Karnatak classical music developed principally with the support of royal and other wealthy patrons as well as the Hindu temple system. Traditional performance contexts included the court, the temple, and the home altar. In this century, the contexts of Karnatak musical performance have expanded to encompass the public concert hall and the mass media. An examination of these contexts provides an introduction to the subsequent discussion of Karnatak genres and composers.
The temple has long been a locus...