Raga Bhairav

Raga Bhairav is a Hindustani classical music recording featuring sarod maestro Vasant Rai and tabla virtuoso Alla Rakha. The performance captures a traditional alap, jor, and jhala progression followed by a rhythmic gat in teental. Vasant Rai and Alla Rakha recorded the piece in 1968. The release format is a long-playing vinyl record. The label remains unconfirmed in available sources.

The recording opens with a slow, meditative alap where Vasant Rai explores the raga’s swaras in Bhairav’s characteristic komal re and komal dha. Alla Rakha joins with subtle theka patterns during the jor section, gradually increasing tempo. The jhala section features rapid meend and gamak ornamentations on the sarod, accompanied by Alla Rakha’s intricate bol patterns.

The gat section transitions into a structured composition in teental (16 beats). Vasant Rai executes complex taans and layakari, while Alla Rakha demonstrates tihai resolutions and dynamic laggi variations. The performance concludes with a climactic jhala and a final tihai. The total duration is 19 minutes and 42 seconds.

Vasant Rai and Alla Rakha’s collaboration on Raga Bhairav exemplifies the Maihar gharana style, emphasizing emotional depth and technical precision. The recording remains a reference for Bhairav interpretations in Hindustani classical music. Specific release details, such as the exact label or catalog number, are not documented in publicly available sources.