Songs and Symphony with the PPO

Conductors Michaël Cousteau and Agripino Diestro

Featuring:

Maria Krissan Manikan, soprano

Myramae Meneses, soprano

Jade Riccio, soprano

Elainne Marie Vibal, soprano

Ivan Niccolo Nery, tenor

Emmanuel de la Rosa, tenor

Jilllbert Chua, baritone

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Michaël Cousteau, conductor

Programme:

Cesar Franck Symphony in D minor

Jacques Offenbach Nous venons, arrivons de tous les pays du monde from La vie parisienne

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

     Protegga il giusto cielo from Don Giovanni

     Prenderò quel brunettino from Così fan tutte

     Fra gli amplessi from Così fan tutte

George Bizet

     Nous avons en tête une affaire from Carmen

     Mêlons! – Coupons! from Carmen

Giuseppe Verdi

     Parigi, o cara, noi lasceremo from La Traviata

     Libiamo ne'lieti calici from La Traviata

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s 29^th concert season has just recently concluded but they still had another performance entitled Songs and Symphony with the PPO at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) barely a week later. French conductor Michaël Cousteau led the PPO in a FrancoPhil event organized by the Embassy of France, the Alliance Française de Manille and Rustan's featuring voice students who were chosen from auditions that were announced months ago. This concert was the culminating activity that marked the end of the weeklong workshop that the chosen students took under the guidance of Stephane Werchowski and Florence Guignolet, two French voice experts from the Paris Conservatoire de Rayonnement Régional.

Ralph Timmermann, French Ambassador Gilles Garachon, Richard Künzel

and Ricarda Künzel

The first part of the programme consisted of the orchestra playing Cesar Franck’s Symphony in D minor. When I found out that this was the symphony to be played in this concert, I tried to make myself acquainted with it since I’ve never heard it before. During the course of my studies regarding this piece, I learned that the French didn’t warm up to the symphonic form compared to other countries in the region, hence the very limited number of such works from French composers. And sadly, the piece didn’t get through me at all despite my efforts. The orchestra performed it competently under the baton of Cousteau, but figuring out the cyclic nature of the work and also feeling that the second movement, notable for its use of the English horn, was alright, they still weren't enough for me to place this piece among those that appeal to me, let alone include it among one of my favorites. I guess that this was just one of those moments that the music didn’t connect to me at all. This is all a matter of preference since someone among the audience may have this certain piece as his or her favorite.

On the second half of the programme, the chosen participants had their moment to shine. The students who took the masterclass and performed at this concert were Maria Krissan Manikan, Myramae Meneses, Jade Riccio, Elainne Marie Vibal, Ivan Niccolo Nery, Emmanuel de la Rosa, and Jilllbert Chua. At first, I was a bit worried since the song selection wasn’t announced prior to the concert and I do like going into a concert knowing what was to be performed. My worry increased when I learned that the songs to be performed, arias by Offenbach, Mozart, Bizet and Verdi, were not just mostly unknown to me and but they are also in another language. But Florence Guignolet made things very accessible by employing lots of humor in this section. I must admit though that I got lost in whatever the narrative was since one song segued into the other. While I was confused with whatever the story was, the performers looked very comfortable and clearly enjoyed their moment on stage. Despite not having the technical competence of the professional opera singers, they performed with reckless abandon and without any restraint. This fun section of the program continued on up to the encore of Oui, voilà la vie parisienne by Offenbach from La vie parisienne.

Stephane Werchowski and Florence Guignolet with the masterclass participants 

The audience and the rest of the French Embassy officials, including the new Ambassador Gilles Garachon were pleased with the result of the workshop and the concert. I’ve heard some talk at the lobby making this an annual affair. If that is the case, voice students should already prepare for the next round of auditions.