Raga Behag
About Raga Behag
Tanjore Viswanathan recorded Raga Behag as track A3 on the album South Indian Flute. The album released in 1968 under the World Pacific label. The primary format consisted of a 12\" vinyl record. Viswanathan performed the composition on the bamboo flute, adhering to the Carnatic classical tradition. The track exemplifies the Raga Behag structure, characterized by its pentatonic scale and melodic phrasing typical of South Indian classical music.
The album South Indian Flute featured Viswanathan as the sole credited artist. The release date of 1968 positioned the work within a period of growing international interest in Indian classical music. World Pacific, a subsidiary of Liberty Records, distributed the vinyl in Western markets, contributing to the global dissemination of Carnatic instrumental music. No additional session musicians or accompanying artists are documented in available sources for this specific track.
Raga Behag spans approximately seven to ten minutes in duration, though exact timing varies by pressing. The composition follows the alaap-jor-jhala framework common in instrumental Carnatic performances, with Viswanathan emphasizing gamakas (ornamental oscillations) and brighas (fast melodic passages). The recording captures the acoustic properties of the flute without electronic augmentation, reflecting the production standards of the era. Further details on the recording location, producer, or additional tracks remain unverified in public records.