Raga: Yaman - Gat - Matta Tal (2 + 3 + 4)

Raga: Yaman – Gat – Matta Tal (2 + 3 + 4) is a live instrumental performance by sitar maestro Ravi Shankar and tabla virtuoso Alla Rakha. The recording captures a traditional Hindustani classical music rendition of Raga Yaman, structured in a gat composition set to Matta Tal, a rhythmic cycle of nine beats divided into 2, 3, and 4 matras (beats). The performance adheres to the conventions of Hindustani classical music, featuring alap, jor, and jhala segments followed by the rhythmic interplay of the gat.

Ravi Shankar performs the sitar, executing the raga’s melodic framework with characteristic ornamentations, including meend (glissando), gamak (oscillations), and krintan (plucked embellishments). Alla Rakha accompanies on the tabla, maintaining the Matta Tal cycle while engaging in improvisational exchanges known as sawal-jawab (question-answer phrases). The interaction between the sitar and tabla demonstrates the rhythmic complexity and improvisational depth of the genre.

The track was released in an unspecified year, though it aligns with the mid-to-late 20th-century period of Shankar and Rakha’s collaborative work. The primary format is an audio recording, likely part of a live concert album or archival release. No specific record label is documented for this particular performance. The MusicBrainz Identifier (MBID) for the recording is 911562f2-bcbb-48c6-a1f9-393f69c7d793.

The duration of the performance is 9 minutes and 18 seconds. Notable sections include the gradual development of the raga through alap, the transition into the gat with the introduction of the rhythmic cycle, and the climactic interplay between the sitar and tabla. The recording exemplifies the collaborative synergy between Shankar and Rakha, a partnership recognized for popularizing Hindustani classical music globally.

Additional details about the release context, such as the specific album or concert, are not available in the provided context.