PPO VII: The Maestro’s Maestro

Violinist Gao Can and conductor Mark Gibson
with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra 

Featuring:

Gao Can, violin

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Mark Gibson, conductor

Programme:

Georges Bizet Petit Suite from Jeux d’enfants, Op. 22

Camille Saint-Saëns Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61

Maurice Ravel Daphnis et Chloé

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra welcomed guest conductor Mark Gibson at their latest performance which was also the penultimate concert of their 30^th Concert Season entitled Milestones. The orchestra’s principal conductor and music director Olivier Ochanine considers Mark Gibson as his mentor; hence this concert was dubbed as The Maestro’s Maestro. This performance held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) also featured violinist Gao Can as the guest soloist.

The concert was purely a French affair as works by Georges Bizet, Camille Saint-Saëns and Maurice Ravel (all from France) were performed during that night. The PPO started with Bizet’s Petit Suite from Jeux d’enfants, Op. 22 which is a very light, accessible piece that even a non concertgoer could easily appreciate. This appetizer set the mood for my main course for that night: Gao Can’s performance of Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61. Gao Can delivered a very polished and precise rendition of this popular violin concerto. It almost bordered on being a clinical performance because of surgeon like precision, but thankfully not on the expense of artistry. He further gave a display of this remarkable skill when he played the Allemanda from Eugène Ysaÿe’s Violin Sonata No. 4 in E minor, Op. 27 Fritz Kreisler.

I was already satisfied with the concert but there was still a whole another entrée during the second half which was Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé. At first I thought that Mark Gibson would have the PPO play the two concert suites from this ballet. But it looked like that they played entire piece which clocked for almost an hour. I admit that I found this piece very exhausting to listen to. While passionate and with rich and lush orchestrations, it was too long and complex for me without much to hook and bind all the parts together. I also found it difficult to imagine who the choreography to this music would look like. I think that this boils down to my difficulty in grasping French music compared to Russian, Spanish and German. Too bad that I never got the chance but I would’ve loved to ask Mark Gibson why he chose the Ravel piece for this concert. I would probably gain more insight about the piece and could’ve appreciated it even more.

Text by RAd
Photo by Orly Daquipil

Conductor Mark Gibson and violinist Gao Can headline Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra concert

Conductor Mark Gibson

March 22, 2013, 8:00 PM

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Gao Can, violin

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Mark Gibson, conductor

Programme:

Georges Bizet Petit Suite from Jeux d’enfants, Op. 22

Camille Saint-Saëns Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61

Maurice Ravel Daphnis et Chloé

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra welcomes guest conductor Mark Gibson and violinist Gao Can in their upcoming performance this March 22, 2013, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Centerof the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). This concert, billed as The Maestro’s Maestro and also the seventh in the orchestra’s 30^th Season Milestones, will feature the works of French composers Georges Bizet, Camille Saint-Saëns and Maurice Ravel.

The PPO’s principal conductor and music director, Olivier Ochanine, lets his own maestro, Mark Gibson take over the orchestra during this concert. Gibson conducts Georges Bizet’s Patit Suite from Jeux d’enfants, Op. 22, Camille Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61 and Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé. Chinese violinist Gao Can is the featured soloist in the Saint-Saëns’ violin concerto.

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

According to the press release, Mark Gibson, is in his fourth year as Artistic Director of the Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca and he maintains an active performing career on three continents while heading the Orchestral Studies program at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. He has trained in the United States with Gustav Meier, Seiji Ozawa and Leonard Bernstein who are all major figures in the conducting world. Gibson has also had some experience in opera when he served as the Associate Conductor of the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Bareclona, Music Director of the Opera de Maò in Menorca and has led productions in American opera companies such as the New York City Opera, The Minnesota Opera, Opera Pacific, the Dallas Opera, Cleveland Opera and the Michigan Opera Theatre.

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 local 1806

CCP Box Office 832-3704

TicketWorld 891-9999

Violinist Gao Can conducts violin masterclass at the CCP

Violinist Gao Can

March 21, 2013, 2:30 PM

CCP MKP Hall

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Gao Can is recognized as one of China’s most versatile young violin soloists. He won the Grand Prize at the 2006 China’s National Violin Competition, has received the special Recognition Award by Michael Hill at the International Violin Competition in 2007. A day before the concert, Gao Can will conduct a masterclass on March 21, 2013 from 2:30 PM up to 5:00 PM at the MKP Hall at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The masterclass will be followed by a short talk addressed to the participants. Observers can also watch the masterclass but one has to shell out P100 to be admitted. 

I prefer to watch a masterclass before the actual concert since it gives me more insight towards the style and personality of the soloist. And I always appreciate the actual performance after observing a masterclass since I get to see the soloist apply all that he has imparted to the participants.

Ticket price:
P100 Observers

For inquiries:

CCP Artist Training Division 832-1125 local 1605, ccp.artist.training@gmail.com