About Raga Des Malhar / Raga Nat Bhairav
Ali Akbar Khan released Raga Des Malhar / Raga Nat Bhairav in 1968. The album features two extended performances of Indian classical ragas. The primary format is a long-playing vinyl record. The release does not specify a record label.
Ali Akbar Khan performs both ragas on the sarod. The first track, Des Malhar, belongs to the Malhar family of ragas. This raga evokes the monsoon season and is traditionally associated with rain. Ali Akbar Khan presents the raga in a slow, meditative alap followed by a faster gat section. The second track, Nat Bhairav, combines elements of the Nat and Bhairav ragas. This raga is performed in the morning and carries a devotional mood. Ali Akbar Khan structures the performance with a gradual progression from alap to jor and jhala.
The album captures Ali Akbar Khan’s characteristic style, marked by intricate melodic phrasing and rhythmic complexity. The recordings preserve the improvisational nature of Hindustani classical music while adhering to the formal structure of each raga. The release date is listed as January 1, 1968, though the exact recording circumstances remain undocumented.
No additional musicians appear on the album. The total runtime and individual track durations are not specified in available sources.