Back الموسيقى الكارناتيكية Arabic কর্নাটকী সঙ্গীত Bengali/Bangla Música carnàtica Catalan Karnatische Musik German Karnatika muziko Esperanto Música carnática Spanish Karnataka muusika Estonian Musique carnatique French કર્ણાટક સંગીત Gujarati कर्नाटक संगीत Hindi
| Carnatic music |
|---|
 |
| Concepts |
| Compositions |
| Instruments |
|
| Indian classical music |
|---|
 |
| Concepts |
| Part of a series on |
| Hinduism |
|---|
 |
Carnatic music or Karnataka Sangita (known as Karnāṭaka saṃgīta or Karnāṭaka saṅgītam in 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.[1] (The other two are Hindustani music and Odissi music.) 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 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 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.[2][3] Telugu language predominates in the evolution of Carnatic music.[2][3] Most Carnatic compositions are in Telugu and Sanskrit.[4]
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 the ghatam, kanjira, morsing, venu flute, veena, and chitraveena. The greatest concentration of Carnatic musicians is to be found in the city of Chennai.[5] 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.[6][7]
- ^ Sriram, Parthasarathy. "A Karnatic Music Primer" (PDF).
- ^ a b Ramaswamy, Vijaya (25 August 2017). Historical Dictionary of the Tamils. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-5381-0686-0.
In precolonial or early-modern South India, Telugu became the cultural language of the south, including the Tamil country, somewhat similar to the overwhelming dominance of French as the cultural language of modern Europe during roughly the same era. Therefore, Telugu predominates in the evolution of Carnatic music, and it is the practice to teach Telugu language in music colleges to those aspiring to become singers.
- ^ a b Arnold, Alison, ed. (1998). The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Vol. 5: South Asia: The Indian Subcontinent. Taylor & Francis. pp. 231, 232, 269. ISBN 978-0-8240-4946-1.
- ^ Fuller, C. J.; Narasimhan, Haripriya (11 November 2014). Tamil Brahmans: The Making of a Middle-Class Caste. University of Chicago Press. p. 201. ISBN 978-0-226-15288-2.
Most songs were in Telugu or Sanskrit, though some were in Tamil, but even Telugu and Tamil were strongly inflected by Sanskrit.
- ^ Carnatic music. (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 12 April 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online
- ^ The Music Academy Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Written by Malathi Rangaswamy, Secretary of Music Academy
- ^ Nettl (2005), p38