Featuring:
Joseph Esmilla, violin
Manila Symphony Orchestra
Arturo Molina, conductor
Programme:
Antonio Vivaldi Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons)
Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV 269, La primavera (Spring)
Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, RV 315, L'estate (Summer)
Concerto No. 3 in F major, Op. 8, RV 293, L'autunno (Autumn)
Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, L'inverno (Winter)
Antonín Dvořák Serenade for Strings in E Major, Op. 22
The 4th Season of Filfest Cultural Foundation dubbed as All-Chestra started with the highly successful and critically acclaimed concert of pianist/tenor, Carlos Ibay with the Manila Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Arturo Molina. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see that performance so I knew that I had to make up for it by watching the second concert which featured violinist Joseph Esmilla.
There was a heightened sense of excitement at the lobby of the Insular Life Auditorium moments before the concert started. This was due to an excellent audience turnout and the enthusiasm that they radiated somehow led me to believe that the rest of the evening would be truly awesome.
Unfortunately, whatever positive energy there was outside wasn’t able to manifest itself during the performance inside the auditorium. Even before the musicians entered the stage, I was already taken aback when the setup meant for a smaller ensemble suggested that the concert would open with Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons which was actually listed as the second piece of the night according to the programme. Those who know me would attest that changes with the programme that are announced before the show starts do rattle me since I usually do make it a point to study the pieces to be performed beforehand. And I didn’t hear any announcement regarding the switch when Filfest Executive Director Martin Lopez delivered his opening remarks.
Normally, I would get settled in once the performance is underway. But I never felt that since Esmilla and the rest of the orchestra seemed very off. There were numerous slips from the usually solid Esmilla and it was difficult for me to believe if this was indeed the same violinist who did a sublime performance of Korngold Violin Concerto some months back.
The first two movements “Spring” and “Summer” felt uneven and unpolished not befitting of Esmilla and the MSO’s stature and caliber. And it was only during “Autumn” when it seemed that they were finally settling down and it was when “Winter” was being performed that they seemed to be completely at ease. But by then, the piece which comprised the first half of the concert was already over. It was indeed uncomfortable for me to see them this off. And while they were inexplicably off, the audience on the other hand was definitely on that night to the point that they’ve applauded the end of every movement. The only time that they didn’t was in between the second and third movements of Summer. And it felt like the applause, despite the audience’s noble intentions, only made it more difficult for the orchestra to get into the zone.
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| Joseph Esmilla and the Manila Symphony Orchestra |
Joseph Esmilla did manage to show his prowess when he performed Fritz Kreisler’s Recitative and Scherzo-Caprice for solo violin, Op. 6 during the encore. And then in an unusual turn of events, the orchestra returned for another pass of the third movement of “Summer”. It was rather confusing since I wasn’t sure if this was another encore or if they opted to have another go with it since they didn’t nail it the first time around.
After a brief intermission, the concert resumed with the performance of Antonín Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings in E minor, Op. 22 which was supposed to be the first piece. This piece has parts in which the strings divide into numerous sections and that meant that more players were needed. So the rest of the strings section of the Manila Symphony Orchestra joined those who performed earlier. The divisons into sections by the strings resulted in such a rich and textured sound but still retained the lightness which is the overall character of the piece. If there was a raging storm during the Four Seasons, then it’s all light, pleasant and a cheerful, sunny day in this Serenade.
Thankfully, the orchestra performed better this time. There were some fine moments during the Tempo di Valse of the second movement which reminded me of a Chopin composition. And I felt just the right intensity during the Finale. But it was still uneven; with the principals standing out from the rest especially those further back the stands. The MSO have a strong and solid string section and unfortunately, they weren’t able to display this strength during this night.
It was indeed a very strange evening. The concert was a success in terms of audience turnout but it wasn’t so based on the performance that I was able to see that night. Despite this setback, I remain hopeful that Joseph Esmilla and the Manila Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Arturo Molina will soon give a performance that will show what they really are capable of.
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| Joseph Esmilla with RAd and the Pinoy Violinists |
Text by RAd
Photos by Yuuko-san
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