A PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF INDIAN MUSICAL AESTHETICS

Abstract

Indian classical music is not only an art, but also a philosophy and an aesthetic practice. This article reviews the foundations of Indian musical aesthetics through various layers of Indian classical theories. It also focuses on regional musical traditions and recent scholarly interpretations. Rasa is the principal element of Indian aesthetic theory along with Nada. They describe the way music evokes feelings and arouses emotional responses in the listener. They also characterize music as having ontological and spiritual dimensions. The early theories, particularly those of the Natyashastra, refer to music as a medium that influences mental states and provides aesthetic pleasure. The paper also discusses the two main streams of Indian classical music, going beyond traditional theory to provide a comparative analysis of Hindustani and Carnatic music and assess the independent aesthetic attributes of each. It is useful for understanding the different ways in which common concepts are constructed in different cultural and historical contexts. The traditions share a similar philosophical lineage, but there are significant differences in their performance, aesthetic emphases, structures, and styles. In addition to this traditional and comparative approach, this paper surveys recent writings in the scholarly arena that approach Indian musical aesthetics from a contemporary standpoint. Scholars today study Indian music in an interdisciplinary way, linking classical theory with the present cultural, intellectual, and technological fabric of life. This paper brings together all these viewpoints to provide a comprehensive review of Indian musical aesthetics as perceived, constructed, and re-framed in the 21st century.