Module 6: Musical forms · Lesson 5

The structure of a concert

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The shape of a concert

A Carnatic concert is called a Kutcheri (also spelled kacheri or katcheri). It is a sequence of items led by a main performer, who is usually a singer, together with a violinist, a mridangam player and the tambura drone. Other percussion such as the ghatam, kanjira or morsing may join.

A typical running order

Concerts differ, and each performer builds their own programme. Many follow an order like this:

1. An opening piece, often a Varnam or a short, brisk kriti.
2. A series of kritis in different ragas and talas, with some elaboration of the raga (Alapana ), and short improvisations such as Niraval and Kalpanaswara in some of them.
3. The Main item : the longest and most elaborate part, which is usually a Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi or a major kriti given extended treatment.
4. The Tani avartanam , the percussion solo, often within the main item.
5. Lighter pieces: a Padam , a Javali , devotional songs, or a Tillana .
6. A Mangalam , a short auspicious closing piece.

Where does this order come from?

Sources describe the origin of the modern format differently. Wikipedia says Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar (1890 to 1967) is credited with establishing the modern concert format. The Darbar article says the format is thought to have grown out of the flowering of music in the Thanjavur court in the 17th century and names no one. The NIOS textbook says concert singing in its present sense began in the 18th century and now follows a general format.

Listening without a score

You do not need to recognise every raga to follow a concert. If you can tell which part you are hearing (a varnam, a kriti, the free improvisation, the drum solo, a lighter closing piece), the logic of the evening is clear. This is the most useful skill for a beginner, and the later “listening literacy” module returns to it.