Raga Multani : Tritaal

Raga Multani (Tritaal) is a classical instrumental track performed by Ustad Bismillah Khan, a preeminent Indian shehnai maestro. The composition appears as track B1 on the 1978 album The Magnificence Of Stereo, released by His Master’s Voice (HMV). The album was issued on a 12\" vinyl LP and showcases Khan’s mastery of the shehnai in a stereo recording format.

The track renders Raga Multani, a raga from the Hindustani classical tradition associated with the late evening or early night. Khan performs the raga in Tritaal, a 16-beat rhythmic cycle commonly used in North Indian classical music. The recording captures the intricate phrasing, meend (glissando), and gamak (ornamentation) characteristic of Khan’s style, accompanied by traditional tabla support. Specific session musicians or arrangers for this track remain undocumented in available sources.

The Magnificence Of Stereo was part of HMV’s efforts to highlight Indian classical music through advanced audio technology of the era. The album’s production emphasized spatial separation and clarity, allowing listeners to distinguish the shehnai’s tonal nuances and the percussive layers of the tabla. No additional details about the recording location, engineers, or alternate takes are publicly verified.

Khan’s interpretation of Raga Multani on this release aligns with his broader repertoire, which often featured ragas adapted for the shehnai—a wind instrument traditionally linked to ceremonial and devotional contexts. The track exemplifies his ability to balance technical precision with emotional depth, a hallmark of his performances throughout the 20th century.