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| 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
Ballet Philippines
Manila Symphony Orchestra
Ruggero Barbieri, conductor
Celebrations
for Giuseppe Verdi’s 200th 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 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.
