''Kriti'' (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

: कृति, ''kṛti'') is a format of musical composition typical to

Carnatic music Carnatic music, known as or in the Dravidian languages, South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, an ...

. ''Kritis'' form the mental backbone of any typical Carnatic music concert and is the longer format of Carnatic song. "Kriti" also means Creation.

Structure

Conventional ''Kritis'' typically contain three parts #''

Pallavi A pallavi has multiple connotations in carnatic music. It is the first part of any formal composition (Krithi) which has three segments - Pallavi, Anupallavi and Charanam (which can be one or more). Pallavi is usually also an abbreviation of R ...

'', the equivalent of a

refrain A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the vi ...

in Western music #'' Anupallavi'', the second verse, which is sometimes optional #''

Charanam Charanam (meaning ''foot'') in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music) is usually the end section of a composition which is sung after the anupallavi. There may be multiple ''charanams'' in a composition which make up different stanzas, b ...

'', the final (and longest) verse that wraps up the song The ''charanam'' usually borrows patterns from the ''anupallavi''. The ''charanam's'' last line usually contains the composer's signature, or ''

mudra A mudra (; sa, मुद्रा, , "seal", "mark", or "gesture"; ,) is a symbolic or ritual gesture or pose in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. While some mudras involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers. As wel ...

'', with which the composer leaves their mark.

Variations

Some Kritis have a verse between the ''anupallavi'' and the ', called the '' ''. This verse consists only of notes, and has no words. Other ''krithis'', particularly some of

Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi Oothukkaadu Venkata Kavi (-1765) or Oottukkaadu Venkata Subbaiar was one of the pioneering composers in Indian classical Carnatic music. He lived in South India in the present-day state of Tamil Nadu. Also known by the name Oothukkaadu Venkatas ...

and

Muthuswami Dikshitar Muthuswami Dikshitar (Mudduswamy Dikshitar)(, 24 March 1776 – 21 October 1835), mononymously Dikshitar, was a South Indian poet, singer and veena player, and a legendary composer of Indian classical music, who is considered one of the musical ...

's compositions, are intentionally composed without an ''annupallavi'', where the verse after the pallavi is called the ''samashti charanam''. Still others have some more ''sāhityā'' at the end of the ', set in ''madhyamakāla'' (few lines within a song that are sung faster than the rest of it).About Indian Music
/ref> There are krithi's, such as

Thyagaraja Thyagaraja (Telugu: త్యాగరాజ) (4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Thyāgayya and in full as Kakarla Thyagabrahmam, was a composer and vocalist of Carnatic music, a form of Indian classical music. Tyagaraja and his ...

's ''Enduku Nirdhaya'' that have no ''annupallavi'' but many short ''charanams''. Often, the artists take up certain lines of a Krithi for ''

neraval In Carnatic music, Neraval also known as Niraval or Sahitya Vinyasa is the elaboration and improvisation of melody for a particular line. Usually, just one or two lines of text from the song (from the charanam part of the kriti) are sung repeat ...

''. One of the greatest explorers of the krti form was

(1700–1765), who has created numerous varieties within this form, often with innovations in contrasting speeds, gaits (''gatis'') and lyrical variation (''sahitya-sangatis''), sectional partitioning and singular blending of rhythmic syllables and lyrics.

References

External links

Sivakumar Carnatic Music Archive Kriti collection
Carnatic music Carnatic music terminology {{Carnatic-music-stub