Viva Verdi 1813-2013 Bicentennial Gala Concert

Viva Verdi 1913-2013 Bicentennial Gala Concert participants
Photo by Kiko Cabuena

Featuring:

Gian Luca Pasolini, tenor

Alvaro Lozano, baritone

Rachelle Gerodias, soprano

Margarita Giannelli, soprano

Nenen Espina, soprano

Thea Perez, soprano

Andrew Fernando, baritone

Ronan Ferrer, tenor

Coro Tomasino

Ballet Philippines

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Ruggero Barbieri, conductor

Celebrations for Giuseppe Verdi’s 200^th birth anniversary had a fitting finish in the Philippines with Viva Verdi 1913-2013 Bicentennial Gala Concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The event, presented by the Embassy of the Republic of Italy, featured collaborations between Italian and Filipino artists led by Italian conductor Ruggero Barbieri, who for the first time conducted the Manila Symphony Orchestra. This tandem provided the live music accompaniment for the singers on stage that included tenor Gian Luca Pasolini and baritone Alvaro Lozano from Italy. The Italians were joined on stage by local talents that included sopranos Rachelle Gerodias, Margarita Giannelli, Nenen Espina and Thea Perez, baritone Andrew Fernando, and tenor Ronan Ferrer. Coro Tomasino acted out as the chorus while members of Ballet Philippines provided the dancing. Actor/writer/director Jaime del Mundo wa the evening’s narrator providing useful background information prior to the performance of Verdi’s masterpieces.

But the concert didn’t start out with Verdi’s music. In solidarity with those affected by the super typhoon Yolanda, the evening started with the orchestra playing Air on the G String (August Wilhelmj's arrangement of the second movement Air of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068) while images of the devastation were projected on screen.

After this, it was all business with Verdi. Some of the numbers were trips back to memory lane like Rachelle Gerodias’ reprisal of Violetta and Andrew Fernando’s Giorgio Germont in La Traviata. It was my first time to see and hear live performances from Rigoletto and Aida, both of which had their Metropolitan Opera productions screened some months before. I was really grateful that Jaime del Mundo was on hand or else I’d be completely lost as to what La Forza del Destino and Il Trovatore was all about.

The soloists were top notch with Rachelle Gerodias and Andrew Fernando’s ever reliable performances gave me the opportunity to relax and enjoy most of the night. This concert also gave me a chance to see Ronan Ferrer, Thea Perez and Nenen Espina perform in a featured capacity. Obviously, the audience was curious to see and hear how the Italian guest singers would fare. Tenor Gian Luca Pasolini had some fun showing off by doing some passages while laid down on a bench. On the other hand, Alvaro Lozano, was an imposing presence on stage that supported his equally imposing baritone. But the biggest surprise for many during that night was soprano Margarita Giannelli who wowed everyone with her rendition of Ritorna vicnitor from Aida. I still wonder up to this day why she didn’t do, O patria mia, a more emotional and difficult aria instead.

Alas, the praises I gave for the soloists could not be said for the chorus. Their rendition of Va, pensiero from Nabucco failed to convey the emotions that stirred the Italians to consider this song as their unofficial national anthem. The chorus also seemed a bit lost during the Triumphal March in Aida but I hardly blame them for this since there was supposed to be a dance number by Ballet Philippines during this part. The scene was hardly triumphant as the chorus was left uncomfortably looking at the projected images on stage instead and the audience wondering if there was something else that was supposed to be happening instead. Ballet Philippines’ minimal participation was left to the Zingarelle e Matadori in La Traviata which was the exact choreography from CCP’s production of the said opera.

This production was indeed very intriguing since there seemed to be a lot more stuff that happened behind the scenes like Ballet Philippines’ minimal participation. The Requiem portion was also scrapped but I think that having the Air on the G string tribute piece meant that Requiem had to go, or the chorus was already up to their necks with all that they had to do with the very little preparation time that this entire production had. But most intriguing of all was Alexander Cortez being the director of the whole affair for it was originally announced that Floy Quintos would be at the helm.

Anyways, the Embassy of Italy, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Philippine-Italian Association, and Rustan's were able to pull off Viva Verdi 1913-2013 Bicentennial Gala Concert and it was still a great success judging by the happy faces of the many people at the lobby after the concert. But I never imagined all the headache and the drama (that completely dissolved away with the audience’s applause) that goes into putting up a show like this. I guess it’s all very fitting considering this is how Giuseppe Verdi’s operas are, full of drama whether it’s on or off the stage.