the composers most revered and performed by Carnatic musicians
Muttusvami Dikshitar
Sri Tyagaraja
Syama Sastri
Painting by S. Rajam © Sruti Magazine
We are aware that the ultimate aim of every composer and musician is to achieve the coalescence, the essential factors of classical music namely bhava, raga and tala. We know bhava literally means, expression, the expression of existence. In a composition, bhava encompasses the aspects rasa, raga1 and laya and for a musical composition to be meaningful and beautiful, it should be rich in bhava. In short, bhava is that which enables the transmission of experience of thoughts and emotions from the composer to the musician and from the musician to the listeners. We understand that bhava has to be experienced by every individual, in a personal and subjective manner and devotion is the pre-dominating aspect depicted in a musical composition. I am sure it would be of immense value to study the aspects of bhava, expressed by the musical trinity Thyagaraja, Dikshitar and Syama Sastri, who were contemporaries in the 18th century. […]
Source: “Efficacy of Bhava — An Evaluation” by Narayana Vishwanath, The New Indian Express (21st September 2015)
Why music — even sad music — is ‘inherently joyful’ – CBC Radio
Music is joy declares Daniel Chua. The renowned musicologist says music and joy have an ancient correlation, from Confucius to Saint Augustine and Beethoven to The Blues. Of course there is sad music, but Chua says, it’s tragic because of joy. Chua delivered the 2025 Wiegand Lecture called Music, Joy and the Good Life.
Listen to this episode here: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/audio/9.6764384
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A brief introduction to Carnatic music (with music examples and interactive map)
Bhava and Rasa explained by V. Premalatha
Free “flow” exercises on this website
Introduction (values in the light of modernity)
Video | Keeping tala with hand gestures: Adi (8 beats) & Misra chapu (7 beats)
Why Carnatic Music Matters More Than Ever
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- The most concise definition of a raga may be that by Joep Bor: a tonal framework for composition and improvisation. [↩]