PLAYING THE SAME TUNES
Mint Mumbai|January 20, 2024
Modern composers are yet to make a mark on the Carnatic stage as performers prefer 19th century compositions
Chitra Srikrishna
PLAYING THE SAME TUNES

"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。

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。

MINT MUMBAIのその他の記事すべて表示
7 myths about ADHD and how to handle it
Mint Mumbai

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

time-read
4 分  |
November 12, 2024
Why women bear the brunt of misdiagnosis
Mint Mumbai

Why women bear the brunt of misdiagnosis

Girls are half as likely as boys to be diagnosed correctly as having ADHD, show studies

time-read
2 分  |
November 12, 2024
At these international marathons, it's ready, steady, swig
Mint Mumbai

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

time-read
2 分  |
November 12, 2024
Indian IT firms should brace for Trump's second term
Mint Mumbai

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

time-read
3 分  |
November 12, 2024
Freebies don't offer a long-term solution but let us not ban them
Mint Mumbai

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

time-read
4 分  |
November 12, 2024
Is Nvidia's chief dreaming of selling us R2-D2-like robots?
Mint Mumbai

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

time-read
3 分  |
November 12, 2024
Two ways the EPFO can get itself an image boost
Mint Mumbai

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

time-read
2 分  |
November 12, 2024
Mint Mumbai

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

time-read
5 分  |
November 12, 2024
India must reassess its rejection of the RCEP trade bloc
Mint Mumbai

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

time-read
4 分  |
November 12, 2024
Armed hostility between Israel and Iran is very likely to escalate
Mint Mumbai

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

time-read
3 分  |
November 12, 2024