The Music of Hindostan c10.132

c10.132

The theory of *grāma* has remained barren, just because it was a mere scientific tabulation and did not sufficiently take account of the whole musical fact. It is true that the system of the Carnatic is arranged in accordance with it, and that the musicians of Hindostan hold it as a pious belief. But the musical science of South India is sadly over elaborated; and that of the North has followed quite another classification (see Chapter VI). The essence of the modern music lies in its numerous and intricate *Rāgs*, which, being modes calculated from one tonic and having the compass of an octave, correspond in so far to the *Tonoi*; but which again are very unlike them on account of their being sections not of one scale common to all, but of a variety of scales which practically refuse to be co-ordinated in Northern India, though not so much so in the South. Indian music has in fact retained in full force what, after the introduction of the *Tonoi*, Greek musicians only faintly felt, that distinctive *ēthos* of which Plato and Aristotle spoke so enthusiastically.¹