a thillana.