"I have never heard this song before," an elderly audience member told me right after my recent concert in Bengaluru. The song he was referring to was Athi Saavadana, composed by the 17th-century Thanjavur Maratha king Shahaji I. While the raga (Paras) in which the song has been composed is not uncommon, the composition itself is rarely heard on stage.
In a typical Carnatic concert, or kutcheri as it is known in Tamil, one usually hears songs composed by the musicians referred to as the Carnatic trinity-Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Shastry, all of whom created most of their work in the 18th century. Beyond the trinity, the preponderance of composers whose work is heard in Carnatic concerts lived in the 19th century. It is rare to hear a contemporary composer's song in a Carnatic music concert. The recently concluded Chennai music "season" 2023 paid tribute to a similar line-up of familiar compositions.
Even dedicated Carnatic concert-goers can't be blamed if they assume much of the Carnatic repertoire is more than 150 years old because they rarely hear anything else. The good news is that they'd be wrong. Throughout the 20th century, Carnatic composers and performers have continued creating innovative and traditional pieces for vocal and instrumental performance. This begs the question why the works of modern composers don't see more airplay.
この記事は Mint Mumbai の January 20, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Mint Mumbai の January 20, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
7 myths about ADHD and how to handle it
Some adults with ADHD are misdiagnosed as having anxiety or depression as myths prevail even in the medical community
Why women bear the brunt of misdiagnosis
Girls are half as likely as boys to be diagnosed correctly as having ADHD, show studies
At these international marathons, it's ready, steady, swig
Can running and drinking go together? From France to Scotland, here are five races where running is a merry party
Indian IT firms should brace for Trump's second term
Restrictive visa, trade and other policies under Trump 2.0 may force a review of their US-centric business models
Freebies don't offer a long-term solution but let us not ban them
Keeping citizens dependent on handouts is not fiscally sustainable. India needs a transparent framework to regulate them
Is Nvidia's chief dreaming of selling us R2-D2-like robots?
It may turn out to be a good bet if the chip-maker keeps its risks low
Two ways the EPFO can get itself an image boost
India's state-run retirement fund would do itself a favour by resolving its high level of claim rejections and speeding up interest payments. Its digital makeover should signal efficiency
Forex card vs debit card: How to lower cross-border markup fees
Unlike debit cards, forex cards are not linked to your bank account, limiting your exposure to fraud and theft
India must reassess its rejection of the RCEP trade bloc
Joining it can work in our favour as global trade barriers get reshaped and value chains are forged
Armed hostility between Israel and Iran is very likely to escalate
Israel senses a high-risk high-return chance to reshape West Asia that Trump might green-light