MUMBAI, November 11: A cutcheri is like a vast expanse dotted with spectacular alighting spots. These comprise largely of compositions whose importance I asserted in the earlier piece. While the compositions themselves are to be executed with craftsmanship and finesse, which reveals the calibre of the musician, they are often preceded or interwoven with segments that are created and improvised by the artiste.

A cutcheri has, over the years, evolved into a pattern. Normally, it flags off with the varnam. Easily identifiable with a typical structure, the choice of varnam as a starter is not without reason. It has a certain gait to it that lends a fillip to the cutcheri and also acts as a warm-up piece.

After the varnam, almost the whole cutcheri is dedicated to the kriti form of composition. Kritis are elegant compositions bearing three divisions namely the pallavi, the anupallavi and the charanam. Every composition is created in a particular melody called a raga. Raga is Indian music's unique contribution to world music.

Carnatic music admits a scheme of 72 melakarta or parent ragas, comprising of all seven notes in their identity. These give rise to innumerable janya ragas, born of their parent scales. Every raga is a distinct musical enlightenment by itself, having a separate aesthetic form and can be recognised by a trained ear.

Kritis are often preceded by melodic stretches called raga alaapana, relying on the creative faculties of the artiste. Confined to an aesthetic area, unfettered by laya, the performer presents varied visages of raga in an alaapana. Shankarabharanam, Todi, Kambodi, Shanmukhapriya are some ragas which provide great scope for a detailed alaapana. Some others of an elusive nature would do with few strokes.

However, a cutcheri comprises of one or two major raga alaapanas.Creative meandering around select lines of a kriti called niraval and swaraprastharas or kalpana swaras -- a string of notes in various combinations -- are another integral element of Carnatic music.

All compositions are set to a particular rhythm structure called tala. Carnatic music enjoys a vast territory of talas, out of which the Adi, Rupaka, Misra Chapu and Khanda Chapu talas are most frequently used.

I wouldn't do justice to any talk on Carnatic music if I didn't dwell upon the most distinguishing factor as also the most exacting one -- the Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi (R-T-P). The R-T-P requires a very high degree of competence and technical prowess but still remains a piece of aesthetic elegance. A single line is all of the composition. Preceded by an expansive alaapana and that beautiful peculiarity of Carnatic music -- the Tanam -- the Pallavi is manipulated, infusing it with many baffling complexities. The Pallavi, however, remains one subject of Carnatic music which can be truly appreciated only with initiation. The post-Pallavi session is studded with lighter items in which all-time favourites add quiet a flame to the cutcheri.

The cutcheri ends with the mangalam. It signifies the end and is also a symbolic seeking of pardon from the Gods for the errors. Planning a concert, I can never fail to assert adequately enough, is a craft in itself. Placing the right compositions at the right junctures, avoiding closely allied ragas in proximity with each other, incorporating a variety in tala and composers is all part of the thought process that goes in the making of the cutcheri.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.