About Maestro's Choice: Vocal
Maestro’s Choice: Vocal is a studio album by Indian classical vocalist Parween Sultana. Released on January 31, 2001, the album features three live-recorded performances of Hindustani raga compositions. Music Today issued the collection on compact disc as part of its Maestro’s Choice series, which highlights selections by prominent classical artists.
Parween Sultana performs three tracks on the album. She opens with Raga Maru Bihag, a late-evening raga characterized by its use of komal re and komal dha in the descent. The second composition presents Raga Amba Manohari, a rare raga associated with the Khamaj thaat and often rendered in slow to medium tempo. The album concludes with a tarana in Raga Hansdhwani, a light classical piece set to a faster rhythm that incorporates sargam and bol-taan patterns.
The recording captures Sultana’s vocal technique, including her control over taan and meend, alongside accompaniment by unnamed instrumentalists. The album’s production credits and session details remain undocumented in available sources. The release aligns with Sultana’s broader discography, which spans khyal, thumri, and semi-classical genres across a career beginning in the 1960s.
Maestro’s Choice: Vocal received distribution through Music Today, a label specializing in Indian classical and devotional music. The album’s packaging includes minimal liner notes, focusing on the raga descriptions without extended commentary. No commercial charts or certification records for this release are publicly verified.