For some, Western classical music is what plays in the background in elevators, reception rooms, and lounges. For others, it is what snobbish ‘intellectual’ artsy folks indulge in pretentiously. We will try to go beyond these myopic perspectives and try to get a glimpse of what is great, enlightening, and thoroughly enjoyable about Western classical music. One way to do this is to shed light upon its contrasts with Indian classical music.
The term “Classical music” originates from the Latin classicus, meaning first class, or for the Romans, artistry of the highest order. It encompasses a vast range of music styles over a period of 800 years. Sometimes, the term “Art music” is used. Western classical is just one among many different traditions of classical music, so when we’re discussing Western classical music, we’re specifically discussing European classical music. To make matters more confusing, there is a specific period in history referred to as the “Classical Period”, which differentiates the style of music in that era from other eras preceding and succeeding it. We shall delve into these different “periods” in subsequent posts. The point is to be contextually aware of what is meant by “Classical” when you’re reading or conversing with others.
Throughout the history of Western classical music, there have been two strands of evolution, usually distinguishable from each other, which evolved in parallel – Church music and Secular music. For example, Church music includes Gregorian Chants, Carols, Mass, and Requiems, while Secular music includes sonatas, concertos, symphonies, and opera. Both Church and Secular music influenced each other, while evolving and adapting to man’s ideological progress in history.
What primarily differentiates classical music from popular music?
There are two ways of appreciating any music – cerebral and emotional, or from the mind and the heart. Cerebral listening requires a mental effort on the part of the listener, while our emotional response is usually automatic and lies in our subconscious. Neither are the two ways mutually exclusive, nor is one right and the other wrong. Both are very valid, very real. We shift from one to the other even during the process of listening. And, you can appreciate popular music in a cerebral fashion too.
You can simply listen to Western classical music and like it without thinking much about it. If you do, go ahead and enjoy yourself! Nothing wrong about it. I however, passionately believe that a superlative appreciation of Western classical music comes from a synthesis of both cerebral and emotional approaches. Without an understanding of the form and structure of Western classical music, or lack of knowledge of a specific work’s place in history, you might still enjoy listening to it, but you will miss out appreciating it a great deal more. I believe that when the cerebral is coupled with emotion, it leads to a fulfilling appreciation of Western classical music.
There are challenges in appreciating Western classical music. But the rewards are equally great. Here are some differences between Western and Indian classical music, which will help you enjoy and engage with both of them, a little more.
Indian classical music refers to Hindustani as well as Carnatic classical music. There are significant differences between the two, but for our current focus, they can be considered as one. Also, there are exceptions to every point below, what we are concerned with are broad differences.
homophony vs. polyphony / melody vs. harmony
Indian classical music is primarily homophonic, which means its focus is on melodies created using a sequence of notes. Indian classical music’s magic is primarily experienced with different melodies constructed within the framework of the ragas, while Western classical music’s magic lies to a great extent in polyphonic composition, where counterpoint, harmony, and the texture created using multiple voices is critical. Melody exists in Western classical music too, but from a broad perspective, is not the singular or defining focus of most of Western classical music works.
composed vs improvised
Western classical music is composed, Indian classical music is improvised. All Western classical music compositions are formally written using the staff notation, and performers have virtually no latitude for improvisation. The converse is the case with Indian classical music, where no ‘work’ is ever written down, and the teacher-student tradition of learning Indian classical music leads to each performance being an improvisation.
vocals / instrumentation
Vocals are used in both Indian classical music and Western classical music, but the way they are treated in relation to other instruments is different. When vocals are used in Indian classical music, the rest of the instruments are mere ‘accompaniments’ — there are tanpooras that act like drones, harmoniums that follow the tonality of the voice by providing chords and so on. Whereas in Western classical music, when vocals are used, the instrumentation carries a lot of weight in the overall composition. In other words, voice forms the basis of the structure surrounding an Indian classical music recital, whereas it is an addition to the instrumentally generated structure of a Western classical music composition.
The term ‘voice’ is hence used in a generic way in Western classical music and doesn’t always mean human voice. A ‘voice’ can be any theme played by an instrument. Thus, one can have a four-voice fugue being played on the piano using two hands, where each hand is playing one of four voices at any given time.
group vs individual dynamics
In Indian classical music, the individual performer shines through his improvisation. In any recital or performance, there is a lead vocalist or instrumentalist who expounds the raga, while others provide accompaniment and are relegated to the background (except for occasional interludes where they show off their virtuosity). In Western classical music, the composer and conductor shine as individuals, but the performance is largely a group effort. It is only in solo works and solo concertos that individual performers are under the spotlight.
Indian classical music uses ‘Taal’ — a cycle of beats centred around ‘Sam’ that repeats itself. Western classical music does not use such complex beat cycles.
‘shruti’ / microtones
Indian classical music makes extensive use of quarter-tones and microtones, usually referred to as ‘Shruti’.Western classical music has a few microtonal pioneers in recent times, but has largely been restricted to using semitones.
consonance & dissonance
As far as I know, Indian classical music does not use or encourage dissonance. Modern Western classical music has used dissonance extensively to add to the texture of the composition.
nature & spirituality
Indian classical music has a closer, intimate association with nature than Western classical music. Ragas have specific times of day or seasons of the year associated with them, while most Western classical music does not have any such characteristic. The roots of Indian classical music are spiritual, while secular works in Western classical music have roots in factors like individual experiences, significant historical events in human history, entertainment, occasions with dance celebrations and so on.
The depth of intellectual satisfaction you can get from Classical music (Indian or Western) is unparalleled. The rewards are proportional to the effort you put in. It is for a reason that such music is described as “Classical” in the first place! And remember that all music is universal. By appreciating Western classical music, you are not disrespecting or ignoring any other traditional music or heritage. In fact, if you are able to appreciate the fundamental differences between Western classical music and say, Hindustani classical, you will gain more insight into Hindustani classical than you would have if you had ignored Western classical music altogether.
To wrap up, I quote one of our most well-known poets, who was also an accomplished musical composer, Rabindranath Tagore:
“For us, music has above all a transcendental significance. It disengages the spiritual from the happenings of life; it sings of the relationships of the human soul with the soul of things beyond. The world by day is like European music; a flowing concourse of vast harmony, composed of concord and discord and many disconnected fragments. And the night world is our Indian music; one pure, deep and tender raga. They both stir us, yet the two are contradictory in spirit. But that cannot be helped. At the very root nature is divided into two, day and night, unity and variety, finite and infinite. We men of India live in the realm of night; we are overpowered by the sense of One and Infinite. Our music draws the listener away beyond the limits of everyday human joys and sorrows, and takes us to that lonely region of renunciation which lies at the root of the universe, while European music leads us a variegated dance through the endless rise and fall of human grief and joy.”
This piece has been edited by Neharika Gupta. Neharika is a 24-year-old poet and writer. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University in the UK. She likes to spend her time scuba diving and writing about the plethora of interesting things she comes across as a young traveller and foodie. You can check out her work at: www.neharikagupta.com
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Kwa wengine, muziki wa kale wa Magharibi ndio unaopigwa nyuma katika lifti, vyumba vya mapokezi, na vyumba vya kupumzikia. Kwa wengine, ni kile ambacho watu wenye kiburi "wa kiakili" na wenye ustadi hujiingiza katika kwa kujigamba. Tutajaribu kupita zaidi ya mtazamo huu wa upungufu wa macho na kujaribu kupata mtazamo wa kile kilicho kikubwa, cha kuelimisha, na cha kufurahisha kabisa kuhusu muziki wa kawaida wa Magharibi. Njia moja ya kufanya hivyo ni kueleza tofauti zake na muziki wa kale wa India. Neno "muziki wa kale" linatokana na neno la Kilatini classicus, linalomaanisha darasa la kwanza, au kwa Waroma, sanaa ya kiwango cha juu zaidi. Muziki huo unatia ndani aina mbalimbali za muziki katika kipindi cha miaka 800. Nyakati nyingine, neno "Muziki wa Sanaa" hutumiwa. Western classical ni moja tu kati ya mila nyingi tofauti za muziki wa classical, hivyo wakati sisi ni kujadili muziki wa classical wa Magharibi, sisi ni hasa kujadili muziki wa classical wa Ulaya. Ili kufanya mambo yawe ya kuchanganyikiwa zaidi, kuna kipindi maalum katika historia kinachoitwa "Kazi ya Kihistoria", ambacho hutofautisha mtindo wa muziki katika enzi hiyo na enzi nyingine zilizotangulia na kuifuata. Tutachunguza "miaka" hii tofauti katika makala zifuatazo. Jambo ni kuwa contextually ufahamu wa nini ni maana ya <unk>Classical<unk> wakati wewe <unk>re kusoma au kuzungumza na wengine. Katika historia ya muziki wa kale wa Magharibi, kumekuwa na mistari miwili ya mageuzi, kwa kawaida tofauti kutoka kwa kila mmoja, ambayo ilibadilika sambamba na muziki wa Kanisa na muziki wa kidunia. Kwa mfano, muziki wa Kanisa unatia ndani Nyimbo za Gregorian, Nyimbo za Carols, Misa, na Requiems, ilhali muziki wa Kilimwengu unatia ndani sonata, maonyesho ya muziki, symphonies, na opera. Muziki wa Kanisa na wa Kilimwengu ulichocheana, huku ukibadilika na kukabiliana na maendeleo ya kiitikadi ya mwanadamu katika historia. Ni nini hasa kinachotofautisha muziki wa kale na muziki maarufu? Kuna njia mbili za kuthamini muziki wowote - kiakili na kihisia-moyo, au kutoka kwa akili na moyo. Kusikiliza kwa akili kunahitaji jitihada ya kiakili kutoka kwa msikilizaji, ilhali majibu yetu ya kihisia-moyo kwa kawaida ni ya moja kwa moja na yapo katika ufahamu wetu. Njia hizo mbili hazipingani, wala moja si sahihi na nyingine si sahihi. Yote mawili ni halali sana, ni ya kweli sana. Tunabadilika kutoka moja hadi nyingine hata wakati wa mchakato wa kusikiliza. Na, unaweza kuthamini muziki maarufu kwa njia ya ubongo pia. Unaweza kusikiliza muziki wa kale wa Magharibi na kuupenda bila kufikiria sana. Ikiwa ndivyo, endelea na ufurahie! Hakuna ubaya wowote wa kufanya hivyo. Hata hivyo, ninaamini kwa shauku kwamba uthamini bora wa muziki wa kale wa Magharibi hutoka kwa mchanganyiko wa mbinu za ubongo na hisia. Bila kuelewa fomu na muundo wa muziki wa kawaida wa Magharibi, au ukosefu wa maarifa ya mahali maalum pa kazi katika historia, unaweza bado kufurahia kuisikiliza, lakini utapoteza kuthamini zaidi. Ninaamini kwamba wakati ubongo unapounganishwa na hisia, huongoza kwenye uthamini wa kutosha wa muziki wa kale wa Magharibi. Kuna magumu katika kuthamini muziki wa kale wa Magharibi. Lakini thawabu ni kubwa vilevile. Kuna tofauti kati ya muziki wa India na wa Magharibi, ambayo inaweza kukusaidia kufurahia na kufurahia. Muziki wa kale wa India unarejelea muziki wa Hindustani na vilevile muziki wa kale wa Carnatic. Kuna tofauti kubwa kati ya hizo mbili, lakini kwa lengo letu la sasa, zinaweza kuchukuliwa kama moja. Pia, kuna tofauti kwa kila hatua hapa chini, kile tunachohusika nacho ni tofauti kubwa. Muziki wa kawaida wa India ni wa homophonic, ambayo inamaanisha umakini wake ni juu ya nyimbo zilizoundwa kwa kutumia mfululizo wa noti. Muziki wa India wa kale unaonekana hasa kwa nyimbo tofauti zilizojengwa ndani ya mfumo wa raga, wakati uchawi wa muziki wa Magharibi wa kale unapatikana kwa kiasi kikubwa katika utungaji wa polyphonic, ambapo counterpoint, maelewano, na muundo uliotengenezwa kwa kutumia sauti nyingi ni muhimu. Muziki wa kawaida wa Magharibi pia una muziki wa muziki wa kawaida, lakini kwa mtazamo mkubwa, sio lengo la pekee au la kufafanua ya kazi nyingi za muziki wa kawaida wa Magharibi. Improvised: Muziki wa kale wa India na muziki wa kale wa Magharibi Nyimbo zote za muziki wa kale wa Magharibi zimeandikwa rasmi kwa kutumia notation ya fimbo, na watendaji hawana uhuru wowote wa kurekebisha. Kinyume ni kesi na muziki wa kale wa India, ambapo hakuna "kazi" ambayo imeandikwa, na utamaduni wa mwalimu-mwanafunzi wa kujifunza muziki wa kale wa India husababisha kila utendaji kuwa improvisation. Vocals ni muziki wa kawaida wa India na muziki wa Magharibi, lakini ni tofauti na muziki wa zamani. Wakati sauti hutumiwa katika muziki wa kale wa India, vyombo vingine ni 'kuambatana' tu <unk> kuna tanpooras ambazo hufanya kazi kama drones, harmoniums ambazo hufuata tonality ya sauti kwa kutoa chords na kadhalika. Wakati katika muziki wa kale wa Magharibi, wakati sauti zinatumiwa, vyombo vina uzito mkubwa katika utungaji wa jumla. Kwa maneno mengine, sauti huunda msingi wa muundo unaozunguka tamasha la muziki wa kale wa India, wakati ni nyongeza ya muundo uliotokezwa kwa vyombo wa utungaji wa muziki wa kawaida wa Magharibi. Neno "sauti" kwa hiyo hutumiwa kwa njia ya jumla katika muziki wa kawaida wa Magharibi na haimaanishi daima sauti ya binadamu. "Sauti" inaweza kuwa mandhari yoyote iliyochezwa na chombo. Kwa hiyo, mtu anaweza kuwa na wimbo wa sauti nne unaochezwa kwenye piano kwa kutumia mikono miwili, ambapo kila mkono unacheza mojawapo ya sauti nne wakati wowote. Kikundi dhidi ya nguvu za mtu binafsi Katika muziki wa kale wa India, mwigizaji binafsi huangaza kupitia ubunifu wake. Katika maonyesho yoyote, kuna mwimbaji anayeongoza au mwimbaji wa ala ambaye anaelezea raga, wakati wengine hutoa uandaaji na hupelekwa nyuma (bila kujali vipindi vya mara kwa mara ambapo wanaonyesha ustadi wao). Katika muziki wa kale wa Magharibi, mtunzi na kiongozi wa muziki huangaza wakiwa watu mmoja-mmoja, lakini utendaji ni jitihada ya kikundi kwa kiasi kikubwa. Ni katika kazi za solo na maonyesho ya solo tu ambapo watendaji binafsi wanakabiliwa na mwangaza. Muziki wa kale wa India hutumia <unk>Taal<unk> <unk> mzunguko wa beats kuzunguka <unk>Sam<unk> ambayo hujirudia. Muziki wa kale wa Magharibi hautumi mzunguko tata kama huo wa mdundo. Muziki wa kisasa wa India hutumia sana robo-sauti na microtones, kwa kawaida inajulikana kama <unk>Shruti<unk>. Muziki wa kisasa wa Magharibi una waanzilishi wa microtonal wachache katika nyakati za hivi karibuni, lakini kwa kiasi kikubwa umepunguzwa kwa kutumia semitones. consonance & dissonance Kwa kadiri ninavyojua, muziki wa kale wa India hautumii au kuhamasisha dissonance. Muziki wa kisasa wa Magharibi umetumia sana kutoelewana ili kuongeza muundo wa wimbo. Muziki wa kale wa India una uhusiano wa karibu na wa karibu na asili kuliko muziki wa kale wa Magharibi. Raga ni muziki wa kawaida wa nchi za Magharibi, lakini muziki wa kisasa wa nchi za Magharibi haujumuishi muziki wa kawaida. Muziki wa India una mizizi ya kiroho, wakati muziki wa Magharibi una mizizi ya kiroho, kama vile uzoefu wa mtu binafsi, matukio muhimu ya kihistoria katika historia ya binadamu, burudani, matukio na sherehe za dansi na kadhalika. Ukarimu wa kiakili unaoweza kupatikana kutokana na muziki wa kale (wa India au wa Magharibi) hauwezi kulinganishwa na mwingine wowote. Tuzo ni sawa na jitihada unazofanya. Kuna sababu kwa nini muziki huo huitwa "Klasiki" mwanzoni! Na kumbuka kwamba muziki wote ni wa ulimwengu wote mzima. Kwa kuthamini muziki wa kale wa Magharibi, wewe si kukosa heshima au kupuuza muziki mwingine wowote wa kitamaduni au urithi. "Kwa kweli, ikiwa unaweza kufahamu tofauti za msingi kati ya muziki wa kawaida wa Magharibi na kusema, ""Klasiki ya Hindustani,"" utapata ufahamu zaidi wa muziki wa kawaida wa Hindustani kuliko ungepata ikiwa ungepuuza kabisa muziki wa kawaida wa Magharibi." "Kwa kumalizia, ninanukuu mshairi mmoja maarufu wa India, ambaye pia alikuwa mtunzi wa muziki, Rabindranath Tagore: ""Kwa sisi, muziki una umuhimu wa juu zaidi." Inatoa roho kutoka kwa matukio ya maisha; inaimba juu ya mahusiano ya nafsi ya binadamu na roho ya vitu vya nje. Ulimwengu wa mchana ni kama muziki wa Ulaya; mkusanyiko unaotiririka wa maelewano makubwa, uliofanyizwa na makubaliano na kutoelewana na vipande vingi visivyo na uhusiano. Na ulimwengu wa usiku ni muziki wetu wa Kihindi; moja safi, kina na nyeti raga. Yote mawili yanatuchochea, lakini yote mawili yanapingana katika roho. Lakini hilo haliwezi kusuluhishwa. "Uumbaji umegawanywa katika sehemu mbili: mchana na usiku, umoja na utofauti, mwisho na ukimaliziko.""" Sisi wanaume wa India tunaishi katika ulimwengu wa usiku; sisi ni overpowered na hisia ya Moja na Infinite. Muziki wetu unamvuta msikilizaji mbali zaidi ya mipaka ya furaha na huzuni za kila siku za binadamu, na kutupeleka katika eneo hilo la upweke la kujiondoa ambalo liko katika mzizi wa ulimwengu, wakati muziki wa Ulaya unatuongoza kwenye dansi ya aina mbalimbali kupitia kuongezeka na kuanguka bila mwisho kwa huzuni na furaha ya binadamu. Neharika ni mshairi na mwandishi mwenye umri wa miaka 24. Alipata shahada ya uzamili katika uandishi wa ubunifu kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Bath Spa nchini Uingereza. Yeye anapenda kutumia muda wake scuba diving na kuandika juu ya wingi wa mambo ya kuvutia yeye huja katika kama msafiri kijana na foodie. "Kama unavyoona, ""Nachikagupta"" ni moja ya tovuti za kibinafsi na za kibinafsi ambazo zinahitajika kwa ajili ya kuendesha tovuti." Jamii hii inajumuisha tu kuki ambazo zinahakikisha utendaji wa msingi na vipengele vya usalama wa wavuti. Vidakuzi hivi havifungii habari yoyote ya kibinafsi. Cookies yoyote ambayo inaweza kuwa muhimu kwa ajili ya tovuti ya kazi na ni kutumika hasa kukusanya data ya kibinafsi ya mtumiaji kupitia uchambuzi, matangazo, maudhui mengine iliyoingizwa ni kuitwa cookies zisizo muhimu. Ni lazima kupata idhini ya mtumiaji kabla ya kuendesha kuki hizi kwenye tovuti yako.