Raga Todi

Raga Todi • Mishra Thumri is a studio album by Indian shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan. The record features a performance of Raga Todi, a classical raga in the Hindustani tradition, followed by a Mishra Thumri composition. His Master’s Voice released the album in 1962 on a 12\" vinyl LP under catalog number N 33E 10001 (exact catalog details require verification).

The album opens with Track A, a rendition of Raga Todi, showcasing Khan’s mastery of the shehnai in the vilambit (slow) and drut (fast) sections. The performance adheres to the raga’s structural framework, emphasizing its characteristic komal re (flattened second) and tivra ma (sharp fourth) swaras. The accompanying artists remain undocumented in available sources, though traditional tabla and tanpura support is presumed. The Mishra Thumri on the B-side incorporates elements of lighter classical and semi-classical styles, with Khan’s improvisations reflecting the banaras gharana influence.

The recording captures Khan’s signature phrasing and breath control, techniques that defined his contributions to Hindustani instrumental music. His Master’s Voice, a subsidiary of EMI, produced the album during a period when vinyl remained the dominant format for Indian classical releases. The original pressing included liner notes, though their authorship and content are not fully archived. Later reissues or digital remasters of this recording lack confirmed documentation.

Khan’s interpretation of Raga Todi on this album is frequently cited in discussions of 20th-century shehnai performances, though specific reception details from 1962 are sparse. The album exemplifies the era’s studio production standards for Indian classical music, prioritizing acoustic clarity and minimal post-processing. No alternate takes or extended editions of this release are known to exist.