BY HARKANT B. SHUKLA

The word "Art" is a common term nowadays. But generally it is used for those arts which are known as plastic or visual. It should, properly speaking, include the arts of literature and music too. There are certain points which are common to all arts. In this article, though we are mainly concerned with music, it is necessary first to find out what is common to all arts. That is the best starting point.

It is said that all arts aspire to the condition of music, i.e., they try to be abstract. This remark has often been repeated. Though it has caused a good deal of misunderstanding, it does express an important truth. Of all arts, architecture is the most concrete. So it is said that architecture is frozen music. But music is the most abstract of arts. In music the artiste appeals to his audience directly. He appeals without any intervention of medium. The architect expresses himself in buildings which have ulterior purposes. The poet uses words which are bandied about in the daily give-and-take of conversation. The painter expresses himself by copying the visible world. Only the musician is left free to create a work of art out of his own consciousness. His chief aim is nothing else but to express himself. And all arts have the same intention, the desire to express and to create pleasing forms. No nation has lived or can live without music. None of India’s arts is more perfect, more beloved, more widespread and more interwoven with her life than her music. It is a true product of Eastern tropics. It is the development of centuries of devoted study and practice. It is evolved from the Vedas which are thousands of years old. One of the books of the Vedas called Samved is specially devoted to the exposition of the subject of music.

Indian music utters and expresses the soul of the Indian nation, its love of exuberance, rich fecundity of imagination and spiritual bliss. The Indian art of music is based on the firm ground of the science of music. One often hears of classical music in India being called scientific music. At first it sounds, queer but if one studies it a little, one will find that it is basically mathematical, logical and scientific. It leaves no room for human weaknesses. It expresses our feelings in a sweet concordance of sounds, and is capable of creating a whole unity of musical thinking out of twelve notes which are called ‘swaras.’ The permutation and combination of different notes give rise to different scales and sub-scales which are known as Ragas. The fundamental scale is the major scale. But the original main scale was the Kafi-Rag. Melody is the basis of Indian music. Raga is the melody-type or a melody-mould in which the notes progress artistically. For example, Raga Yaman Kalyan is having all seven ‘suddh swaras’ except ‘madhyma’ which is sharp. India having once selected different Ragas with a particular combination of notes and having fixed its form, it was possible for her to introduce harmony as it is understood in the West.

In addition to twelve tones and semitones, quartertones called Srutis are used. A wonderful variety of ‘gamaks’ and other graces are used and they give colourfulness to the main body of a Raga. These Ragas or melody-types are vitalized by the spirit of joyful improvisation, and give ample scope for the exercise of the highest musical imagination. Each Raga has its own special characteristics and can be distinguished one from another. Different tunes express different emotions. Indian musicologists have deeply explored the psychology of Ragas and have ascribed even sex to these melody-moulds, some of them being Ragas, i.e., male tunes, and some being Raginis, i.e., female tunes. For example, you will mark the difference between Darbari and Ashavari. They have the same notes, but express different emotions. Each Raga has its own Rasa, i.e., aesthetic flavour, and it creates a definite ethos. This ethos contains not in a mechanical form but in the symphonic structure of the melody. These Ragas express not only different emotions but they have their own time and season to be sung. For example, Megh-malar is sung in the monsoon while Vasant and Bahar are sung in spring. In this direction Indian music stands on a level where the West can furnish no parallel.

With the advent of Mahommedans in India two schools sprang up, the Northern school and the Southern school. The Northern school was more influenced by the Persian music brought by the Mahommedans, while the Southern system has till now preserved all the ancient characters. There are four principal styles of the Northern school and they are Dhrupad, Khyal, Tappa, and Thumri. Similarly, the South has Charanam, Pallavi, Anupallavi, etc. Though they differ to a certain extent, there is a basic unity of principles as stated in the Shastras of Indian music. In the art of Indian music, rhythm (called Tal) plays an important part. Indian rhythmic material is divided into Laya and Tal. Laya is the rate of the speed of time, i.e., the tempo, while Tal is the measurement of time. Tempo or Laya is of three varieties: slow, medium, and fast, i.e., Vilambit, Madhya, and Druta. Laya is arranged according to the emotion and sentiment of the Raga and the musical piece. Tala being the smallest metrical element, a combination of two or more elements forms varieties like Trital, Chautal, Ektal, etc. These time-measures have certain fixed words like Ta, Dha, Ke, Nate. They are arranged in Theka as Dha Dhin na etc. They are produced on the drums by the drummer by his fingers which are used according to fixed rules. The drummer in India is an artist and enjoys a dominant position. He runs close together with a vocalist or player and by a variety of ‘parans’ he adds that superb charm and fascination to the Indian melody, which it lacks by the absence of harmony. The instruments which accompany for rhythm are called Tablas. Pakhvaj too is sometimes played. But it is thoroughly getting out of vogue. Indian music discloses varieties of rhythm beside which Jazz and Ragtime pale into insignificance.

The voice is the arbiter in Indian music. That is why it is vocal in essence. But the Indian musician is a music-maker first and then a voice. Indian music expects extreme pliability of voice, a wide range of tone, and a fine sense of ear. The voice that can reach three octaves, i.e., low, middle, and high, is considered to be the best. But the Indian musician has to learn a lot from the West so far as the voice-production is concerned. Indian music being chiefly vocal, instruments are nothing but the accompaniment to the voice. It derives its life from the singer. In singing, instruments have no independent existence as is found in the West. In an Indian orchestra, whatever be the number of instruments, it is always derivative of the human voice. Indian instruments combine volume of sounds and timbre which go well with the spirit of the music. They are never meant to be played in the open or in a band.

The popularity of the art of music in India can be seen from the fact that all the gods in Indian scriptures are either dancers, instrumentalists or vocalists. The goddess Saraswati, the presiding deity of music, is found with a Veena, the most remarkable and popular instrument of India; the sage Narad is always with his Tambura. Who does not know of Lord Krishna with his flute? The flute is the most universal and beloved instrument in India. It is the favourite of the rich and the poor alike. We hear it in a city from an expert bandsman, and in the country-side its sweet strains soothe the artistic craving of cowboys.

A great menace to the Indian art of music has come from the harmonium. Indian instruments are of a wide range and variety, and are in existence for the last hundreds of years. The Indian orchestra has not yet come into its own. Plenty of things still remain to be done in this direction.

India has produced great musicologists like Bharat and Sarangdev, and many others. Great melodies have been invented and improvised. The great musical poem Git Govind of Jaydev, the works of Mogul court-musicians like Tansen and Gopal Naik, the musical lyrics of Chaitanya and Haridas, the Bhajans of Mirabai and Tulsidas, Surdas, Nanak, etc., the Khayals of Sadarang and Adarang are among the finest achievements and the living monuments of the musical glories of India.

We find that most of the music-makers of India were saints or poets. Music thus became the handmaid of religion. Music in India had always a purpose and a meaning. It was never meant to be a panderer to the senses or a mere entertainer. It was meant to lead to the path of self-realisation. That is why it still remains to be individualistic. It is self- centred like a devotee praying to the Almighty. Its culmination is like a yogic Samadhi in tune with the infinite.

Although, after the Bhakti-cult of Krishna, and after the Mahommedan advent, it has become more erotic in nature in the Northern school, yet in the south we find music still religious, and a music party is more like a church congregation. Indian music is a profound art–a true mirror of Indian spiritual culture. It transcends the conventional aspects of life. It takes no heed of the barriers of caste or creed. We see that Mahommedans have unflinchingly accepted Hindu music and gave us great masters, and Hindus never refused to fall at the feet of their Mahommedan Gurus.

In music, India has a heritage of art undoubtedly great and grand. It is well worth cultivating and preserving. To understand such a highly developed art and its technique, it does require some knowledge and training. The radio, the talkies and the gramophone are the best modern implements to popularize this great art. But the greatest requirement is the academic recognition in our schools and colleges. Similarly a central academy of music and dancing is also required. But it does need the support of the State. This is the period of renaissance of art. Let us hope that our country will soon be strewn with first class musical institutions supported by the State.

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