MSO I: Ode to Stars

Arturo Molina conducts the Manila Symphony Orchestra

Featuring:

Gina Medina, violin 

Jiovanni Tabada, double bass

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Lucio San Pedro Ang Buwan sa Kabundukan

Giovanni Bottesini Gran Duo Concertante for Violin and Double Bass

Gustav Holst The Planets, Op. 32

John Williams

     Overture from E.T the Extra-Terrestrial

     Theme from Star Wars

The gloomy weather outside was no match for the colorful evening presented by the Manila Symphony Orchestra during the opening concert of their 2013-2014 Concert Season dubbed as Color Your World. The MSO did color the night even before the first note was played through the brightly colored gowns worn by the female members of the orchestra. The whole orchestra looked resplendent as they debuted their new look for this season on stage inside the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

The concert entitled Ode to Stars which was conducted by Arturo Molina started with the ethereal, airy and dreamy Ang Buwan sa Kabundukan by Lucio San Pedro. For some, the music was so soothing that it almost lulled them into sleep. Thank goodness that at one point, there was a lively dance, representing the revelry of the people during the night. And it did serve as a break from the dreaminess of the whole piece. Acting concertmaster Sara Maria Gonzalez had some exquisite violin solos in this piece as well.

Violinist Gina Medina
and Double Bassist Jiovanni Tabada

The orchestra’s regular concertmaster, Gina Medina and double bassist Jiovanni Tabada were the featured soloists for the next piece which was Giovanni Bottesini’s Gran Duo Concertante for Violin and Double Bass. The unusual pairing of instruments, representing the extremes of the strings section resulted in a very interesting piece of music and performance. The almost playful banter between the string's smallest and the biggest instrument gave way to interesting duet passages as well. Tabada’s double bass ventured into high registers that almost had him going beyond the fingerboard. My favorite part during the performance was when Medina was playing the melody while Tabada accompanied her with arpeggios that looked very tricky when played with the double bass.

And then we were off to outer space during the second half with Gustav Holst’s The Planets, Op. 32. The MSO changed the order of the movements a bit and tucked Jupiter, the most popular and most often played part, towards the end. Many in the audience probably wasn’t prepared to hear the piece in its entirety, so I noticed some of them shifting in their seats at around Saturn which was played as the fourth movement. But what interested me most in this performance was where the women’s chorus, composed of members of Viva Voce, would be placed during the Neptune part. Traditionally, they perform offstage and hidden from the audience. It made me curious as to how they would receive their cues from the conductor if they would be hidden. It turned out that the chorus was placed at the upper left boxes and some of the audience had to crane their necks to look above to see them. Well, it was apt that people had to look up since the night had this intergalactic, heavenly bodies theme to it. Normally, this Neptune part ends the piece. But with the women’s chorus fading out towards the end, it’s not the climactic ending that most people would expect from a major work such as this. And I think that this made the decision to have Jupiter as the final movement of this piece so that they would have this explosive end. The people responded really well by the end of The Planets that I think that they almost forgot that there were supposed to be two John Williams’ pieces yet to be played: themes from the films E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Star Wars. MSO executive director Jefrey Solares told us in jest before that people demanded a John Williams piece to be part of the concert and I guess that they caved in to popular demand. But giving into it was worth it since these two pieces were very much applauded prompting a huge chunk of the audience to give the orchestra a standing ovation.

The Color Your World MSO 2013-2014 Concert Season continues with The Trumpet Calls featuring Belgian guests: trumpeter Manu Mellaerts and conductor Thanos Adamopoulos happening on July 6, 2013, 8:00 PM at the Santiago Francisco Hall at the BDO Complex.

Text by RAd

Photos by the Manila Symphony Orchestra

Manila Symphony Orchestra launches 2013-2014 Concert Season

The Manila Symphony Orchestra is set to bring color to our world through music via their 2013-2014 Concert Season dubbed as Color Your World. The orchestra had a press conference recently at the Ayala Museum launching the new season which will now be held mostly at the Santiago Francisco Hall at the South Tower of the BDO Corporate Center.

Guest artists for this season include a couple of Belgians: Thanos Adamopoulos who will be conducting the MSO once again and trumpeter Manu Mellaerts. Both will be performing in a concert co-presented by the Embassy of Belgium. Netherlands-trained double bassist Jiovanni Tabada and violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr. who recently graduated from the Juilliard School will also be among the guest soloists this season. Several MSO musicians to be featured as soloists include concertmaster Gina Medina, oboist Jayson Pagtakhan, clarinetist Randolf Lopez, horn player Celso de Leon, and bassoonist Noel Singcuenco.

The Manila Symphony Orchestra

This season will also celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of Giuseppe Verdi through a concert extravaganza featuring his works. This concert will put the spotlight on a mixture of veteran and up-and-coming vocalists that include sopranos Camille Lopez-Molina, Tanya Corcuera and Myramae Meneses, tenor Ivan Niccolo Nery and baritone Noel Azcona. Prof. Arturo Molina conducts the Manila Symphony Orchestra for the whole season with the exception of the concert featuring guest conductor Adamopoulos.

The MSO also has a promo wherein subscribers can win an iPad mini. One has to subscribe to and attend all five concerts to be eligible to win. A subscriber can let someone else use his pass if he couldn’t make it to the concert himself. This promo was intended to encourage subscribers to make full use of their subscription.

The press conference was held prior to the fifth and last concert of the Rush Hour Concert Series that was held at the ground floor lobby of the Ayala Museum. Previous concerts featured various sections and all the sections finally got together for the last concert of the series that also served as the MSO 2013-2014 Season Launch. The audience was treated to a variety of music ranging from the Baroque era up to the 20^th Century. The orchestra also offered a teaser of their upcoming season by playing the Finale from Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 88 in G major and Mars from Gustav Holst’s The Planets, Op. 32. Both of these pieces will be played in its entirety at a couple of their concerts this season.

Conductor Arturo Molina

The concert series were aimed towards office workers in Makati as a way to pass the time while waiting for the rush hour traffic subside. And I was pleasantly surprised when I saw unfamiliar faces enjoying the performance and the concert regulars were nowhere to be seen. This means that the Rush Hour Concert Series was able to reach out to a new audience that the MSO and I hope will eventually check out the orchestra's upcoming season.

Here is the schedule of MSO's Color Your World 2013-2014 Concert Season:

June 8, 2013

Ode to Stars

Featuring:

Gina Medina, violin 

Jiovanni Tabada, double bass

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Lucio San Pedro Ang Buwan sa Kabundukan

Giovanni Bottesini Gran Duo Concertante for Violin and Double Bass

Gustav Holst The Planets, Op. 32

John Williams
     Overture from E.T the Extra-Terrestrial
     Theme from Star Wars

July 6, 2013

The Trumpet Calls

Featuring:

Manu Mellaerts, trumpet

Thanos Adamopoulos, conductor

Programme:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 35 in D major, K. 385 Haffner

Johann Nepomuk Hummel Trumpet Concerto in E flat major, S. 49

Franz Schubert Symphony No. 9 in C major D. 944 Great

August 10, 2013

Spectacle

Featuring:

Diomedes Saraza Jr., violin

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Antonín Dvořák Carnival Concert Overture, Op. 92, B. 169

Béla Bartók Violin Concerto No. 2, BB 117

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36

September 14, 2013

Verdi’s Opera Extravaganza

Featuring:

Camille Lopez-Molina, soprano

Tanya Corcuera, soprano

Myramae Meneses, soprano

Ivan Niccolo Nery, tenor

Noel Azcona, baritone

Arturo Molina, conductor

January 14, 2014

Classics (The MSO Turns 88)

Featuring:

Jayson Pagtakhan, oboe

Randolf Lopez, clarinet

Celso de Leon, horn

Noel Singcuenco, bassoon

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 88 in G major, Hob. 1/88

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Sinfonia Concertante in E flat major for Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon, K. 297b

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21

All concerts will be held at the Santiago Francisco Hall at the South Tower of the BDO Corporate Center except the June 8 concert Ode to Stars which will be held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

Gina Medina and Jiovanni Tabada headline MSO’s opening concert

Featuring:

Gina Medina, violin 

Jiovanni Tabada, double bass

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Lucio San Pedro Ang Buwan sa Kabundukan

Giovanni Bottesini Gran Duo Concertante for Violin and Double Bass

Gustav Holst The Planets, Op. 32
John Williams
     Overture from E.T the Extra-Terrestrial
     Theme from Star Wars

For the second time in three years, the Manila Symphony Orchestra will hold its opening concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). This concert billed as Ode to Stars will feature soloists Gina Medina (violin) and Jiovanni Tabada (double bass) performing Giovanni Bottesini’s Gran Duo Concertante for Violin and Double Bass.

The MSO also takes advantage of the bigger CCP stage as they prepare to perform a monumental work of music: Gustav Holst’s The Planets, Op. 32. The suite’s Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity is immensely popular and mostly played on its own. But the audience will now have the chance to hear the orchestra play the suite in its entirety. In keeping with the night’s theme of heavenly bodies, the orchestra will also perform Lucio San Pedro’s Ang Buwan sa Kabundukan. and music from the films Star Wars and E.T. the Extra Terrestrial by John Williams. Prof. Arturo Molina conducts in this concert.

Violinist Gina Medina

Concertmaster Gina Medina is a familiar face and presence in the country’s classical music scene. She has performed as soloist with the Manila Symphony Orchestra and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra for the past few years. She is also an active chamber music performer as well. Jiovanni Tabada on the other hand, is still relatively unknown in the country. The MSO hopes that this concert will introduce Jiovanni to the Filipino audience.

Double Bassist Jiovanni Tabada

According to the MSO’s facebook page, Jiovanni received his basic music training on double bass in 1996 at Salvador and Pilar Sala Foundation in Cebu. Four years later, he was awarded a full grant to study in one of the best conservatories in Europe, the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Netherlands. In 2009, Jiovanni graduated from the Royal Conservatory with a Masters Degree in Music, Major in Double Bass, with distinction. He has performed with the Sinfonia Rotterdam Chamber Orchestra, the Holland Sinfonia, and the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. He now resides in his hometown, Cebu, and is contributing to its growing music scene. He is currently the music program director of Sistemang Pilipino, an outreach program for children. At Sistemang Pilipino, he strives to promote his vision that music is for everyone.

Ticket prices:

P1200 Orchestra Center

P800 Orchestra Side

P600 Balcony I

-50% student discount

-20% senior citizen discount

-20% early bird promo available until May 30, 2013 only

For inquiries:

523-5712, (0916) 408-7549, sales@manilasymphony.com

PPO II: The Mysterious Mountain

Double Bassist Kurt Muroki

Featuring:

Kurt Muroki, double bass

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48

Giovanni Bottesini Double Bass Concerto No. 2 in B minor

Sergei Prokofiev Lieutenant Kijé Suite

Alan Hovhaness Mysterious Mountain (Symphony No. 2), Op. 132

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra finally took over the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) after getting displaced by the seven week run of the Phantom of the Opera. Led by principal conductor and music director Olivier Ochanine along with guest soloist, double bassist Kurt Muroki, the PPO presented The Mysterious Mountain, their second concert for their Milestones season celebrating the orchestra’s 40^th year and 30^th concert season.

This concert started with a very familiar piece, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48. I heard the PPO strings section rehearse this last January when they were preparing for the vin d'honneur. They eventually scrapped this from their repertoire for the event but I still told Olivier that this should be played at one of their season concerts. And then it finally happened. But this Serenade was delivered in an unusual manner for me. The performance I heard that night didn’t go to the extremes like having the introduction (and its subsequent reappearance towards the end) more robust, and making the fast passages more light and nimble. Things somehow stayed in the middle. I guess that this stemmed from listening to the recording by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan multiple times that a different interpretation startled me a bit. But the performance of the Élégie was sublime driving the audience to applaud right after the movement. After this was the performance of Giovanni Bottesini’s Double Bass Concerto No. 2 in B minor featuring double bassist Kurt Muroki. This was probably the highlight of the evening for many in the audience. Rarely do people see a double bassist on the spotlight and Kurt Muroki delivered a memorable performance. This concerto felt like it was actually a sung piece or an aria from an opera made possible by the clarity of how Muroki played his solo parts. Many times, it felt like he was playing a big cello that had additional strings for the lower notes. And for his encore, he did play a piece for the cello which was the Gigue from Johann Sebastian Bach Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007.

Kurt Muroki and conductor Olivier Ochanine

The second half of the concert started with the Lieutenant Kijé Suite by Sergei Prokofiev. I was very pleased that I didn’t have to wait that late into the season before I get to hear this piece that I suggested that the PPO play. It still fascinates me to think that this work is an early movie soundtrack by a notable composer who also wrote symphonies, concertos, and music for the opera and ballet. The PPO was able to showcase Prokofiev’s brilliance in telling stories and I  reckon that even if most of the people in the audience weren’t aware of the actual story of Lieutenant Kijé, they were able to get some of it. But I believe that viewing the actual film really helps since in it was the actual score in which this suite was based. Right off the bat, the Lieutenant Kijé theme by a solo cornet was played from a distance, off stage probably indicating that there was actually no such real person in the first place. After that came the fleshing out of the character through the fictitious romance, wedding and the delightful sleigh ride that followed it. And when the solo cornet theme was played for the last time, capping the whole suite with his death, it made me feel bad that Lieutenant Kijé did not really exist in the first place. For the last piece of the evening which was Alan Hovhaness’ Mysterious Mountain (Symphony No. 2), Op. 132, the PPO did something different. They played this piece with the stage lights dimmed as photos of various mountains were projected on stage. I usually don’t like gimmicks in orchestral performances but thank goodness that this one was not too over the top that it became a distraction. While the Prokofiev piece told a story, this one evoked feelings of majesty, mysticism and even spirituality. The opening 10/4 of the symphony really intrigued me at first and lured me to listen further. The double fugue later on felt like the opposing winds high up in the mountain. I initially looked forward hearing this piece back in 2011 when everyone else was celebrating Hovhaness 100^th birth anniversary. Well, the PPO may be a year too late in honoring him but good music doesn’t need to be timed with anniversaries in order to be played.

The Masterclass

I’ve said before that I always like having the masterclass before the concert itself. I prefer knowing the guest artists first for it gives me a greater appreciation of their performance. And a masterclass is a great way of knowing their styles, personalities and even some of their quirks that I eventually notice during their actual performances.

Kurt Muroki conducted a masterclass days before the concert and observing it had a big impact on me. For one, I’ve decided earlier on not to listen to the Bottesini concerto before the concert since it was the only one in the programme that I haven’t heard of before. And I want to have that element of surprise of hearing the piece for the very first time during a live performance. But someone had that Bottesini piece for the masterclass and that left me with no choice but to listen to it. I eventually got so tempted that I listened to a recording of the whole piece once I got home. So there goes the element of surprise for me.

Seriously, even though I don’t play the double bass I still learned a lot from the masterclass. One of the things he shared that I can apply to the piano is practicing not just the technique but also the performance. He explained that one must shut the brain, listen to the music and just play. After that comes the analysis of what works and what doesn’t. And then one repeats the process until he ends up with something that works in a performance. Because of this, the performance becomes freer and not too cerebral. As for someone like me who is obsessed with technique, this was a huge lesson for me as I am currently preparing for a somewhat public performance (which I am actually dreading). What this is all about, I can’t tell yet. But when it happens, Kurt Muroki will be someone that I have to thank for providing much needed help.

Kurt Muroki joins Philippines Philharmonic Orchestra’s Mysterious Mountain concert

Double bassist Kurt Muroki

October 16, 2012, 2:00 PM Masterclass

CCP Silangan Hall

October 19, 2012, 8:00 PM Performance

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Kurt Muroki, double bass

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48

Giovanni Bottesini Double Bass Concerto No. 2 in B minor

Sergei Prokofiev Lieutenant Kijé Suite

Alan Hovhaness Mysterious Mountain (Symphony No. 2), Op. 132

Finally, the Phantom has left the building and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra returns to their regular performance venue on October 19, 2012, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) as they stage their second concert for their 30^th season Milestones. Double bassist Kurt Muroki joins the PPO and its principal conductor and music director Olivier Ochanine for this concert entitled The Mysterious Mountain.

The Mysterious Mountain is taken from one of the pieces to be performed this evening which is Alan Hovhaness' Symphony No.2, Op. 132. This work was originally scheduled to be part of PPO’s April 2011 concert Poom and Mahler I but was subsequently removed from the lineup. I wondered if this piece would somehow find its way in a future concert. And finally it did. Other pieces to be performed for this evening will be Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48, Giovanni Bottesini’s Double Bass Concerto No. 2 in B minor that will feature Kurt Muroki, and the piece that I suggested, Sergei Prokofiev’s Lieutenant Kijé Suite.

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

But before the concert, specifically on October 16, 2012, 2:00-6:00 PM at the CCP’s Silangan Hall, Kurt Muroki will conduct a masterclass. According to the press release, Muroki has won numerous competitions including first prize in the Aspen Music Festival double bass competition, the first bassist to win the New World Symphony concerto competition and the Honolulu Symphony Young Artists competition. He is currently the double bass teacher at the Bowdoin International Music Festival, The Juilliard School, and Stony Brook Unviersity, and is a Distinguished Artist faculty with the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings.

All of the pieces with the exception of the Bottesini are among my favorites so this concert is a can't miss for me. But I'll be attending the masterclass as well to get a feel for the double bass in preparation for this new experience since I also haven't seen a double bass concerto with an orchestra before.

Conductor Olivier Ochanine

Ticket prices:

P1000 Orchestra Center

P800 Orchestra Side

P500 Balcony I Center

P350 Balcony I Side

P200 Balcony II

-50% student discount

-20% senior citizen discount

For inquiries:

CCP Marketing Department 832-1125 loc. 1806

CCP Box Office 832-3704

TicketWorld 891-9999