Kriti

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KRITI

KRITI In South Indian or Karnatak music (Karnataka sang?tam), the Sanskrit term kriti (work or composition) refers to a tripartite song with Sanskrit or vernacular lyrics. As most solo performers acquire their repertoire of kritis from a guru belonging to a lineage of several teachers and disciples (guru shishya parampara), associating oneself with a well-established tradition (samprad?ya) or personal style (b?ni) remains a matter of prestige.

History

The term kriti is widely regarded as being synonymous with k?rtana, although some scholars make a distinction and reserve kriti for the more differentiated form of art music. Any simple devotional song is referred to as k?rtana, pada, or d?varn?ma. The sparing use of text in a kriti has resulted in a melismatic and expressive style. Many scholars believe that Ty?gar?ja (1767–1847) was the composer who perfected the kriti form.

In the early twentieth century, the kriti became the main Karnatak concert item, as it provides all participants with ample scope for solo improvisations and spontaneous interaction. Until then, the creative aspect of art music (man?dharma sang?ta) consisted mainly of formal and highly complicated elaborations of a single theme (pallavi or r?gam t?nam pallavi).

With its mellifluous quality, Telugu continues to be the favorite Dravidian language for kriti lyrics. Tamil, the medium of the earliest bhakti poetry, has played a greater role since the Tamil music movement (Tamil Ishai) was institutionalized in the 1940s.

Structure

A kriti consists of three main themes: (1) an opening theme or refrain (pallavi, P, "sprouting"); (2) a secondary theme building on the pallavi (anupallavi, A); and (3) the concluding stanza, or several stanzas (charanam, C, "foot"). The typical arrangement of these kriti parts (anga) can be summarized as P-A-P-C-(A)-P. Any section may comprise several lines and repetitions. The three themes are often enriched with complex variations (sangati), either as intended by the composer or in the form of additions made by other musicians. Both the profusion and refinement of sangatis are regarded as the hallmark of Ty?gar?ja's kritis.

For his short kritis, D?kshitar employed a different format known as samashti charana, in which the anupallavi is omitted, much as in a k?rtana. Some of the kritis of Shy?ma Sh?stri and D?kshitar, and also those of several later composers, are characterized by the use of meaningless sol-fa syllables (chittasvara), each syllable representing the name of a note (svara). A less common but important variant is known as svara s?hitya, in which a composer amalgamates meaningless sol-fa syllables (svara) with meaningful syllables as part of the lyrics (s?hitya), usually as an extension of the charanam. Ty?gar?ja did not normally employ such techniques, the notable exceptions being found in the kritis popularly known as the five gems (pancharatna). Thus all the chittasvaras performed along with his pieces constitute additions made by others.

More than any other genre, the kriti facilitates the exploration of melodic and rhythmical intricacies. This important quality manifests itself in two ways, namely in the variations (sangati) provided by a composer, and in the optional solo improvisations (preludes and interludes) by concert musicians. A nonmetrical r?ga exposition (r?ga ?l?pana) creates the appropriate mood (r?ga bh?va) for a kriti in a manner that can be compared to the first part of a r?gam t?nam pallavi performance. Sometimes the kriti that is presented as the highlight of a concert includes a t?nam (a pulsating variant of the r?ga ?l?pana); then three more improvised sections are typically inserted in the anupallavi or charanam section before returning to the pallavi of the kriti: (1) niraval (filling up), which initially follows the distribution of the text syllables in order to heighten a particular mood; (2) several rounds of kalpana svara (decorative notes); and (3) tani ?vartana, an extensive drum solo that concludes the main concert item. To establish their identity and discourage others from altering their songs, most kriti composers incorporate a seal (mudr?) toward the end of their lyrics, be it a pen name, their personal name, or that of their chosen deity (ishtad?vat?).

Themes

A kriti leads its listeners through a series of experiences that appeal to their artistic sensibilites as well as their innermost spiritual longings. In the kritis composed by Ty?gar?ja, Shy?ma Sh?stri, Muttusv?mi D?kshitar, and many of their successors, the aim of art music has been transformed radically: they refused to entertain or eulogize a powerful patron (narastuti), traditionally a highly cultured person belonging to a royal dynasty, often credited with divine qualities. Instead they focused on songs that praise their personal deity (ishta d?vat?), for instance Sr?R?ma, the divine king whose glory is described in most of Ty?gar?ja's songs. Far from feeling intimidated by the grandeur he describes in such detail, Ty?gar?ja even feels entitled to converse with God in rather familiar if not jocular terms, depending on the context of a song and his own disposition: "In Brovabh?ram?, he asks if he is too much of a burden for Rama to bear and points out the huge burdens that the Lord had borne in the past, the mountain of Mandara and Govardhana on his back and palm, and the entire universe in his stomach" (Raghavan). In several songs, the saintly composer skillfully resorts to mocking praise (nind?stuti) and social satire with the help of succinct lyrics whose expression required a corresponding range of musical means. The Telugu is lyrical and minimal, possessing classical dignity and meaning.

Ludwig Pesch