Application of Abstract Music in the Tabla Accompaniment in Purabang Thumri Gayaki with Special Reference to Farukhabad Gharana

The literal meaning of the term Abstract denotes to something that is undefined, unclassified and unique in its very way of expression. As Art gets diverted into two streams of visual and performing arts, the abstract forms of these two streams find its own dimensions. Abstract music develops as an art form which uses the abstract elements of sound and divisions of time to represent the nonrepresentational context of the art. Thus an analytical study is made with the help of tools like books, journals, online materials along with audio and video samples. In the scenario of World Music, the term was not coined until 1846 where it was first used by Richard Wagner in a programme to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. On the contrary, Hindusthani classical music has nurtured a strong essence of abstraction from its very nascent days. Beginning from Dhrupad while the music has travelled and emerged into khayal and later into further different forms like Thumri, Tappa, Kajri, Chaiti etc, along with the development of different taalas for percussion repertoires, improvisational ability has remained its soul and sole importance. The same Thumri or the Tabla accompaniment from the same Gharana is improvised and gets presented by the same artiste in several unique dimensions and colours each and every time. Music in that way seems more abstract than other forms of art because it represents states of emotion, symmetry and repetition, and other intangibles. And just because these qualities can’t be seen or touched, doesn’t make them any less real. Hindusthani music emerges to be one of the most abstract forms of music as it represents an artiste’s imaginations and emotions in its every dimension…and nothing can be more abstract than human imaginary power and emotional context.