A vocal recital in Carnatic music that was featured by Visakha Music Academy at Kalabharathi, Visakhapatnam, last Sunday evening delighted connoisseurs. Music tended to sensibly surface the sensitive element of classicism characteristically embedded in it. It got exquisitely manifest in the ragam, thanam and pallavi that was rendered mainly in Ranjani.
Devoid of panchama nishadams in Aarohana and only 'pa' in Avarohana, the raga stands classified as the varjya, upanga janjyam of the 59th melakartha — Dharmavathi. A special attraction among the prathimadhyama ragas despite being none too easily negotiable for expansive expatiation, the vocalist made it appear as a cakewalk. Not only that, he rendered the following pallavi Ranjani niranjani, Janaranjani, Manoranjani, janani, Sree Ranjani in ragamalika. Ranjani followed by Janaranjani, Manoranjani and Sreeranjani (janyams of 29 Melam — Dheera Sankarabharanam; fifth melam — Manavathi and 22nd melam Kharaharapriya respectively). It got concluded with swaram in the two tempos and scintillating thani on mridangam and ghatam.
Another such eruditely rendered item was expansively elaborated version of Yemichesithenemi of Thyagaraja in Thodi in Misrachapu. The vocalist featured in the evening was Modumudi Sudhakar, staff composer, AIR, Vijayawada; widely travelled and recipient of many awards from many prestigious institutions. He was ably accompanied on violin by M. Neeladri Rao, staffer of AIR, Vijayawada, K. Sadgurucharan on mridangam and on ghatam by M. Suryaprasada Rao.
Warming up with the rendering of his own compositon, varnam in Sruthiranjani followed by Dikshitar's Sree Ganeshatparam in veenavaadini (a rarely heard raga) were effectively rendered. Sangeetha Samrajya Sanchaarini in Mohanakalyani, Yenthamuddo (Bindumaalini), Rama Rama yenarada (Sindhubhairavi) and Telisi Ramachinthana (Dhenuka) went next.
Then rendering Annamayya's compositions set to music by himself in Subhali, Mukhari and so on, he went on creating a serene fervour. More substantially, it got sustained on the violin by Neeladri Rao.
