North India: Instrumental Music: Rudra Veena, Vichitra Veena, Sarod, Shahnai
About North India: Instrumental Music: Rudra Veena, Vichitra Veena, Sarod, Shahnai
North India: Instrumental Music: Rudra Veena, Vichitra Veena, Sarod, Shahnai is a studio album featuring classical instrumental performances from the North Indian (Hindustani) tradition. The recording showcases four primary instruments: the rudra veena, vichitra veena, sarod, and shahnai. Artists Asad Ali Khan, Gopal Krishan, and Ashok Roy contributed as soloists on the album.
The label Auvidis released the album in 1989 on compact disc. The production presents four tracks, each centered on a distinct raga. The opening composition explores Raga Gunakai through an alap section. The second track interprets Raga Bhimpalashri in jhap-tala, a rhythmic cycle of ten beats. The third performance renders Raga Bageshvari in teental, a sixteen-beat cycle. The final track features Raga Mishra Kafi without specified rhythmic or structural details in the available documentation.
Asad Ali Khan performed on the rudra veena, an ancient fretted lute associated with the dhrupad style. Gopal Krishan played the vichitra veena, a slide instrument with a resonant, sustained tone. Ashok Roy contributed on the sarod, a plucked string instrument known for its expressive melodic phrasing. The album does not explicitly credit a shahnai performer, though the instrument appears in the title. No accompanying artists, producers, or recording locations are documented in the provided context.
The release date aligns with the 1989 publication year, with no evidence of reissues or alternate editions. The album serves as a documented example of late 20th-century Hindustani instrumental music, emphasizing traditional raga forms and rhythmic structures.