Indian Classical Music And Sikh Kirtan by Gobind Singh Mansukhani (M.A., LL.B, Ph.D.) © 1982 Modern Period (1800 onwards) |
| Modern Period (1800 onwards) During the British period, western interest was roused in classical India music and it began to be studied from a scientific point of view. Captain A.N. Williard published A Treatise on the Musicof Hindustani in 1834, giving the characterstics of the music of North India. Karnataka music was abundantly developed by Tygaraja (1767-1847), Shastri, Dikshit and others. Tyagarja composed thousands of kritis (devotional songs) and created new melodies, thereby elating the standard and prestige of Karnatak music. Bengal did not lag behind in the development of Hindustani music. Raja S.M. Tagore, a musicologist of repute, wrote a number of books, his most important being The Universal History of Music. His son Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) gave a new direction and dimension to Indian music. He knew both western and Indian music. He revolted against the rigidity of Hindustani music and started a new style of music, called after his name, Rabindra Sangeet. In his compositions, the beauty of wording is blended with rich and evocative music. He made innovations by blending different ragas and thereby creating new melodies. Through such combinations, he loosened the hold of classical traditions and the rigid styles of singing. His musical patterns, though unfamiliar in his own day, won popular support and eulogy on account of the beauty and dignity of his compositions. In the twentieth century, the efforts of two notable musicians led to the development and refinement of Hindustani music as academic discipline, worthy of serious study in schools, colleges and universities. They also made the community realise the value and sanctity of music as a fine art. Vishnu Narayan Batkhande (1860-1936), though a busy lawyer, composed music and published a number of volumes of Hindustani music. He devised a system of notation and classified the ragas under thaths (scales). He set up a college of music in Lucknow which now bears his name. He was the first to arrange a conference of musicians on all-India level. He was connected both with the Baroda School of Music and the Gwalior School. As a musicologist, he was held in high esteem. The other notable musician was Vishnu Digambar Paluskar (1872-1931) whom the author had the privilege of knowing and listening to. He was adept in khayal music. He was the first to start a music school at Lahore in 1901 for training ordinary students. Thus he freed music from the patronage of princes and the monopoly of gharanas and opened the portals of classical music to amateurs. Moreover, he set a high standard of character for the students and teachers of music. His most important achievement was the establishment of a chain of schools of music known as “Gandharva Sangeet Mahavidyalaya” in important cities of India. He was held in esteem by eminent leaders Mahatma Gandhi on account of his high moral caliber. Social and political changes in the wake of industrial civilisation and urbanisation have had a serious impact on the musical tradition of India. After Independence in 1947 and under the new socialistic constitution, the princess and the religious trusts and shrines w which used to partronise musicians and provide them the opportunity and support to build up their musical talents have lost their resources. The limited court audience has ended and an era of mass-appeal has begun. Today, the musician has to depend on the men of learned professions and middle-class audience which attend ticketed concerts. The mass audience and the Government are the new patrons of artists. The All-India Radio and Doordarshan (Television) have encouraged musicians and singers and taken their music to the masses. The academies of music, dance and drama at the State and National level, have popularised classical music and furnished some kind of recognition and financial support to artists. Long-playing records have brought musicians money and attracted audiences for them. This has proved both advantageous and disadvantageous to the musical talent of India. The demand for classical music exists; the potential market is the radio, the disc, the musical concert, the stage, the film and the soiree. School and university syllabi in music have attracted a large number of students, particularly girls. On the positive side, the artist has come out into the open and his art is now on display. He is a competitor for recognition and honour. If he is good, he is applauded by the public and honoured by the Stage. Besides the old guru-chela (teacher-disciple) system has been replaced by institutionalised training. This has encouraged a greater understanding and appreciation of music by larger sections of people. On the negative side, this modern concept has eliminated the personal and intimate relationship between the artist and the listener. Long drawn-out night sessions are not possible in the jet age. We have ow time-bound concerts and, as such, music has to be tailored to the schedule. This has adversely affected the creativity of the artist and his experimentation and improvisation in music. Owing to the recent scientific and technological advances, the world is becoming a small and closely-knit place. Regional and national frontiers and rigid cultural patterns are becoming insignificant, in world of supersonic travel. Experiments in the borrowing of Hindustani music from Karnatak music and vice versa have enriched both the systems and produced some beautiful hybrids. Some Karnatak ragas have been added to Hindustani repertoire [8]. Western music is influencing Indian music. Similarly, Indian music is gaining much appreciation in the West. Daring experiments are being made to bring Indian classical music closer to western music, as for example the World Pacific Liberty Record featuring Indian and American instruments, and the discs containing a combination of jazz instruments and Indian drums. Indian music is not only ready to give but also to receive. Music is thus becoming truly international and bringing different nations nearer to one another in bonds of cultural kinship. The widely-acclaimed Sarod-Sitar duets of Ali Akbar and Ravi Shankar at the prestigious Edinburgh Music Festivals, the captivating music of Bismillah Khan’s shehnai in U.K. and U.S.S.R., the sweet songs of Smt. M.S. Subbalakshmi at the General Assembly of the United Nations on October 1966 and the establishment by Ravi Shankar of Kinnara School of Music in Los Angeles have firmly put Indian classical music on the world-map. The efforts of the UNO and UNESCO are fostering a great appreciation of the cultures and fine arts of countries other than one’s own. The great strength of Indian music is its flexibility and resilience to absorb new nuances and ideas. It is difficult to predict the future of Indian music, but one can rest assured with the feeling that it will have a great impact on other countries and may hopefully combine and enrich both tradition and innovation in the years to come. |