Language: English 
Pages: 334 (B & W Illus: 13, Maps: 2 with Charts)\nAbout the Book:\nThis book is a study of khyal, the genre of North Indian classical music which has dominated in performances by highly trained vocalists for at least the past 150 years. It is also a study of cultural history. Spanning as it does a good portion of the periods of the British raj in Indian, the struggle for independence, and the flourishing of Indian as a republic, the history of khyal and of khyal singers is a story of generous patronage by native princes, of the loss of this patronage when courts were dissolved, and of the resilience of musicians in adjusting to the vicissitudes of contemporary artistic life.\nIn performing khyal, the singer presents a brief composition, and then improvises from twenty to forty minutes according to certain guidelines. One chapter of this book describes the compositions, the modal and metric materials, and the improvisational guidelines utilized by the khyal singers. Descriptions are illustrated with musical examples in transcription (in Western notation and also in a modified Indian notation) and on an accompanying cassette.\nBecause khyal was developed by musicians employed at courts scattered throughout North India, the manner of performing it varies among different groups of musicians (gharanas). Bonnie Wade considers six major group traditions - Gwalior, Agra, Sahaswan / Rampur, Alladiya Khan, Kirana, and Patiala - tracing the personal histories of singers (both members of lineages and other disciples), presenting the statements made in Indian sources about their musical styles, and considering those statements through analysis of recorded performances by leading musicians of recent decades. Since individual artistic achievement is so important among musicians in the Hindustani tr

Khyal: Creativity Within North India's Classical Music Tradition

Bonnie C. Wade

Humor & Entertainment

Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

This book is written for the uninitiated Westerner. It is an introduction to the principles, ideas, and systems of two traditions of Indian classical music. It is geared to the listener as well as to the performer. Chapter 1 concerns the listener and the effect of music. Performance situations are described to show how theory is put into practice. Chapters 2 and 3 contrast concepts in Indian and Western classical music as well as classification of melody type, ideas about notating and notation systems used in Indian traditions are also explained. Chapter 4 describes the primary melody-producing instruments. Chapter 5 contrasts Hindustani and Western concepts of rhythm and meter. Additional chapters are concerned with those performance genres which can be heard on available recordings. The final chapter combines all of the various elements by commenting on the requirements of a good musician. In this new edition, the author has revised the source materials, pertinent information, and dates so that the reader is directed to more current readings and audio-visual materials and where to find them. Thus, in the Appendix the bibliography has been revised; the discography and filmography have been updated.

Music in India: The Classical Traditions

Arts & Photography

Music

Manohar Publishers

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Books by Bonnie C. Wade