Kirtana, traditional South Indian devotional songs : : compositions of Tyagaraja, Muttusvāmi Dīkṣita and Syama Sastri / / recorded and edited in staff notation by Emmie te Nijenhuis.

• Superior document: Handbook of oriental studies. Section 2, South Asia ; v. 26
• TeilnehmendeR: Nijenhuis, Emmie te.
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden ;, Boston : : Brill,, 2011.
• Year of Publication: 2011
• Language: English
• Series: Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 2 South Asia 26.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (vi, 302 pages).

At the beginning of the nineteenth century South Indian composers were still influenced by traditional religious concepts such as: temple rituals, pilgrimage and personal devotion. Tyāgarāja, Muttusvāmi Dīkṣitar and Śyāma Śāstri, the three prominent composers from the Tanjore district, used the kīrtana , a congregational song in praise of a deity, as a standard musical form. The compositions selected from the works of these composers show the various aspects of Hindu devotionalism. The detailed Western music notation of the editor, based on actual performances, will help the music student to understand the characteristic ornate South Indian melodic style. The introductory chapters contain general cultural information, biographical details as well as the original song texts with an English translation. With a unique MP3-CD containing all the kīrtana compositions.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material -- Musical Form in South India -- Tyāgarāja (1767-1847) -- Muttusvāmi Dīkṣitar (1775-1835) -- Śyāma Śāstri (1762-1827) -- The Role of the Vīṇā in South Indian music -- Appendices -- Bibliography -- Music Notation of the Compositions -- Key to the music notation -- Contents of the Audio CD.