Elegantly Brahms

Pianist Sofya Gulyak

Featuring:

Sofya Gulyak, piano

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Johannes Brahms

     Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83

     Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98

The music of German composer Johannes Brahms was given tribute by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and Russian pianist Sofya Gulyak through a concert entitled Elegantly Brahms held at the Philam Life Auditorium. The concert, led by PPO principal conductor and music director Olivier Ochanine, consisted of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83 and Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98.

Sofya Gulyak, the winner of the 2009 Leeds International Piano Competition, has been a frequent visitor to the Philippines and this concert marked her fourth time to perform in here. In her previous concerts, Gulyak has played pieces by Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Shostakovich, and Prokofiev to critical acclaim. In her effortless tackling the Brahms’ second piano concerto, she exhibited majesty and certainty along with a light and deft touch that never waned throughout this lengthy piece. I was relieved when the horn solo parts especially during the introduction were delivered without any major hiccups. Alas, the cello solo during the third movement wasn’t a secure as I hoped it would be as the rest of the orchestra played well.

Even though the concerto was long, the audience wanted more of Gulyak and she obliged with an encore of Franz Liszt’s Transcendental Étude No. 12 in B flat minor, S. 139 Chasse-Neige. She played like she just started the concert for she never showed any sign of exhaustion when she tackled with ease and such clarity the difficult tremolos in this piece.

Brahms’ fourth symphony comprised the second half of the concert. I’ve always preferred the inner movements of this piece. The second movement that felt like a funeral march featured my favorite clarinet duet part. And the third movement, lively and fast stood out from the rest of the melancholic symphony which added to the movement’s impact. I thought that I was going to just sit, relax and soak in the performance but at the back of my mind, it dawned on me that this could not only be the last performance of the PPO at the Philam Life Auditorium, but also my last time to watch anything there.

I admit that I got distracted during this performance primarily because I thought about the uncertain fate of the auditorium. Secondly, I was disappointed by the low audience turnout considering that the previous concerts by Gulyak had been well attended. I imagined that the last orchestral performance at the Philam Life Auditorium would be a full house affair featuring a piece that brimmed with joy and exuberance like a symphony that went from minor to a celebratory major as it ends. Unfortunately, what I hoped for didn’t happen during that night. But there’s still hope for Philam Life Auditorium as Olivier Ochanine has spearheaded a petition that aims not only to save, but also to revitalize the venue as well.