Architectural
conventions govern the sequencing of the improvisatory
movements and their integration with the composition to shape the totality of
the Raga presentation. The sequencing logic is based on widely accepted assumptions
about human comprehension. Anyone who has been a teacher will easily recognize
these principles as being equally applicable to education.
Sequentially, the
rendition begins with the slowest movements, and moves steadily towards the
faster movements. It starts from the
melodically and rhythmically simpler movements, and moves towards to the more
complex movements. It commences with the relatively unstructured movements in
which the details are transparent, and progresses towards the more structured
movements, where the detail can often get blurred. The sequencing of movements is exponential in
terms of density and complexity.
Complexity is a
self-evident term. But, what do we mean by density? In melody, it is measured
by the number of explicit intonations per second. In rhythm, it will mean
number of beats per second. The density of the overall musical experience can
be visualized in terms of sound-bytes delivered per second.
Within each
movement, the melody undergoes a cyclical treatment. Why should there be any
prescribed pattern? To begin with, art
music has to be disciplined. In the process of providing ample scope for
individual creativity, it cannot permit any facet of it to be random or
whimsical. The melodic framework of a Raga is the primary emotional trigger,
and has to be given complete scope for performing this function. The minimum
condition for this is that the exploration of the Raga must go through
ascending, descending and valedictory motions through two octaves in the major
– if not all – movements in order to release its emotional charge inherent in the melodic framework.
Schematic
representation of architectural conventions
This combination
of exponential sequencing of movements and cyclical melodic formations within
each movement will be easier to appreciate with a schematic representation.
It will be observed in the graph that there
is an
exponential trend-line representing the density and complexity. Running through
it is a cyclical wave pattern representing the melodic path.
This model is
verifiable by a systematic plotting of melodic and rhythmic trends in a modern Hindustani music performance. Raga-based music in the medieval Dhrupad-Dhamar genre would need to be represented by a different architectural model.
