Background: History, Religion, and Society
In this section, we will examine the aspects of the historical, religious and social context of Indian music that help us to understand the music example.
History
The music example illustrates a particular genre of North Indian classical vocal music, called khyāl. This genre, identified with aspects of style, form, vocal technique, performance practice and aesthetic, is the principal genre of vocal music performed today by classical musicians in North India; it has also been very influential on instrumental music. Both the khyāl style itself, and the instruments used to accompany it, have their origins in significant historical contexts.
Vocal style
Khyāl originated as a classical genre in the mid-17th century, when it was taken up by musicians at the court of the Mughal emperors of Delhi. Prior to that, it had been a form of devotional music sung by Muslim musicians of Sufi religious orders (qawwal), where its characteristic feature seems to have been its emotional intensity or pathos (dard, literally "pain"), leading in the Sufi environment to a form of religious ecstasy. This intensity of emotional expression is still an important feature of classical khyāl, combined with the structural aspects of rāga and tāla. It is manifested particularly in the highly ornate style of singing, culminating in the florid and virtuosic tans that demonstrate both the technical skill of the singer and his expressive intensity.
When khyāl was first introduced to the Mughal court (shortly after that court was moved to Delhi by the emperor Shahjahan in 1648), it must have made a striking contrast to dhrupad, the prevailing style of court music. Dhrupad emphasizes grandeur and rhythmic prowess more suited to singing the praises of the emperor, rather than the emotional pathos that characterizes khyāl, a style suited to singing the praises of the emperor, Allah, or the Hindu gods and goddesses. Dhrupad is still sung today, though comparatively rarely. It is distinguished from khyāl by its lengthy opening ālāp, in which the structure and beauty of the rāga is subjected to a rigorous wordless development, and by complex rhythmic improvisations on the words of the song, whereas khyāl lyrics characteristically explore the inner feelings of a human subject (often female), as in the Vidyadhar Vya listening example. Dhrupad lyrics often describe or address a divine being, or discuss a serious philosophical topic (such as music).
Composer: Vidyadhar Vyas
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"Khyāl in Rāga Mīyān kī Malhār"
The dhrupad style originated at the court of a Hindu ruler, Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior, in the 15th century. It was later performed at the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar (1542-1605) by his court singers, most of whom were Hindu musicians from Gwalior. Chief among them was Mīyān Tānsen, who was regarded as a legend in his own lifetime and remains the most famous singer in the history of North Indian classical music. A number of rāgas are believed to have been invented by him, one of which, Mīyān kī Malhār ("Miyan [Tansen]'s Malhar"), forms the melodic basis of the Vidyadhar Vyas listening example.
It is believed that Tānsen was born into a high-caste Hindu family, but converted to Islam. By the 18th century most musicians at the Mughal court were Muslims, like their patrons, and in the early 20th century the most respected classical musicians in North India were still Muslim (some claiming direct descent from Tānsen himself).
During the 20th century, however, Muslim musicians in North India became outnumbered by their Hindu disciples, a process that drew strength from the nationalist Independence movement and the creation of India and Pakistan as separate states. Hence the solo vocalist in the Vidyadhar Vyas listening example is from a Hindu family, although his musical gharānā was founded by Muslims.
The stylistic, aesthetic and poetic differences between dhrupad and khyāl are to some extent paralleled in the differences in architectural style between the 15th-century palace of Man Singh Tomar in Gwalior, and the 17th-century buildings of the Mughal emperors in Agra and Delhi. The restraint and dignity of dhrupad seem to echo the massive masonry walls and towers of Man Singh's palace, whereas khyāl calls to mind more the lightness and delicacy of a marble building like the Tāj Mahal in Agra. Nevertheless, khyāl singers have, over the centuries, absorbed many aspects of the dhrupad style of presentation, and for this reason it is hard to draw a precise distinction between dhrupad and khyāl styles.
