Sunaad Sangamam-2018, a two day Festival of Indian Classical music, got off to a flying start with a violin duet by Lalgudi G J R Krishnan and Lalgudi Vijaylakshmi followed by a vocal duet by Priya Sisters on the opening day organised at Sri Satya Sai International Centre recently.

The violin recital began with their guru’s composition, a varnam in raga Valaji, which gave the concert an irresistible initial momentum. This was followed by a short sketch of Bhavapriya, the 44th Melakartha raga in the Melakartha raga system of Carnatic music.

The duo chose Thyagaraja’s Srikantha niyeda and suffixed the composition with a short swara exchange. The next item Muthuswami Dikshitar’s sublime Dwijavanthi composition “Chetashri balakrishnam bhaja re” was beautifully rendered in the vilamba kala. The duo played their first raga alapana of the evening, a soulful Shudha Dhanyasi, in an unhurried expansion by Vijaylakshmi.

The siblings presented the well known kriti of Purandaradasa “Narayana ninnu namada” set to Khanda Chapu tala and executed niraval for “Krisna Krisna endu shisyaru peluva” as well. Two compositions followed in quick succession ~ Periasami Thooran’s “Muruga Muruga” in Saveri and Thyagaraja’s “Sri Rama Padama” in Amritavahani.

The duo delineated the raga Shankarabharanam artistically well for the main kriti Thyagaraja’s magnum opus “Swara Raga Sudha”. Kalpanaswara exchanges were tastefully presented. The siblings concluded their concert with “Enna thavam” in Kapi ragam followed by a popular Thillana in Madhuvanti composed by their guru.

V V Ramana Murthy on the mridangam and Alathur T Rajaganesh on the kanjira gave an able support and played in a sensitive manner without overpowering the main artists. Their thani avarthanam for Shankarabharanam was lively and won the appreciation of the audience.

Rasikas have come to love the music of the Priya Sisters for certain standard features ~ perfect synchronisation, clarity, assurance and depth of feeling in rendering songs by the great composers across languages and sparkling swarakalpana ~ all rendered with great confidence and manodharma. The evening concert of Priya Sisters lived up to the expectations of rasikas despite the acoustics in the hall had to be adjusted frequently.

Setting the pace with the Shankarabharanam varnam “Sami Ninne” set to Adi tala, Shanmukha Priya and Hari Priya, popularly called Priya Sisters, rendered Tyagaraja’s composition in Sriranjani, “Brochevar evare” in Adi tala with thrilling swaras at the pallavi. Then sisters took up gana raga Thodi with an impressive alapana followed by Tyagaraja’s “Aragimpave” set to Rupaka tala.

The niraval and kalpanaswaras at the charanam line, “Saramaina”, was steeped in bhava. Priya Sisters enunciated the lyrics for Arunachala Kavi’s master piece “Eppadi Manam” in Huseni with care and feeling, bringing out the sahitya bhava in full measure.

A brisk Varamu composition of Papanasam Sivan “Thunaipuridharul”, with rapid fire swara exchanges set the stage for the main item of the concert. The main piece of the concert was Dikshitar’s breathtaking composition “Meenakshi Memudam Dehi” in Poorvikalyani set to Adi tala.

The raga alapana, as well as rendition of the composition, were brought out in deep meditative glory. It is said Dikshitar shed his mortal coils when his disciples were singing the line “Meenalochani Pasamochani” from this composition, which was taken up for elaborate niraval treatment.

The swara exchanges between the sisters and V V Srinivasa Rao on the violin was well-executed prompting the rasikas in the hall to spontaneously applaud.

The sisters concluded their concert with Annamacharya composition “Neevu Devuduvu” in Sindhubhairavi and “Chinanchiru Kiliye” of Subrahmanya Bharatiyaar. Neyveli Skandasubramaniyam on the Mridangam and Madipakkam A Murali on the Ghatam gave a fulfilling thani during the main item.