How did the audience receive a musician whose effortlessness and scholarly approach blended with a sonorous, smooth-flowing voice? With respect.
Shertalai Ranganatha Sarma brought such finesse to his recital that it was a joy for the listeners. His best offerings were the alapana of Vakulabharanam and the RTP in Brindavana Saranga. Ranganatha Sarma has won awards for his RTPs.
The professor began his concert with a Behag varnam by Veena Kuppaiyyar. The varnam is set to music by Professor T.R. Subramaniam. After Khambodi, Ranganatha Sarma sang Mysore Vasudevachar’s ‘Lambodharam’ interspersing it with kalpanaswara on ‘Surabhusura.’ This was followed by an alapana of Vakulabharanam with fine interlinking phrases, soft brigas and interesting combination of swaras in the middle and higher octaves.
While Mullaivasal Chandramouli (violin) worked hard to come with an equivalent display of the raga, a poignant rendering of ‘Ye Ramuni,’ the Tyagaraja kriti, came next. The rendition of ‘Neekepudu’, a Mysore Sadasiva Rao kriti, was succeeded by a brief Abhogi alapana. The line ‘Samayamu Juchi’ was enhanced with efficient niraval and the swaras had plenty of datu parastharas.
Sarma presented Dikshitar’s ‘Kalavati,’ in a soft and sedate pace, an example of how a concert reaches a comfort level with madhyamakala compositions. The Kalyani alapana was chosen for elaboration, and he sang ‘Enduko’ in Kalyani with niraval on the line ‘Tyagaraja Hrudaya.’
The Brindavana Saranga RTP came quickly, but with practised ease. The Brindavana Saranga pallavi was ‘Meenakshi Memudam Dehi Sada’ in chowka kala. He ended with a Sindubhairavi thillana. Shertalai Ananthakrishnan (mridangam) and Nerkunam Shankar (ganjira) enhanced the impact.
