About Masterworks from the NCPA Archives
Masterworks from the NCPA Archives is a 2012 studio album featuring live recordings by Hindustani classical vocalist Girija Devi. The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) curated the archival material for this release. Sony Music issued the album on compact disc as part of its efforts to preserve and disseminate recordings of Indian classical music performances.
Girija Devi performs five compositions in this collection. She opens with a khyal in Raga Bilaskhani Todi set to Teental, a 16-beat rhythmic cycle. The second track presents a hori in Raga Mishra Kafi, rendered in Deepchandi Taal, a 14-beat cycle often associated with devotional and seasonal themes. The third piece is a chaiti in Raga Kalingada Mishra, structured in Addha Taal, a six-beat cycle commonly used in semi-classical forms.
The album continues with a bandish thumri in Raga Bhairavi, set to Teental. Devi concludes the recording with a tappa in the same raga but shifts to Addha Taal. The selections showcase her command of the Banaras gharana style, emphasizing intricate taan patterns, emotive phrasing and rhythmic improvisation.
The release date for the album aligns with the 2012 publication by Sony Music. The NCPA Archives provided the source recordings, though the specific performance dates remain undocumented in publicly available materials. The album serves as a representative sample of Devi’s concert repertoire from her later career, capturing her interpretations of traditional and semi-classical forms.