Shudh Sarang: Alāp / Drut Teen Taal

Shudh Sarang: Alāp / Drut Teen Taal is a 25-minute, 44-second instrumental track performed by sitarist Imrat Khan and tabla player Shafaatullah Khan. The recording appears as the third track on the 1989 album Volume 2: Raga Megh/Brindabani Sarang/Shudh Sarang, released by Edelweiss Records in CD format. The composition explores Raga Shudh Sarang through an extended ālāp (unmetered improvisation) followed by a drut (fast-tempo) section in Teen Taal, a 16-beat rhythmic cycle.

The album belongs to a series of archival and studio recordings issued in the late 1980s, documenting performances by members of the Imdadkhani gharana (Ettawa gharana). Imrat Khan, a seventh-generation exponent of the gharana, leads the sitar rendition, while Shafaatullah Khan provides tabla accompaniment. The liner notes or original release documentation do not specify the recording location or date, though the album’s 1989 publication suggests the performance predates that year. Edelweiss Records, a label active in the 1980s and 1990s, specialized in North Indian classical music releases during this period.

The track structure adheres to the traditional khayal-influenced instrumental format, beginning with a gradual ālāp that establishes the raga’s melodic framework. The drut section introduces rhythmic complexity, with Khan’s sitar phrasing aligned to the 16-matra Teen Taal cycle. The interplay between sitar and tabla reflects the jugalbandi-style dialogue characteristic of the Imdadkhani tradition. No vocal elements or additional instrumentalists appear on this recording. The album’s remaining tracks feature renditions of Raga Megh and Raga Brindabani Sarang, though specific artist credits for those compositions are not provided in the available context.