 |
Floy Quintos, Arthur Espiritu, Andrew Fernando, Rachelle Gerodias, Daesan No,
Yun-Kyoung Yi, Raul Sunico, Jae-Joon Lee and Jae Wook Lee |
Featuring:
Yun-Kyoung Yi, soprano
Rachelle
Gerodias, soprano
Daesan
No, baritone
Andrew
Fernando, baritone
Jae
Wook Lee, tenor
Arthur
Espiritu, tenor
Philippine
Philharmonic Orchestra
Jae-Joon
Lee, conductor
UST
Singers
Finally,
the time came when I get to experience my first ever full opera production. I
just didn’t imagine that the opera would be La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi. The
opera’s story revolves around the courtesan Violetta who is the object of
affection of Alfredo. They eventually fall in love with each other but loving a
courtesan has its share of problems. And one such problem is Alfredo’s father,
Giorgo Germont who is not in favor of his son’s scandalous relationship with
Violetta since it has affected the marriage chances of his daughter. A plot
such as this has been told many times in different ways throughout the years.
No wonder I was told that La Traviata is indeed a good introduction to opera
for someone like me who is new to this artform.
My
preparation for watching this opera began right after the press conference by
listening to an audio recording of the work, trying to grasp the basic plot and
then watching Yun-Kyoung Yi’s recital that also featured Arthur Espiritu which
made me anticipate the opening night a lot more. A couple of days before the
opening night, I was able to sneak in and take a peek at their rehearsals over
at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). I noticed that the set
design was not as lavish as one might see from productions overseas that have
the benefit of a higher budget. There was much use of sheer white fabric
hanging from above the stage. But the light design that used projected images
made the fabrics and even the curtains look a lot more luxurious and
interesting. What I saw was already a dress rehearsal and yet it still looked
very rough with some members of the chorus not yet in their costumes. I wanted
to stay a lot longer but I decided to be patient and not to spoil myself. It
would be a lot better for me to experience the whole production with the rest
of the audience on the actual performance night itself.
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| Baritone Daesan No |
La
Traviata ran for three consecutive nights with the Korean leads performing on
the first and third nights while the Filipino leads performed on the second
night. Stage direction was by acclaimed director Floy Quintos while music
direction was by Maestro Jae-Joon Lee who also conducted the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. Also appearing in the opera were the UST Singers
playing the part of the chorus. This production was presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines
in cooperation of the Opera Guild Foundation of the Philippines
and Dae-Jeon Opera Company.
The Opening Night
The
opening night of La Traviata starring the Korean leads Yun-Kyoung Yi, Daesan No
and Jae Wook Lee brought to the Cultural
Center of the Philippines
a very diverse audience. Members of the diplomatic community like the
Ambassador Luca Fornari of the Embassy of Italy and his wife Silvana
Novelli-Fornari were there to enjoy the opera alongside some very enthusiastic
young music students from the University
of Sto. Tomas. Some well dressed
members of the audience looked like they’ve been to numerous opera performances
before while some were just like me who are total newbies. But the atmosphere
was that of excitement and eargerness to see and hear how this production would
turn out. To those who say that there is no audience for opera here in the Philippines,
the scene at the main lobby before and after the show would only make them eat
their words.
 |
| Soprano Yun-Kyoung Yi |
So
many superlatives had been said about Yun-Kyoung Yi and her performance as the
tragic courtesan Violetta proved once again that she deserved those praises. A
force of nature with her unearthly projection during Sempre libera and an exquisite showcase of restraint and elegance
during Addio passato, she was clearly
the star in this opera during the opening night. Jae Wook Lee, as the young,
love stricken Alfredo did manage to portray a brash youth ready to throw
caution to the wind in the name of love. And this worked well with Daesan No
whose arresting presence as the stern Germont was a nice contrast to the
impulsive Alfredo.
I
admit that I find sopranos the most exciting to listen to since the range of
their voice has the most opportunities for composers to explore. But on the
other end of the spectrum, I usually find baritones and their repertoire quite
boring. So credit should be given to Daesan No’s performance and his insanely
powerful voice since he had me really engaged in a baritone’s performance. I
guess it also helped that I wasn’t able to hear him during the rehearsals since
his part came in later in Act II and I left the rehearsals just after a couple
of numbers from Act I. I didn’t know what to expect from him and I was caught
unaware and was totally impressed by this pleasant surprise when I finally got
to see him.
I
came out of the performance feeling very exhilarated not just because of the
amazing performance but also realizing that I finally had my first opera
experience. I would’ve been satisfied and very happy with the experience but I
wasn’t done yet. I planned to watch both casts and that meant returning on the
next evening to see the leads portrayed by a Filipino cast.
Filipinos Take Centerstage
When
I was on my way for my second night of La Traviata, I got a bit worried that
the Filipinos’ fascination with foreigners, especially Koreans of late would
mean that there would be considerably less people on this performance. I would
feel very bad for Rachelle Gerodias (Violetta), Andrew Fernando (Giorgio) and
Arthur Espiritu (Alfredo) if this had been the case. I was glad to be mistaken
since this evening not just equaled the opening night’s turnout but it had a
more star studded audience with Ryan Cayabyab, Armida Sigueon-Reyna and no
other than Imelda Marcos in attendance.
The
Filipinos playing the leads didn’t disappoint and they brought in a different
approach and dimension to the opera. It was also my first time to see Rachelle
Gerodias in an longer role that had some meat and I saw and heard in her a
spirited and vigorous Violetta showing why she is one of the leading and
celebrated sopranos in the country today. I’ve seen and heard Andrew Fernando
before when he was one of the soloists during the PPO’s performance of Verdi’s
Requiem a year ago. So I knew what to expect from him. But one thing that I
didn’t expect was learning after the show that he actually had a viral infection
which I didn’t notice at all during the actual performance. For me, the
revelation for this evening was Arthur Espiritu who didn’t look like he exerted
any effort at all in reaching those high notes and then exhibiting moments of
utter despair and helplessness as he realizes that Alfredo and Violetta’s love
affair was coming to a tragic end.
It
would not be fair to compare the two sets of leads and decide which was better.
Although there were numerous discussions among people afterwards with both the
Korean and Filipino leads having their own share of those who preferred one
performance over the other. But for me, all I could say was that I pity those
who weren’t able to watch both casts since seeing both gave me a more complete La
Traviata experience. I also found it interesting that on the second night, the
male members of the chorus got mustaches and beards which they didn’t have the
previous night. I also noticed the change in the ending lift during the dance
sequence by Ballet Philippines’
principal dancers Jean Marc Cordero and Candice Adea. There were also some
changes in the minor roles like a new performer and performers switching roles
as well from the previous night as well.
As
expected, the after show frenzy that accompanies events such as these was as
bustling as the night before. The presence of Imelda Marcos made the meet and
greet a lot more interesting since she has this uncanny way of drawing
attention to herself and away from the performers. But the performers did get
to meet Mrs. Marcos at the after show cocktails. With or without Imelda, the
mood and atmosphere was still so upbeat that I decided to come back for a third
viewing on its closing night. I’ve seen the opera twice already, so why not
come back and complete all three performances?
The Closing Night
Watching
the same opera for three nights in a row has got to be one of the craziest
things that I’ve done so far in my years of watching concerts/shows. I guess
that seeing La Traviata for two nights would prompt anyone to do the same if it
was only possible. I managed to be back for a third night and got myself seats
at the parterre box section which had a great view of the stage. By then, I
somehow knew the opera like the back of my hand and there was nothing else for
me to do but to absorb everything and enjoy the evening knowing that it was
already the last performance. The last night was better than the first one with
the Korean leads making up for the slight wobbles that they’ve had before.
 |
| Tenor Jae Wook Lee |
I
guess that I was one of the few who were able to watch all three performances
of La Traviata. Maestro Jae-Joon Lee was one of those who expressed his
surprise and gratitude when I congratulated him for the third time since I
always did after every performance. This experience definitely made me want to
see more opera productions in the future. Thankfully, there are more scheduled
for this year. This production went for a more traditional approach and I do
hope that the others will try to push the envelope more and experiment with the
staging and interpretation.
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| The cast of La Traviata |
Seeing
the Koreans perform for the second time made me wish that there was another
show featuring the Filipino leads. Good thing that Rachelle Gerodias was
scheduled to perform a couple of weeks with the PPO after this. It was also
announced that Andrew Ferndando (and Arthur Espiritu as well) will be part of
the upcoming opera productions coming soon. I’ve yet to hear from someone who
watched La Traviata on any night regretting doing so but I’ve heard from some
people regretting seeing only one night or regretting missing the opera
completely. The only bad thing that I can say about the opera was hearing a
handful of people singing Violetta’s songs after the show although they clearly
do not have the chops for it.
