Sitar Recital

Sitar Recital is a studio album by Indian classical sitarist Budhaditya Mukherjee, released on May 1, 1992. The album belongs to the Hindustani classical tradition and features Mukherjee as the sole instrumentalist. The recording label remains undocumented in available sources.

The album comprises four tracks centered on two ragas: Kalawati and Mishra Khammaj. The first three tracks explore Raga Kalawati through its structural components. The opening piece presents the alaap, followed by jor and jhala. The second and third tracks render gats (fixed melodic compositions) in vilambit Teental (slow 16-beat cycle) and drut Teental (fast 16-beat cycle), respectively. The final track features a gat in Teental set to Raga Mishra Khammaj.

Mukherjee accompanies his sitar with tanpura drone support, though the identity of the tanpura artist is not specified. Percussion details, including the presence or absence of tabla, are not confirmed in existing records. The album exemplifies the Etawah Baj (also called Vilayat Khan Baj), a sitar style characterized by intricate meend (glissando) and gamak (ornamentation) techniques. Mukherjee’s performance adheres to the gayaki ang (vocal-style phrasing) associated with this tradition.

The release format of the original issue is not explicitly documented, though later reissues suggest availability on audio cassette and compact disc. No commercial streaming or digital re-release information is verified from the provided context. The album’s reception and critical analysis remain unrecorded in accessible sources.