![]() ![]() During the 1960s, All India Radio hired hundreds of artists in an effort to fill the void created by the dissolution of court patronage, a notable contribution to the preservation of Indian classical music. The result was four volumes of the text Hindustani Sangeetha Padhathi, which, among other things, established the ragas used today.ĭuring the 20th century, the development of recorded music and radio had a heavy influence on Hindustani classical music, as it provided a path to success for artists trained outside of gharanas and musical families. ![]() During the same time period, Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande sought to consolidate techniques and traditions of various gharanas and styles. Talented musicians like Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar began composing and offering lessons outside of gharanas, opening up new possibilities to artists and musicians who may not have had the opportunity to train at a gharana. The decline of musical patronage in the 19th century made way for new musical traditions and practices. Countless gharanas have existed over time but several have been around for generations, even centuries. Musical patronage under maharajas supported the system of gharanas, as the leader of each region commissioned performances and compositions. The development of gharanas helped foster dedication, devotion, technique, and innovation in all areas of art and music. Gharanas, derived from the word for houses, brought forth a tradition of handing down artistic knowledge, skills, and performance techniques based on region and style. The concept of gharanas emerged in the 16th century after the fall of the Mughal empire, introducing a system of connecting artists by lineage or apprenticeship and observing a specific style. Gradually diverging from what would come to be known as Carnatic music from the south, the Hindustani style flourished under the influence of Sufi composers and Mughal court musicians while retaining the Hindu principles it was founded on. As Muslim influence swept across North India in the following century, Indian musical tradition came in contact with Persian musical tradition, and the Hindustani style was born. Indian classical music had amassed a large following of exponents and audiences by 1000 CE, even exchanging characteristics with other cultures’ musical styles. These concepts outlined thousands of years ago, provided the foundation from which all Indian classical music grew. In the Natya Shastra, Bharata discussed the classification of instruments, outlined harmonic scales, defined srutis as the smallest intervals of pitch, and determined the makeup of a kutapa (group performance) as two singers, one male and one female, and nine-to-eleven instrument accompaniments. Almost a thousand years later, around 200 BCE, the Natya Shastra emerged as the first treatise on dramaturgy, most notably the theory of music and instruments. Perhaps because of this origin, Indian classical music remains traditionally oriented towards vocals. This is where the first three swaras evolved from. History of Indian classical musicĪncient Indian classical music followed a single uniform style modeled after the melodic patterns of Vedic chanting, beginning with Rigveda and Samaveda-collections of hymns written nearly 5,000 years ago. ![]() ![]() This is the only time a distinction is made, as Hindustani classical music is historically religiously neutral. Accomplished Hindustani musicians are addressed as pandit if they are Hindu and ustad if they are Muslim. Performances typically include at least one vocalist with instrumental accompaniment, lasting anywhere from one to several hours. Hindustani performances typically begin with a series of improvisations followed by a composition based on a traditional melody and rhythm. Because Indian classical music was based primarily on vocal performance, many classical Indian instruments were designed to emulate the human voice. The most prominent instruments used in Hindustani music are the sitar, sarod, tabla, veena, bansuri, and sarangi, among others. Hindustani compositions are based on a series of melodic frameworks called ragas and follow rhythmic patterns called talas. Characterized by melodic vocals and harmonizing instrumentals, Indian classical music theory has been built on the cornerstone of expression and spirituality.Īt the center of Hindustani tradition is the melody, the process of one note following the next to form a cohesive musical expression. Its counterpart is the Carnatic classical music of South India both share numerous principles but have different styles and influences. Indian classical music is the principal musical tradition of modern North India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. ![]()
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