This question in reality relates to the development of sitar playing techniques through an evolutionary process of tant ang to gayaki ang. I had the good fortune of listening to many well-known sitar players broadcasting through All India Radio. Between mid 1935 onwards upto mid 1940s, I had the good fortune of listening to the following on Lahore radio:
a. Ustad Siraj Ahmed Qureshi
b. Ustad Mohammed Poochhwale Delhi radio
c. Ustad Haider Hussain Chughtai Lucknow radio
d. Ustad Yusuf Ali Khan
e. Ustad Ilyas Khan Dhaka radio
f. Ustad Waliulla Kolkata radio
g. Several disciples of Ustad Enayat Khan, some of the names are Sailen Dasgupta, Renuka Saha, Jiten Mohan Sen (Surbahar), John Gomes etc. (about 10-15).
It was noticed that a beginning had been made to introduce melodic movements replacing the plucked version of earlier times.
However, some of the students of Ustad Enayet Khan had started the practice of playing on melodic line (instead of rhythm based execution), which Ustad Imdad Khan and Ustad Enayet Khan already popularised. It was from 1950 onwards that I could listen to Ustad Vilayat Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar when I felt that a new pattern / path seems to have evolved fully i.e. through the entire process of alap, jod, gat and jhala.
It was at that time that I had the good fortune of listening several times to Ustad Vilayat Khan from Delhi radio when intuitively I felt that “here is my Ustad” – “my Guru”.
To respond to the specific question, “what is my impression of their performance style? How was it significantly different from today’s sitar music?” Here we can divide the journey of sitar style into 3 sections:
a. Purely based on plucked bols which I have already described. Apart from a minor glimpse into the “matter” of music, I felt that it was based purely on bols based on rhythms i.e. focused on the how or manner of playing. Thus the “matter” of music was still to develop.
b. 1950 onwards, as mentioned earlier, the style of sitar playing especially in Bengal (Kolkata) reflected a midway, as Ustad Imdad Khan and Ustad Enayet Khan had already sown the seeds of gayaki ang in the techniques of sitar. However, the scope for improvisation, it appears, was limited as a fair portion of all the sections of sitar recitals was substantially pre-composed. All Kolkata players I heard had very impressive stylistic structure which was highly effective both musical and entertaining. It was noted that – especially in respect of Ustad Enayet Khan Saheb’s students, that there was a tendency to shift slightly away from dhrupad rendering, with the introduction of khayal elements – an important change.
c. Presently, the art of sitar playing has undergone deep and focused technological advances. Though in the seminar held in the past on “Gharanas of sitar”, of the seven gharanas that were represented – two of them made prominent and significant presentations. Those were our gharana and the Maihar gharana. Other five gharanas of sitar, viz. Dharwad, Indore, Lucknow-Shahjahanpur, Vishnupur and the Senia gharana made presentations but it was difficult to note any specialisation, projecting individual distinguishable styles. As has been well said, today sitar is a complete instrument through which the finest shades of emotions can be expressed. Individual recitals are able to match the grandeur of vocal music perhaps attracting greater interest of common people in comparison.
To conclude, we can mention that the stylistic change that occurred over 2 /3 centuries was from a rudimentary musical execution, today the sitar has musically achieved a very dignified and respected status in the music scenario not only in India but worldwide.