The morning call., 1894-02-04
BRAHMiN MUSIC,
1t Is Gradually Sinking
Into Silence.
SONGS FOR EACH SEASON.
An Opera 2Ooo Years Old-No Native
Composers for Four Centuries.
Mohammedan ignorance.
MUSIC.
SONGS FOR EACH SEASON.

The idea of holding a Worlds Congress
of Musicians at the Midwinter Fair is
gaining in popularity. Every one feels
that such an event would give a distinctive
feature 10 the California exposition. and
would attract many people here who would
not otherwise undertake the journey.
Purushotam Rao Telang. the high-ca ste
. Brabmin who is so warm an advocate of
congress to com pare oriental aud occiden-
tai music, said yesterday: my thanks
are due TO The CALL for the interest il
has aroused on the subject of Brahmin
music, and of a congress generally. Music
is very jealousy guarded art in India.
and Brahmin coming here would have to
perform some penances on returning home.
Neverth eless, l believe we could induce
one or two of our leading musicians to
attend the co ngress and bring their instru-
ments."
When asked why the art of music was
SO lealously guarded the Brahmin replied :
The majority of our musicians are a
selfish set of people; they think if they
give their art to the multitude in India
they will starve. Not even for money
will they teach an outsider their best
songs; they will only show him the ordi-
had any great composers. and their works
have been tr transmitted from father to son
among our musicians ever since. 1t is a
sorrow 10 US that our songs have never
been reduced to writing. though we have
=. many Sanskrit books Of great antiquity
upon the theory of music. These teach US
by permutations how 10 combine the notes
and regulate the intervals. Tempos are
also produced in the same way, but, prac-
tlcallY speaking, Our singers DO not use
more than twenty tempos and our dances
about 300
Il admire your1master composer, Edgar
=. Kelley" pursued MT. Telang enthusias
ucally, because 10 his letter to IHE CALL
ne gave an impartial opinion, and dld net
condemn our music unheard. The object
OF music is 10 please the whole human
race. and why should we hate one an
others art if it is good? Travellers in
India hear the tOm-tomS in the streets and
the baZaars, but they do not hear our
musicians; they have absolutely no inter
course with them, therefore they condemn
Us as a people devoid of music"
When questioned respecting opera in
India, Mr.. Telang hastened TO declare that
1t had DO connection with the Chinese
branch OF that art. Our operas last from
four to five hours" be said. The sing-
ers are accompanied By various instru-
ments, and sometimes a little spoken
dialogue is also introduced. The rules for
these lyric dramas were laid down thou
sands of years ago. and one that Is most
constantly observed Is that the orch estra
must always let the voice be heard. How
ever softly the actor sings the orchestra
must play more softly.
The plots Of the operas are founded on
myths and dramas of human life and
human emotions. One of the most famous
is named 'Shakuntala' and was written
1000 years ago by Two world-renowDed
kaIidasa. Nowadays in India Europeans
appreciate this work aud others like it.
We have no women on our stage"
continued the BrahhmIn, gravely. do
we let our ladies act? We might let them,
but they would not go on the stage. We
should no longer call them tladies.' how
ever, If they appeared before the multi
tude-but | forget, our IDEAS are so differ
ent. ] was not criticiZIng occidental Gus
toms-ouly stating the ideas of Brahmin
ladies'" added Mr. Telang, penitently.
They are neither veled nor kept in a
harem, but they shun appearing in theat-
riral performances.
"0nr master musicians look down on all
the opera people, however, for their music
is not of the highest kind. We have the
scientific, and what you call the popular
tunes; the actors generally use thief latter,
and only common men appreciate them.
The music on the stage we do not call good
music, and therefore our master musicians
consider it beneath their dignity to go on
and sing in a theater. Rich people pay
them sums Of money TO go TO their homes.
and sing in hall for their invited guests
The highest kind of music is sung to
love songs. or to epic poems, and is also
used, with tferent words, in the temples
for singing the praises of God. The con-
cert songs are many of them descriptive of
- spring or autumn. the trees or the flowers,
and the music Is also of descriptive char
acter For every season we have different
songs. and certain distinctive modes of
singing. The songs for the rainy season
are never sung in summer, or those for
the sprIHgtlme IN autumn. Every hour of
the day has its own songs. The noon
music must be sung at noon. and that for
the early hours at sunrise. Every hour
changes the music and the words. Sup
pose | sang a morning song in the evening,
= people would say it was horrible, they
could not bear 10 hear it.
AFTER the Mohammedan conquest the
victors took our music from us also. No.
they did not forbid OCT singing and play
ing, but they quickly learned our operas
and songs, and the Brahmins principally
left music to their conquerors. In the
present day we also know singing, but the
Mohammedans are the masters. In the
southern parts OF India the BrahmiUs re
still the singers, perhaps. but in the north
the Mohammedans are the best PLAYERS of
the music which they have borrowed from
us. Unfortunately, however, these Mo-
hammedans do not know Sanskrit, so they
have been and are unable TO study the
theory and only have the practical part of
the music. which they tran smit from
father to son. This they jealously hide,
as / have said, from any outsider who
wishes TO study it. Thus it comes about
that in India the art Of music is dying
away, the Brahmins having left it so
much to the M0hammedans and the Mo
hammedans being jealous Of the practice
and unable to study the theory.
attempts, however, are now being
made 10 reduce our music to system OF
" notation. One Mohammedan, who has
studied under a Brahmn in Southern
India, is trying to use your system of no.
tation to perpetuate our operas and songs
wealth, named Raja Sir Sharendra Mohan
TajOre, is also adapting your notation to
our music. He has never seen Europe, but
the fame of his talent for music has trav-
oil nA IN I'm IL