MUSIC
September 2011
Silence and Pause in Indian Classical
Music
- Sandhyavandanam Madhva Muni Rao, Bangalore
email: munirao2001@hotmail.com /
munirao2001@yahoo.com
I have been reading, observing and listening to
the various discussions on the role of Silence in
Music, Indian Classical Music, in specific. The
discussions are mostly inspired by western points of
view and applying them to Indian Classical Music.
Silence and Pauses are two aspects in Indian
Classical Music. They are distinct and different.
The Performing musicians are creative artists.
During the performance(s), they get creative moments
and ideas for communication and presentation. To
offer, communicate and present a creative idea based
sangati or sanchara, they need to stop the flow and
start afresh. This process of momentary stop or gap
(correctly) in the flow, is pause. It is not
Silence. Fortunately, rarely, the creative artist
comes up with excellent ideas and its presentation.
Unfortunately, in reality, no new, afresh and
excellent ideas and its presentation happens.
Expectation and excitement is aroused and ends with
ordinary sangati or sanchara, serving only the
committed rasikas of the artist, who get the feeling
of fresh and new experience, with the deliberate and
conscious indulgence by the performer.
The Silence happens when the performing artist is
drawn creatively sub-conscious and totally inward
and in perfection, reaches pinnacles of pure and
sublime Nada and its effects, all pervading and all
consuming. The pervasiveness and consumption, is
realized only after the real creative moments,
performance and delivery. The moments, when both the
performer and the rasika are in the state of
suspended animation caused by the beuty (stunningly)
is verily, the Silence! The awareness and its impact
and benefits, happen after the Silence is over.
The pauses serve the limited purpose of arresting
the attention or even testing the preparedness or
patience of the rasika. But, Silence, a very rare
phenomenon, is truly blissful moment(s).
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