A Survey of Changes in North Indian Music

Abstract

The foregoing chapters describe some of the major evolutionary factors in Indian music in the recent past. The effect on the music has been shown in broad terms, which can be summarized as follows:

• 1. The near disappearance of dhrupada. Although some older experts still possess a vast knowledge the next generation may not really know dhrupada anymore.

• 2. Disappearance of the importance of the composition, heavy stress on the mukhṛā as the centre of improvisation. This tendency was set by the artists with a sāraṅgī background. The new approach proved viable because the audience was no longer expert of compositions.¹

• 3. Replacement of a rāga concept based on a totality of musical characters which form an almost living entity by a rāga concept consisting of a simple set of rules to be obeyed while improvising.²

• 4. A craze for virtuoso performance,³ fast techniques and novelties: especially new rāgas, be it based on the principles mentioned in (3).

• 5. A strong mixture of stylistic elements, especially the usage of romantic styles (thumri) in khayāl, but also the borrowing from different gharānās.