| Dhrupad |
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| History. One of the oldest documented genres in south Asia and still current is dhrupad [Sanskrit, dhruva pada "fixed words"], today a medium for vocal and instrumental performance. |
| The modern dhrupad is descended from a form mentioned in the Nāṭyaśāstra and probably developed in the city of Gwalior (central Indo-Gangetic plain) during the 16th century or earlier. Most texts are religious in nature, praising Hindu gods (particularly Krishna) although some praise kings or their heroes. Many texts are in Braj or Avadhi (languages spoken in the central section of the Indo-Gangetic plain), but is generally laced with Sanskrit. |
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| Musical Form. The performance of dhrupad almost always begins with an ālāp. Dhrupad ālāps generally have two sections. [Meer (1980: 32-42) describes dhrupad ālāp as composed of three possible sections: vilambit, madhya, and drut ālāp.] The first section is in the usual pattern of a growing pitch ambitus in free tempo. The second section of the ālāp is the nom tom. The nom tom is an unmeasured, pulsed, presentation of the rāg with nonlexical syllables such as "nom" and "tom", often in a note-by-note presentation similar to that of unpulsed ālāp. This section is parallel to the joṛ of instrumental music and tānam of South India. Often, the performance ends a rhythmically dense section similar to instrumental jhālā and using syllables such as "ta-na-na." |
| The portion of the dhrupad which is set in tāl is begun by the bandiś [Sanskrit "contrivance"/"plot"], a composition or musical passage of a fixed nature. In dhrupad, a bandiś is generally (but not necessarily) made up of four sections. [Meer (1980: 43) observes that some dhrupads have only the first two parts: sthā'ī and antarā.] |
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Sthā'ī. The first compositional section of the bandiś is the sthā'ī and is the phrase to which the composition repeatedly returns. [NB. Hindustani sometimes pronounced as asthā'ī, "stable"] |
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The sthā'ī is usually set in the purvāṅg of the rāg, however, in some cases (as in the example chosen for examination) it may concentrate in the uttarāṅg. In general, the rule is for the sthā'ī and antarā to be in contrasting ranges. |
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As with many Indian musical terms, sthā'ī has more than one meaning. Sthā'ī is most similar to the Karṇātak term "pallavi" in that it refers both to the first composed section which is commonly set in the purvāṅga and to the first line of that section which recurs in the form of a refrain. |
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Antarā. The second part of the bandiś is the antarā [Sanskrit "intermediate"] composed primarily in the uttarāṅg of the rāg and ideally stabilizes the upper tonic. In instances where the sthā'ī has been composed in the uttarāṅg the antarā is composed in the purvāṅg. |
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Sañcārī. When the bandiś is extended two other sections are added. The third section is the sañcārī [Sanskrit "wandering"] which is often set in the mandra (sub-octave) (for example, see Powers 1980: IX: 116a). This melody very often parallels the sthā'ī. [See Meer (1980: 43).] |
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Ābhog. The fourth is the ābhog [Sanskrit "fullness"] and returns the composition to the sthā'ī where it is often composed of material taken from the antarā. |
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| Improvisation. At the completion of the bandiś, dhrupadiyas (performers of dhrupad) in a concert setting generally launch into a series of improvisations based on material drawn from the sthā'ī. This section is the bolbanāo [Hindustani bol "syllable" + banna "composed"]. Musicians commonly mention three kinds of improvisation. |
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Laykārī [Hindustani lay "tempo" or "rhythm" + karnā "to do"] is an improvisational method by which the performer concentrates on the tāl and on rhythmic figures that work against and within the tāl. |
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Bol-bānt [Hindustani bol "syllable" + bāntnā "to distribute" or "to apportion"] are variations on the composition involving the partition or distribution of words, sometimes also called bol-banāo. An entire section of the composition is sung as a unit in its given tune (or in other configurations suitable to the rāga) with its time values systematically reduced to a half, a third, and a quarter of their original length (dugun lay, tigun lay, and caugun lay). When a section is sung three times in the time it would have taken to sing it twice [1 1/2 : 1 or 3 : 2] the performance is referred to as in āḍī lay "cross rhythm". Other variations are kuāḍī ("deficient" āḍī) [1 1/4>:1 or 5:4] and viāḍi ("intensified" āḍi) [1 3/4:1 or 7:4]. |
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Bol tān [Hindustani bol "syllable" + tān "exercise"] is an improvisation with words from the composition. In this type of variation, the original words of the composition are used as vehicles for the presentation of phrases showing the rāg (usually in laykārī style). |
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| Performance. The accompaniment for dhrupad has some interesting and unique features in the Hindustānī saṅgīt paddhati. Most noticeable is the drum accompaniment, which for dhrupad is usually on the pakhāwaj. The difference is that the drummer sometimes solos for much of the performance. In some performances of dhrupad, the drummer plays the ṭhekās of the tāls associated with dhrupad. In other cases the drummer generally plays a series of compositions with some improvisation. |
| When a melodic instrument accompanies dhrupad, it is often the sāraṅgī (a bowed, short-necked lute with three gat melody strings and a host of sympathetic strings), although in some cases the bānsrī (flute) or harmonium appears in the ensemble. The principal method of accompanying is to heterophonically trail the singer in improvisations, to play in unison during the bandiś, and to fill in during those times when the singer(s) are silent. |
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| References |
| Van Der Meer, Wim. 1980. Hindustani Music in the 20th Century. |
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| Selected Performances |
| N. Zahiruddin and N. Faiyazuddin Dagar, Rāg Kambhoji [45:57 + 17:45] |
| Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (rudra viṇa), Rāg Malkauns [61:52] |
| Asad Ali Khan (rudra viṇa), Rāg Mālkauns [30:00] |
| Asad Ali Khan (rudra viṇa), Rāg Darbari (video) [20:57] |
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