Pleasing recital
B.R.C. IYENGAR
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The concert by Vishnubhatla Sisters was good.
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SISTER ACT Saraswathi and Krishnaveni excel.
Besides Hyderabad Sisters, duet lady singers of notable merit are few in Andhra Pradesh; Vishnubhatla Sisters (Saraswathi and Krishnaveni) from Vijayawada fill up the gap to some extent. If they were only endowed with a good voice, they would be competing today with the leading artistes of the day. The most striking feature in their singing is their unruffled approach qualified with relaxation and scholarship. There is no hurry anywhere and each aspect of classicism as well as melody is treated with due respect. Perfect alignment with sruti, choice selection, equal and meritorious contribution in every featuremade the concert pleasing.
In their vocal concert last week under the patronage of Kalasagaram, there was traditional design, each item falling in its place and in right sequence. The performance started with the popular varnam in Sahana and the following item in Naatai, Jaya jaya swami, was a welcome change. This was followed by Marugelara in Jayanthi Sri, which built up the needed tempo.
Ritigowla raga came under detailed analysis and the account was well shared by both. The chittaswara in the song is of special significance. It is the normal practice to sing the swaras in the anupallavi and the sahithya in the charana. In the present case for instance, the highlighting of nishada in the swaras is of particular implication, in contrast to the close raga Anandabhairavi; the sisters however did not highlight this. They sang only the lyric.
Lathangi was the next choice and the right one at that. The krithi, Marivere dikkevvaru was presented with emotion. It was only in this song that the sisters indulged in neraval, a long time after starting the concert. The swarakalpana was attractive but was blatantly clear that they were highly rehearsed; it was also scalded. This is perhaps an in-built defect in their singing, which they should try to overcome. Making manodharma sangitha sound kalpitham is an odd blemish. The highlight of the concert was the piece Palinchu Kamakshi in Madhyamavathi. In every feature of the items alapana, neraval and swarakalpana, it was great, complete and satisfying. It may however be commented that the sangathis in a couple of the krithis are inadequate.
Dwaram Sathyanarayana Rao from the famous Dwaram School accompanied on the violin and as usual, his support was not only encouraging but also contributive. Prasad on the mridangam was thrilling. His thani was exhilarating. It was a pleasant surprise to find the sisters presenting an appealing and fulfilling concert.
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