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Critic's Review
Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
Though under Ravi Shankar's name, Flute and Sitar Music of India is actually a collaborative effort between Ravi Shankar, Vijay Raghav Rao , and Alla Rakha. There is a long and very beautiful raga here titled "Raga Malkauns-Alap and Gat in Jhaptal," which allows for long and delightful interplay between all instruments. The sitar may lead the way, but Rao's flute plays the part of the human voice singing to God in this piece. There is also a two-part suite entitled "Suite for Two Sitars and Indian Folk Ensemble," which again showcases the unique role the Indian flute plays in the composition, as well as some amazing counterpoint between the two sitars. Finally, there is the brief "Meditational Raga of Northern India," which uses space, drone, and silence as meditation checkpoints. In sum, this is a beautiful collection, and though not recorded terribly well, it does display some important aspects of Indian classical music by true masters of the form.
