Carnatic music is rich in compositions. In fact, the compositional aspect of Carnatic music is unparalleled for its sheer variety in ragas, talas, languages and styles, a repertoire built by great musicians, saints, philosophers, poets and historians of different periods. To top it, the lyrical content is emotional, spiritual, philosophical, romantic or descriptive, but (in most instances) with an underlying current of devotion to the almighty. Melodically and structurally, there are nearly fifty varieties of musical forms, though all of them do not find a place in concerts.
Most of the composers, being great musicians as well as lyricists, spontaneously composed both the tune and the words simultaneously. Some songs are so easy that a child would be able to repeat it after merely one hearing, while it may take ages to master some. Since most of them have been meant for vocal music, the range of these compositions is about two-and-a-half octaves.
Musicians try to re-create and interpret these compositions relying largely on their own aesthetic sense, besides what they have absorbed from their gurus. They memorise the entire piece and try to render them methodically and soulfully. The average stock of a professional artiste would be anywhere between 100 and 500 compositions, while there are artistes who have a repertoire bordering on 2000 or more. An alert listener would be able to perceive that there are minute differences between each version of the same song, when rendered by artistes of different schools. The very nature of the music brings to the fore the individuality of the artiste, retaining, at the same time, the individuality of the composition. Thus, in a Carnatic concert, the listener listens to the music as well as the musician.
Critics of Carnatic music opine that too much importance is given by artistes and listeners to compositions and little to improvisation, and insist that it is the latter that brings out the soul of the raga. Nothing can be farther from the truth. In many instances, compositions of great savants like Tyagaraja, Muttuswami Dikshitar, Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi or Shyama Shastri draw out more from a raga than can be achieved by hours of improvisation.
A thorough understanding and mastery over these compositions go a long way in improving the musical acumen and creative capacity of the artiste. There are hundreds of compositions in major ragas such as Todi, Bhairavi, Kalyani and Kambhodhi, each one highlighting a different facet of the raga. A good knowledge of these compositions contributesto a better grasp of the structure of ragas and their unlimited artistic possibilities. In rare ragas like Malavi, Kalanidhi and Manjari, even solitary works of master composers like Tyagaraja are sufficient to evoke the nerve-centre of the raga. Thus, it is hardly surprising that sometimes artistes’ and audiences’ vision of a raga revolves around good compositions rather than abstract improvisation. In fact, numerous listeners identify and remember a raga better through quality compositions.
Nevertheless, the fact remains that Carnatic music maintains an admirable equilibrium between compositions and improvisation. In a typical concert, one will find that compositions are given about 50% of the artistes’ attention and energy, while the balance is devoted to improvisation. This does not, however, mean that each composition is incremented by an equal amount of improvisation. Certain pieces are supplemented with elaborate improvisation, while others may be so complete in themselves that any attempt at creativity around them may seem an intrusion.
A composition of Carnatic music usually contains :
i. Pallavi: Generally the first two lines of the song, where the composer states or suggests the lyrical theme. This refrain is repeated at the end of each of the other sections.
ii. Anupallavi : The theme is further elaborated in this section. Set at a contrasting pitch to that of the pallavi, the anupallavi may have two or more lines. In some songs, this may be totally absent.
iii. Charanam : The largest part of the song, having anything between four and sixteen lines. Sometimes, the tune of the last two lines corresponds to that of the anupallavi. Some compositions have more than one charanam.
Composers may employ a few other parts to enhance the beauty of the piece and make it more colourful. These include:
Madhyama Kalam : Faster parts (usually twice as fast as the rest of the song).
Chittaswaram : Pre-composed swara phrases.
Swara-sahityam : Swaras and their lyrics rendered severally.
Jati : Melodic and rhythmic solfa notes, which are interwoven.