Editing Carnatic music (section)

==Performance==
{{Main|Performances of Carnatic music}}
Carnatic music is usually performed by a small ensemble of musicians, who sit on an elevated stage. This usually consists of, at least, a principal performer, a melodic accompaniment, a rhythm accompaniment, and a drone.<ref name="LArmand1983">{{cite journal  | last = L'Armand |first = A. K.
|title = One Hundred Years of Music in Madras: A Case Study in Secondary Urbanization| journal = Ethnomusicology |volume = 27 |pages = 411–438  |year = 1983  | doi = 10.2307/850653  | author2 = L'armand, Adrian  | issue = 3  | publisher = Society for Ethnomusicology|jstor = 850653
}}</ref>

Performances can be musical or musical-dramatic. Musical recitals are either vocal, or purely instrumental in nature, while musical-dramatic recitals refer to [[Harikatha]].<ref name="LArmand1983"/> Regardless of what type of recital it is, what is featured are compositions which form the core of this genre of music.

===Instrumentation===
{{See also|Indian musical instruments}}
The ''[[tanpura]]'' is the traditional [[Drone (music)|drone]] instrument used in concerts. However, tanpuras are increasingly being replaced by [[Sruti box|''śruti'' box]]es, and now more commonly, the [[electronic tanpura]]. The drone itself is an integral part of performances and furnishes stability – the equivalent of [[harmony]] in Western music.<ref name="Rosenthal1931">{{cite journal  | last = Rosenthal|first = E.|title = Tyagaraja: A Great South Indian Composer| journal = Musical Quarterly |volume = XVII |pages = 14–24 |year = 1931  | doi = 10.1093/mq/XVII.1.14}}</ref>

In a vocal recital, a concert team may have one or more vocalists as the principal performer(s). Instruments, such as the [[Saraswati veena]] and/or [[venu]] flute, can be occasionally found as an accompaniment, but usually, a vocalist is supported by a violin player (who sits on his/her left). The rhythm accompanist is usually a [[mridangam]] player (who sits on the other side, facing the violin player). However, other percussion instruments such as the [[ghatam]], [[kanjira]] and [[morsing]] frequently also accompany the main percussion instrument and play in an almost [[contrapuntal]] fashion along with the beats.

The objective of the accompanying instruments is far more than following the melody and keeping the beats. The accompaniments form an integral part of every composition presented, and they closely follow and augment the melodic phrases outlined by the lead singer. The vocalist and the violinist take turns while elaborating or while exhibiting creativity in sections like [[raga]], [[niraval]] and [[kalpanaswaram]].

Unlike [[Hindustani music]] concerts, where an accompanying [[tabla]] player can keep beats without following the musical phrases at times, in Carnatic music, the accompanists have to follow the intricacies of the composition since there are percussion elements such as eduppu in several compositions.

Some concerts feature a good bit of interaction with the lead musicians and accompanists exchanging notes, and accompanying musicians predicting the lead musician's musical phrases.

===Contemporary concert content===
A contemporary Carnatic music concert (called a ''kutcheri'') usually lasts about three hours, and comprises a number of varied compositions. Carnatic songs are composed in a particular ''[[raga]]'', which means that they do not deviate from the notes in the ''raga''. Each composition is set with specific notes and beats, but performers improvise extensively. Improvisation occurs in the melody of the composition as well as in using the notes to expound the beauty of the ''raga''.

Concerts usually begin with a ''[[varnam]]'' or an invocatory item which will act as the opening piece. The ''varnam'' is composed with an emphasis on ''[[swara]]s'' of the raga, but will also have lyrics, the ''saahityam''. It is lively and fast to get the audience's attention. An invocatory item may usually follow the ''varnam''.

After the ''varnam'' and/or invocatory item, the artist sings longer compositions called ''kirtanas'' (commonly referred to as ''[[Kriti (music)|kriti]]''s). Each kriti sticks to one specific ''raga'', although some are composed with more than one raga; these are known as ''ragamalika'' (a garland of ''ragas'').

After singing the opening ''kriti'', usually, the performer sings the ''[[kalpanaswaram]]'' of the ''raga'' to the beat. The performer must improvise a string of ''swaras'' in any octave according to the rules of the raga and return to beginning of the cycle of beats smoothly, joining the ''swaras'' with a phrase selected from the ''kriti''. The violin performs these alternately with the main performer. In very long strings of ''swara'', the performers must calculate their notes accurately to ensure that they stick to the ''raga'', have no awkward pauses or lapses in the beat of the song, and create a complex pattern of notes that a knowledgeable audience can follow.

Performers then begin the main compositions with a section called ''[[Alapana|raga alapana]]'' exploring the ''raga''. In this, they use the sounds ''aa, ri, na, ta'', etc. instead of ''swaras'' to slowly elaborate the notes and flow of the raga. This begins slowly and builds to a crescendo, and finally establishes a complicated exposition of the ''raga'' that shows the performer's skill. All of this is done without any rhythmic accompaniment, or beat. Then the melodic accompaniment (violin or veena), expounds the ''raga''. Experienced listeners can identify many ragas after they hear just a few notes. With the ''raga'' thus established, the song begins, usually with lyrics. In this, the accompaniment (usually violin, sometimes veena) performs along with the main performer and the percussion (such as a [[mridangam]]). In the next stage of the song, they may sing ''[[niraval]]'' or ''kalpanaswaram'' again.

In most concerts, the main item will at least have a section at the end of the item, for the percussion to perform solo (called the ''tani avartanam''). The percussion artists perform complex patterns of rhythm and display their skill. If multiple percussion instruments are employed, they engage in a rhythmic dialogue until the main performer picks up the melody once again. Some experienced artists may follow the main piece with a ''[[Ragam Thanam Pallavi|ragam thanam pallavi]]'' mid-concert, if they do not use it as the main item.

Following the main composition, the concert continues with shorter and lighter songs. Some of the types of songs performed towards the end of the concerts are ''[[tillana]]s'' and ''thukkadas'' – bits of popular ''kriti''s or compositions requested by the audience. Every concert that is the last of the day ends with a ''mangalam'', a thankful prayer and conclusion to the musical event.

===Audience===
The audience of a typical concert will have some understanding of Carnatic music. It is also typical to see the audience tapping out the ''tala'' in sync with the artist's performance. As and when the artist exhibits creativity, the audience acknowledge it by clapping their hands. With experienced artists, towards the middle of the concert, requests start flowing in. The artist usually sings the requests, and it helps in exhibiting the artist's broad knowledge of the several thousand [[Kriti (music)|kriti]]s that are in existence.

===Festivals===
{{Main|List of Indian classical music festivals|Madras Music Season}}

Various [[music festivals]] featuring Carnatic music performances are held in India, and throughout the world.

With the city of [[Chennai]] (then known as [[Madras]]) emerging as the locus for Carnatic music during the 19th century,<ref name="Hughes2002"/> its musicians founded the [[Tyagaraja Aradhana]] festival in 1846. The Aradhana festival is an annual death-anniversary celebration of the prolific Carnatic music composer, [[Tyagaraja]]. Held in the city of [[Thiruvayaru]], thousands of musicians attend the festival to perform his compositions. Since its inception, other festivals were started in a similar manner throughout India and abroad, such as the [[Chembai Sangeetholsavam]] in the Indian city of [[Guruvayur]], and the Aradhana in the US city of [[Cleveland]].

The city of Chennai also holds a six-week-long grand "[[Madras Music Season|Music Season]]", which has been described as the world's largest cultural event.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/02/03/stories/2005020301281000.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050207150555/http://www.hindu.com/2005/02/03/stories/2005020301281000.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2005-02-07|title=Musical Musings|access-date=2007-01-13|location=Chennai, India|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=2005-02-03}}</ref> The Music Season was started in 1927, to mark the opening of the [[Madras Music Academy]]. It used to be a traditional month-long Carnatic music festival, but since then it has also diversified into [[dance]] and [[drama]], as well as non-Carnatic art forms. Some concert organisers also feature their own Carnatic music festivals during the season. Thousands of performances are held by hundreds of musicians across various venues in the city.

The [[Karnataka Ganakala Parishat]] is an annual conference of Carnatic music, held in February every year, which has lectures and demonstrations in the morning, and performances in the afternoons and evenings.