Musical Improvisation and Elegant Writing: Ālāpana in South Indian Karnatak Music Performed by U. Srinivas
When ethnomusicologists and music theorists analytically approach how musicians improvise, some scholars utilize concepts drawn from linguistics and linguistic anthropology. In this area of scholarship, it is common for ethnomusicologists and music theorists to make analogies between musical improvi...
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Analytical Approaches to World Music
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Analytical Approaches to World Music |
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| Online Access: | https://journal.iftawm.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Field_AAWM_Vol_11_2.pdf |
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| author | Garrett Field |
| author_facet | Garrett Field |
| author_sort | Garrett Field |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | When ethnomusicologists and music theorists analytically approach how musicians improvise, some scholars utilize concepts drawn from linguistics and linguistic anthropology. In this area of scholarship, it is common for ethnomusicologists and music theorists to make analogies between musical improvisation and forms of extemporized spoken language. One lacuna in this scholarship is connections between musical improvisation and written language. To address this gap in the knowledge I analyze one form of musical improvisation with concepts pertaining to elegant writing. In Karnatak music of South India, melodic improvisation of rāga in free rhythm is known as ālāpana. I argue that underlying principles of ālāpana are coherence, cohesion, and rhetorical climax. I seek to bear out my argument through the analysis of coherence, cohesion, and climax in four ālāpana performed by Karnatak mandolinist U. Srinivas (1969–2014). |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-430829dbd741439bb23d483fadba1af0 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2158-5296 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Analytical Approaches to World Music |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Analytical Approaches to World Music |
| spelling | doaj-art-430829dbd741439bb23d483fadba1af02025-08-20T02:38:02ZengAnalytical Approaches to World MusicAnalytical Approaches to World Music2158-52962023-12-01112133Musical Improvisation and Elegant Writing: Ālāpana in South Indian Karnatak Music Performed by U. SrinivasGarrett Field0Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology/Musicology at Ohio UniversityWhen ethnomusicologists and music theorists analytically approach how musicians improvise, some scholars utilize concepts drawn from linguistics and linguistic anthropology. In this area of scholarship, it is common for ethnomusicologists and music theorists to make analogies between musical improvisation and forms of extemporized spoken language. One lacuna in this scholarship is connections between musical improvisation and written language. To address this gap in the knowledge I analyze one form of musical improvisation with concepts pertaining to elegant writing. In Karnatak music of South India, melodic improvisation of rāga in free rhythm is known as ālāpana. I argue that underlying principles of ālāpana are coherence, cohesion, and rhetorical climax. I seek to bear out my argument through the analysis of coherence, cohesion, and climax in four ālāpana performed by Karnatak mandolinist U. Srinivas (1969–2014).https://journal.iftawm.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Field_AAWM_Vol_11_2.pdfkarnatak musicālāpanau. srinivasimprovisationwritingcoherencecohesionclimax |
| spellingShingle | Garrett Field Musical Improvisation and Elegant Writing: Ālāpana in South Indian Karnatak Music Performed by U. Srinivas Analytical Approaches to World Music karnatak music ālāpana u. srinivas improvisation writing coherence cohesion climax |
| title | Musical Improvisation and Elegant Writing: Ālāpana in South Indian Karnatak Music Performed by U. Srinivas |
| title_full | Musical Improvisation and Elegant Writing: Ālāpana in South Indian Karnatak Music Performed by U. Srinivas |
| title_fullStr | Musical Improvisation and Elegant Writing: Ālāpana in South Indian Karnatak Music Performed by U. Srinivas |
| title_full_unstemmed | Musical Improvisation and Elegant Writing: Ālāpana in South Indian Karnatak Music Performed by U. Srinivas |
| title_short | Musical Improvisation and Elegant Writing: Ālāpana in South Indian Karnatak Music Performed by U. Srinivas |
| title_sort | musical improvisation and elegant writing alapana in south indian karnatak music performed by u srinivas |
| topic | karnatak music ālāpana u. srinivas improvisation writing coherence cohesion climax |
| url | https://journal.iftawm.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Field_AAWM_Vol_11_2.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT garrettfield musicalimprovisationandelegantwritingalapanainsouthindiankarnatakmusicperformedbyusrinivas |