Financed by the members of the family of late Gundu Sarojini, who was known for her intense love for carnatic vocal, Visakha Music Academy featured a recital by noted vocal duo Vishnubhotla sisters at Kalabharathi last Friday evening. The widely-travelled sisters Saraswathi and Krishnaveni, who hail from Vijayawada, performed in the able and amiable company of Ch. Sanyasi Rao from Vizianagaram on violin, B.V.S. Prasad on mridangam and Mandapaka Ravi on kanjira from Vizianagaram. Making their expression of manodharma, the rendering of alapana, neravu and swaram eruditely, they not only complemented each other but also kept the audience engaged throughout the concert.
Maintaining synchrony between their voices and intoning of the lyrical phraseology, they briskly rendered Vasantha varnam in two tempos, Parameswara of Dikshithar (nata) with brief but beautiful alapana and swaram, similarly Chedebuddhimanara (Athana) of Thyagaraja and Purushothamudavu neevu of Annamayya set to tune in Regupthi to start with.
Then they rendered Kamakshi of Dikshithar (simhendramadhyam, roopakam) prefaced with elaborate alapana and concluded with swarakalpanas alternately. Similarly, their rendition of Sarasasamadana of Thyagaraja (kapinarayani) some what elaborately, was soulful.
Then came the highlight of the evening, the expansive expatiation of Palinchu Kamakshi of Syama Sastry (madhyamavathi, adi) followed by an eruditely engaging thani on mridangam by Prasad and Ravi on kanjira. Sanyasi Rao while following and playing his turns was scholarly and added grandeur.
An Ashtapadi of Jayadev, Naadahare (desh), a composition of Purandharadasa and Annamayya marked a lilting tail-piece.
