''Kriti'' (
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...
: कृति, ''kṛti'') is a format of musical composition typical to
Carnatic music
Carnatic music, known as or in the 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, and Sri Lanka. It ...
. ''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 v ...
in Western music
#''
Anupallavi'', the second verse, which is sometimes optional
#''
Charanam'', 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 and
Muthuswami Dikshitar'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''. One of the greatest explorers of the krti form was Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi (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