ORIENTAL MUSIC
Characteristics of Form and Melodic Structure
DR.
JOSEF KUCKERTZ, Ph. D.
This
study attempts to determine the characteristics of form and melodic structure
of several individual styles in oriental art music, and especially in Carnatic music whose homeland is
As
the investigation of practical music shows, the melodic organization in the
Middle East on the one hand and in
In
order to gain sufficiently exact criteria to show the differences between
Indian art music, especially Carnatic music, and art
music of the Middle East, in the beginning some pieces from
Each
of the Tunisian pieces exposes at its beginning one period which forms the
basis of subsequent melodic development and of formal structure. This period
serves as a model for all subsequent periods and it consists of two phrases;
sometimes these are preceded by a further phrase which has an introductory
function. The first of the principal phrases sticks closely to the upper
structural tone, the second one moves towards the
lower structural tone. The two structural tones lie at the distance of a
fourth, fifth or sixth from one another. In the Egyptian pieces, too, melodic
development is determined by two structural tones. The lower one of these has
the function or effect of a tonic; the upper one–at a distance of at least a
second and at most a fourth above the former–functions as a “dominant.” Here
the melody is composed of periods of unequal length, which in turn consist of a
succession of variants of a relatively short basic melodic pattern. The length
of the periods depends on the length of the underlaid
poetic texts. The basic melodic pattern itself is a short group of tones in a
particular order, and each of these tones has a specific degree or metrical
importance expressed in its time-value. Sometimes the variants split the basic
melodic pattern into three or four parts. In the Persian pieces, the basic
melodic pattern is embedded in a structural interval of the size of a fourth or
a fifth. It is single unit or it can be divided into a principal formula and a
corresponding closing formula. By means of the variants derived from it, this
basic melodic pattern is spun out into phrases. Within these phrases, the
melodic center of gravity tends to appear as a pure tone, whereby the
structural interval remains constantly present. Although the nature of melodic
development differs greatly from one musical culture to another, these pieces
show the following common characteristics:
1.
Scalar arrangements of all tones used in every individual Maqam
(or Tab in
2.
Every basic melodic pattern is a unit, even though it can be divided into
several parts. This basic melodic pattern, always present in the mind of the
performing musician, is the background of melodic organization. From the
opposite point of view the performed melody is perceived as a succession of
numerous realizations of the basic melodic pattern.
3.
Periods and phrases are formed by stringing together realizations of the basic
melodic pattern according to the traditional principles of the musical culture
in question. These periods and phrases are the component materials of musical
form. The balance of the form is based on the harmonious proportion of the
duration of all periods and phrases.
4.
In pieces which are metrically organized, the metre
may be either imposed on the melody from outside or produced from within it. In
the former case the melody gets a metre consisting of
continually repeated metrical patterns (measures). In the latter case the time-values
of tones which vary in portions of the melody, which are not metrically
organized, are brought into a ratio based on whole numbers. Figures of unequal
lengths, in metrically not organized melodies lead to measures of unequal length, that is, containing unequal numbers of beats,
in that case.
In
comparison these common characteristics of the pieces from the
The
musical term ‘Taala’ denotes among others a period of
beats which regulates the melodic flow from the background. There is a great number of such Taala
periods, and most of them are included in systems. The greater part of the Taala periods used in
When
a metrically organized piece of Carnatic music is
performed, a fixed time interval is combined with the chosen Taala period. This combination forms an indissoluble unit
for the duration of the piece; in most cases it does not permit the time
interval to be lengthened or shortened, or the succession of beats to be
changed.
In
a performance, the soloist, or another musician especially engaged for the
purpose, marks the main Taala beats by beating on his
thigh or clapping his hands, and he counts the secondary beats on his fingers.
In Nagasvara ensembles small cymbals are used to mark
the main beats.
The
melodies of Carnatic music are for the most part “in
a Raaga.” According to the definition given by Matanga in his treatise “Brihaddesi”
(about 9th century A. D.), the musical term ‘Raaga’
denotes a creation of sound which is ornamented by particular melodic formulas
and pleases the mind of human beings. In conformity with modern (Northern
Indian) definitions, Raaga is “an objective
expression of the subjective feeling of the mind.”
(Swami Prajnanananda)
The
modern Raagas developed on the basis of the
older Jatis, whose scalar arrangements were
systematized by means of Graamas and Murchanas in order to determine exactly the model scales on
which they are based. Today in
The
Raaga as an acoustic phenomenon covers the entire
area from the melodically individualized scale which identifies the Raaga to the fully developed composition and improvisation.
The melodically individualized scale or Raaga-scale
already contains the essential Gamaka or ornament.
Only with these Gamakas is the individuality of a Raaga fully brought to light. The central feature in the
area covered by Raaga melodies consist, essentially.
The
order in which these melodic figures are brought into play as component
elements of melodic organisation depends on the
overall melodic curve, on what may be termed “melodic structure,” which in turn
is determined by considerations of form. Although each of the forms examined in
this study, such as Aalaapana, Taana,
Kriti, and
The
designation of the Kriti as “the great composed
concert piece” automatically leads to the question what “composition” might
mean in the context of Carnatic music. Several
comparisons of two versions of the same piece show that in the Kriti as well as in the
The
analyses based on the descriptions of Raaga by
“Indian musical theorists, of altogether 27 pieces in 13 Raagas
reveal the manner in which the melodic figures which are ‘Invented,’ in the Raaga-samchaara are used in melodic organization. Thus it
becomes clear that often specific melodic figures are used with preference, and
that these may serve as characteristic features by which the individual Raaga can be recognized. In the last chapter the individual
character of North Indian music is outlined on the basis or the most important
features of music theory and some pieces. North Indian music theory has a
system of Taala classification which does not
resemble the modern Southern system of 35 Culati or Jati Taalas, but which bears a
likeness to the “classical” systems of Taala
classification in that it arranges the single Taalas
side by side. On the other hand, the Thaat system,
which contains only ten scales, is a selection from the South Indian Melakarta system. Noteworthy features of Northern musical
practice are the facts that the duration of the Taala
period is gradually shortened and that more or less fixed “themes” develop.
The
musical systems of North and South India largely agree in principle, but they
show no correlation with the musical systems of the