Cellist Damodar Das Castillo excites in Strings of Gold series opener

Mariel Ilusorio and Damodar Das Castillo

With a remarkable combination of youthful vigor and artistic maturity, cellist Damodar Das Castillo continues to excite as he and the ever reliable pianist Mariel Ilusorio officially christened the MiraNila Heritage House and Library as Metro Manila's newest classical music performance venue.

The concert also served as the unveiling of the newly restored Steinway 1904 grand piano.  With its dark brown finish and various ornate accents like the rococo-styled feet, the rare piano is a welcome change to the dominant stark black concert grand pianos that have dominated the scene for decades. 

But the audience had to wait a bit to hear the piano as the program began with a solo by Damodar performing the Prelude from Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009 by Johann Sebastian Bach. Right off the bat, Damodar, exuded a level of confidence and security that is beyond his 17 years.

And when joined by the seasoned Ilusorio in Frédéric Chopin's Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65, he held is own and the two played as equals as if longtime collaborators. The meaty Chopin sonata could've served as the concert finale piece but this just wrapped up the first half.

The second half was a mixed selection of pieces starting with Faye Miravite's Transcendence that uniquely incorporates Damodar's meditative chants. This was followed by Nicanor Abelardo's Cavatina, Henry Mancini's Moon River, and Richard Rodgers' Edelweiss, a trio of pleasant tunes. The familiarity of the latter two pieces unfortunately prompted some audience members to hum along with a few doing so severely off key.

To close out the program, Damodar performed the first movement of Antonín Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104, B. 191. With such aplomb, Ilusorio showcased the newly restored Steinway's brilliance effectively, laying aside whatever misgiving an audience member who longed for an actual orchestra might've had. The longing would've been for the complete concerto being performed instead.

Post performance Q&A

The MiraNila audience couldn't get enough of the duo and they were rewarded with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Pezzo capriccioso, Op. 62 and Ennio Morricone's Gabriel's Oboe from The Mission as encores that kept the mix of standard classical repertoire with the more recent, crowd-pleasing music presented in the concert.

The high ceiling of MiraNila house provided natural amplification and reverb, but making it very unforgiving even with the slightest intonation error. Thankfully, Damodar was very secure with his cello, showing no signs of hesitation. The only hesitation he had was during the post-performance Q&A section wherein he responded with just brief words compared to the more Ilusorio who gave eloquent answers as well as annotations throughout the evening.

The MiraNila Heritage House's inaugural Strings of Gold concert once again proved that Damodar Das Castillo is one of the country's most exciting young artists who has the potential to be a headliner on the international stage. And that Mariel Ilusorio remains one of the most reliable pianists who let her collaborators be at ease and truly shine on stage as well.

PPO, conductor Noam Zur, pianist Rudolf Golez in concert: a test of the Met's acoustics

Conductor Noam Zur and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra 

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra audience had a taste of what's to come at the latest season concert held at the Metropolitan Theater, which will be the orchestra's home for the meantime once the Cultural Center of the Philippines main building shuts its doors in 2023 for a much needed major rehabilitation.

The evening highlighted a program that spanned the globe: two overtures, one by an Italian composer and the other by a Filipino; a jazz flavored American classic that featured a Pilipino pianist; and a programmatic work by a Russian composer, orchestrated by a Frenchman, that paid tribute to a Ukrainian landmark. All of this was conducted by Noam Zur, an Israeli-German who is the 3rd to take to the podium among the five shortlisted to become the next PPO Music Director/Principal Conductor.

With such a promising global program and the allure of a concert at the newly renovated Metropolitan Theater, hopes were high for this evening. Alas, said hopes were dashed by the theater's inadequacies in the acoustics department. Despite the seamless rapport between Zur and the PPO as far as the eye can see, the sound that emanated from the stage left a lot to be desired.

Because of this, Gioacchino Rossini's Overture to Barber of Seville came off as hollow and vacuous instead of being light and playful. This also resulted into a less than ideal introduction to many of Nicanor Abelardo's Cinderella Overture as it was a struggle to decipher the work's shape and form.

In George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, featuring Rudolf Golez on the piano, both the orchestra and the soloist exhibited confidence and harmony with each other. But once again, despite the efforts of everyone onstage, the inferior acoustics was like an uncooperative collaborator muffling the dynamics, muting the nuances, and drying up the jazzy accents. Even with Golez's encore, Frédéric Chopin's Etude Op. 10, No. 5 in G flat major, "Black Key Étude", the fluttering notes' subtle nuances were lost.

The full effect of the Met's handicap was evident with the performance of Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Even with a full army of strings, the overall sound was not full and vibrant. With the lower strings hardly audible, there was a notable lack of depth and roundness. The piece is meant to be a musical experience of viewing an exhibit with majority of the movements representing a piece of artwork. But it felt like each artwork was just a print reproduction losing the stroke textures and other finer details that can only be seen in the originals.

The encore, which was a repeat of La Grande Porte de Kiew, shed a light onthe ongoing invasion of the Russian forces in Ukraine. It also served as a reminder of how music has played a role in difficult moments in world history.

The wonderfully curated program offered a glimpse to Zur's sensitivity and outlook towards the music which incidentally gave the concert more meaning and significance. Program notes also included information on how Zur chose to perform revised versions of the Rossini and Mussorgsky pieces that are actually closer to these composers' intention based on original and more authoritative manuscripts. This is why it was such a pity that the Met's subpar acoustics made a disservice to Zur, Golez, and the entire Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.

A desperately needed acoustic shell should be in place by January 2023, or else face the risk that the anticipation for the remaining half of this season falls flat and dull as the Met's current acoustics.

A bit of music trivia to lighten things up, the PPO performed Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition way back in the January 2011 season concert. Robert Ryker, who conducted that time, had a pre-concert lecture where he explained the various parts of this work. Assisting Ryker at this lecture was no other than Rudolf Golez, who played excerpts of the piece on the piano using Mussorgsky's original score. So it was quite fitting that both Rudolf Golez and Pictures at an Exhibition found their way back to the PPO stage at the latest concert.

PPO Recital Series features Nicanor Abelardo music, violinist Dino Decena performs

The music of Nicanor Abelardo takes centerstage at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra's sixth installment of the PPO Recital Series streaming online this April 29, 2022, 8:00 PM at the CCP and the PPO's Facebook pages and at the CCP's YouTube channel.

Performing Nicanor Abelardo's Sonata for Violin and Piano and Kundiman are violinist Dino Akira Decena and pianist MaryAnne Espina. Decena is currently the PPO's Concertmaster.

Cellist Kyong-Min Nam, pianist Dingdong Fiel team up for online concert

Tune in for a night of Nostalgia as the Manila Pianos Artist Series presents cellist Kyong-Min Nam and pianist Dingdong Fiel in an online performance premiering on January 30, 2021, 7:30 PM at the Manila Pianos Artist Series’ Facebook page.

The program for this performance includes cello and piano duo transcriptions of Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 and Salut d’Amour Op. 12, Nicanor Abelardo's Cavatina, Op. 7, and George Canseco’s Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan.

An emotionally charged "Saraza in Concert"

Featuring:

Diomedes Saraza, Jr, violin

Greg Zuniega, piano

Programme:

Ludwig van Beethoven
     Violin Sonata No. 5 in F major, Op. 24 Spring

Nicanor Abelardo
     Cavatina

Manuel Velez
     Sa Kabukiran

Frédéric Chopin
     Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. posth

Franz Waxman
     Carmen Fantasie

Richard Strauss
     Violin Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 18

Encore:

Willy Cruz
     Sana'y Wala ng Wakas

  

The sudden announcement of violinist Diomedes Saraza, Jr.’s upcoming concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines caught me by surprise. The concert was happening on a Saturday, and I learned about it on Monday when Saraza himself made the announcement in Facebook. But I knew that I have to catch it no matter what. So on Saturday, I left home before noon, more than eight hours before the actual concert, just to avoid getting stuck in my hometown that was having a parade at the main roads in celebration of its foundation day.

For this concert, Diomedes, along with the ever reliable Greg Zuniega on the piano accompanying him, prepared a program that I initially thought was generally positive, light and brimming with optimism. With this in mind, I was taken aback with his opening piece, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 5 in F major, Op. 24 “Spring” which he performed with too much tension and drama for my taste. The all too familiar first movement, Allegro, felt like it teetered on the dark side but the tricky Scherzo of the third movement, with the violin seemingly chasing the piano in a game of tag, was handled very deftly. If performed by less capable hands, this part can come off as a mess, but Diomedes and Zuniega were up to the task.

The next couple of pieces, Nicanor Abelardo’s lyrical Cavatina and Manuel Velez’ playful Sa Kabukiran, showed Diomedes’ range as he was able to showcase the contrast between the two short, well known pieces. And it was crystal like clarity when he tackled Nathan Milstein’s violin transcription of Frederic Chopin’s Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. posth. The way he made the violin sing as it flowed from the primary theme to the next made me want to attempt to replicate such clarity on the piano as soon as I arrived home after the concert.

Diomedes displayed a great deal of fireworks with Franz Waxman’s Carmen Fantasie. Listening to it should be a walk in the park seeing that this piece was made up of various music from George Bizet’s opera Carmen. But familiarity with another Carmen Fantasie, the more popular one composed by Pablo Sarasate, meant that there were times during the performance when I was taken by surprise by how some parts went into unexpected turns. I had to remind myself that this was a different arrangement and whatever differences the Waxman have with the Sarasate was not a mistake.

Clearly, the main highlight of the concert for me was Richard Strauss’ Violin Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 18. Before starting, Diomedes offered some insight regarding the piece, telling the audience that Strauss wrote this when he was in love with his eventual wife and that we should all watch out for the contrasting lyrical and rhythmical themes in the sonata. Lastly, he recounted how this piece was assigned to him by Stephen Clapp, his teacher at the Juilliard School shortly before he passed away. With this piece having such a personal and profound meaning for him, it was no wonder that Diomedes delivered an intense and emotionally charged performance. He even looked like he was on the brink of tears during the second movement. Again, Zuniega proved himself as one of the most reliable accompanists here and it was hard for me to imagine anyone else in the piano during the Strauss. For an encore, Diomedes did Sana’y Wala Ng Wakas by Willy Cruz which prompted a few members of the audience to hum along.

With the very short notice for this concert, the audience turnout was not surprisingly the full house that his last concert was. Still, I am pleased by how the concert turned out which is incidentally my first for 2016 that also marked my return to this blog after some months of inactivity. May this be the fuel that will invigorate me for a more fruitful and musical year ahead.

Raul Sunico concert in the spirit of Philippines-Germany friendship

Pianist Raul Sunico

Featuring:

Raul Sunico, piano

Programme:

Robert Schumann

     Fantasiestücke, Op. 12

Isaac Albéniz

     Iberia Suite, El puerto and Triana

Richard Wagner/Franz Liszt

     Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde

Nicanor Abelardo

     Nocturne in C sharp minor

Antonio Molina

     Malikmata

Franz Liszt

     2 Légendes, S.175

Johann Strauss/Adolf Schulz-Evler

     An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314 The Blue Danube

World renowned pianist Raul Sunico showcased his vast repertoire at a concert held recently at the residence of German Ambassador Thomas Ossowski. Less than a month after setting a record by playing three Tchaikovsky piano concertos in a single concert, Sunico performed a totally different lineup of solo piano pieces in front of an intimate audience of selected guests.

German Ambassador Thomas Ossowski and Raul Sunico
Photo courtesy of the German Embassy

After welcome remarks by Ambassador Ossowski, the concert commenced with Sunico performing Robert Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, Op. 12. A suite made up of eight short pieces that made for quite a hefty concert opener as the music journeyed through the realm of dreams and possibly nightmares. Sunico followed it up with two pieces from Isaac Albéniz’ Iberia Suite which were El puerto, a lively depiction of a busy fish port and Triana, named after a gypsy quarter in Seville and infused with the dances paso doble and the sevillana. There was no mistaking the Spanish character and flair of the Albéniz’ music. It was indeed a revelation to hear these Albéniz pieces performed by a solo pianist since the more often performed orchestral arrangement is more familiar to me. A soaring Franz Liszt transcription of Richard Wagner’s Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde was brilliantly rendered by Sunico right from the unsettling “Tristan chord” at the beginning up to the piece’s stirring climax with the piano resonating as if there was a symphony orchestra inside the living room.

DTI Secretary Gregory Domingo and wife Rowena, Raul Sunico, and Luisa Zaide

Filipino music was also represented that night through Nicanor Abelardo’s sublime Nocturne in C sharp minor and Antonio Molina’s mysterious Malikmata. Sunico was able to conjure images with his rendition of Franz Liszt’s 2 Legendes, S.175.

The lightness of St-François d'Assise La prédication aux oiseaux made me imagine that it was the small, friendly birds and not the birds of prey that he was preaching to. But the weighty and grand chords of St-François de Paule Marchant sur les flots brought imagery of turbulent waves that he was able to sail through via an improvised raft and sail after getting denied by a ferryman to carry him.

Diether Ocampo and Raul Sunico

For the finale, Sunico went for the crowd pleasing Adolf Schulz-Elver’s transcription of Johann Strauss’ An der schönen blauen Donau, Op. 314 more popularly known as The Blue Danube. While the popular waltz melody takes centerstage, 20^th century harmonies and dissonances included by Schulz-Elver gave it modern sensibilities. Not wanting the concert to end, one of the guests requested a certain Franz Schubert piece which Sunico unfortunately didn’t know. To satisfy the lady’s Schubert request, he played the composer’s lyrical Impromptu in G flat major, Op. 90 No. 3 instead for an encore.

RAd and Ambassador Thomas Ossowski

Raul Sunico’s concert was organized by Ambassador Thomas Ossowski and the German Embassy to promote cultural dialogue and also to celebrate the friendship between the Philippines and Germany. Among the guests in this evening included NCCA Chairman Felipe de Leon Jr., DTI Secretary Gregory Domingo, Swiss Ambassador Ivo Sieber, Monaco Consul Fortune Ledesma, eminent music critic Rosalinda Orosa, actor Diether Ocampo and equestrienne Michelle Barrera, and of course, members of the German community residing/working in the Philippines.

Soprano Nelly Miricioiu captivates Manila in return performance

Soprano Nelly Miricioiu with pianist Najib Ismail

Featuring:

Nelly Miricioiu, soprano

Najib Ismail, piano

Programme:

Ottorino Respighi

     Stornellatrice

     Invito alla danza

     Pioggia

     L'ultima ebbrezza

Ernest Chausson

     La Colibre

     Le Papillon

     Le Temps de Lilec

Frédéric Chopin-Pauline Viardot

     Coquette

     L'oiselet

     Berceuse

     Le Danse

Tiberiu Brediceanu

     Cine m-aude cantand

     Canta puiul cucului

     Dragu-mi-i mandro de tine

Giuseppe Verdi 

     Oh, cielo! Dove son'io!-Ah! dagli scanni eterei... from Aroldo

     Come in quest`ora bruna from Simon Boccanegra

Gioacchino Rossini

     Bel raggio lusinghier from Semiramide

Vincenzo Bellini

     Col sorriso d'innocenza from Il Pirata

Manuel Velez

     Sa Kabukiran

Nicanor Abelardo

     Mutya ng Pasig

Soprano Nelly Miricioiu’s successful concert wasn’t just a triumphant return of the diva since captivating Manila audiences more than 30 years ago. The one night event was also remarkable as it was able to bring forth to the Meralco Theater those who have witnessed her previous performances three decades ago along with those from the younger set (including myself) who were either too young or weren’t even born back then.

RAd and Nelly Miricioiu

Resplendent in her metallic peach colored gown, Romanian-born Nelly Miricioiu, presented in her concert various songs and arias that aren’t regularly performed in here. The first half of the concert featured songs by Ottorino Respighi, Ernest Chausson, Frédéric Chopin-Pauline Viardot, and Tiberiu Brediceanu. She performed the set of songs grouped together by composer ending with a heartfelt rendition of a trio of compositions by Romania’s Tiberiu Brediceanu. She made sure to note that the Romanian song Cine m-aude cantand share the same melancholia with some Filipino tunes. When singing the songs from her homeland, it felt to me like she will always be proud to sing these despite the oppression she felt while still residing in her home country. I remember her saying fondly during the press conference (well, it felt like a lunch among good friends and colleagues), that the Romanians are a happy people, but the communism made them lose their smile.

Nelly Miricioiu

The second half of the concert was devoted mostly to arias by Giuseppe Verdi, Gioacchino Rossini, and Vincenzo Bellini. Nelly Miricioiu mentioned before performing these arias that her opera recordings are from those that aren’t frequently staged. Compared to the first half where she appeared more relaxed, she became more intense with the arias as if she was in an actual opera production. She conveyed a great range of emotions that even those seated at the farthest seat from the stage could still feel the passion undiminished. Her intensity remained unabated as she did four such difficult arias in a row without any substantial breaks. And that’s when the strain in her voice started to creep in. It was also when I really wished that she could’ve let collaborating pianist Najib Ismail do a solo first as she let her voice rest for a bit.

Barry Kirk and Nelly Miricioiu

My fears were unfounded because none of the strain showed when she started singing the two Filipino songs, Manuel Velez’ Sa Kabukiran and Nicanor Abelardo’s Mutya ng Pasig that brought the house down. She exuded such radiance during Sa Kabukiran, unable to contain her joy since she has waited more than 30 years to sing this in Philippine soil. I was seated in the front row and I could see how heartfelt was her last lines of Mutya ng Pasig that says Kung nais ninyong ako’y mabuhay, pag-ibig ko’y inyong ibigay! (If you want me to live again, give me back my love!) It made me remember what she said during the press conference that while she thinks that she is most popular in France, the Netherlands, and in the US, she feels most loved in the Philippines. The last line of the song might be a fervent plea for the return of her love but it was Nelly who poured out her love to the audience.

Nelly Miricioiu and Barry Kirk

For encores, Nelly performed the most well known aria of the night, Giacomo Puccini’s Vissi d’Arte from Tosca and the Visayan song Ay! Kalisud. It was amusing when she urged the audience to sing the chorus of the latter song along with her, but there were only a few who did since most didn’t have an idea of what the song was in the first place.

The concert ended on a high note with the audience showering Nelly with thunderous applause and standing ovations. As the event wrapped up, I couldn’t help but remember what Nelly said during the lunch/press conference that really got stuck in my head; she mentioned that she is coming full circle, returning to the Philippines with her husband Barry Kirk this time, and that no matter what, after this concert, her life surely will be changed forever. And I wouldn’t be surprised that there were some members of the audience on that night whose lives were changed as well.

I’d like to thank Joseph Uy, Angel Reyes-Nacino and the MCO Foundation, Allan Andres, and also to Babeth Lolarga for making everything possible. It was very unfortunate that due to illness along with a foot injury, I completely missed the series of masterclasses that Nelly conducted the week following the concert. Thankfully, I was able to catch the first of two recitals by the students who participated at the masterclass. And because of my indisposition, I wasn’t at my finest form and couldn’t focus clearly on the performances. But I think that’s the magic of Nelly Miricioiu. I would overcome illness and a swollen/sore left foot just to see her before she left the country.

Philippine premiere of Sarmientos' marimba concerto opens Filfest's 2014 Season

May 31, 2014, 8:00 PM

Insular Life Auditorium

Insular Life Tower

Filinvest, Alabang

Featuring:

Dena Fernandez, marimba

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Ruggero Barbieri, conductor

Programme:

Giacomo Puccini La tregenda from Le Villi

Joaquín Turina Orgía from Danzas fantásticas, Op. 22

Jorge Sarmientos Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra No. 1, Op. 20

Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, B. 178, From the New World

Camille Saint-Saëns Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah, Op. 47

Nino Rota Symphonic Suite

Arturo Márquez Danzón No. 2

Nicanor Abelardo Mutya ng Pasig

The Filfest Cultural Foundation and Insular Life opens its 2014 season with the Philippine debut performance of a marimba concerto featuring marimbist Dena Fernandez and the Manila Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Ruggero Barbieri happening on May 31, 2014, 8:00 PM at the Corporate Centre Auditorium of Insular Life Tower in Filinvest, Alabang.

The marimba concerto to be premiered in this concert was composed by Guatemala’s National Artist Jorge Sarmientos, considered as one of the most important composers hailing from South America. Aside from the marimba concerto, the evening’s program also includes Giacomo Puccini’s La tregenda from Le Villi, Joaquín Turina’s Orgía from Danzas fantásticas, Op. 22, Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, B. 178, From the New World, Camille Saint-Saëns’ Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah, Op. 47, Nino Rota’s Symphonic Suite, Arturo Márquez’ Danzón No. 2, Nicanor Abelardo’s Mutya ng Pasig.

This concert is presented by Filfest Cultural Foundation and Insular Life in cooperation with San Miguel Corporation, Rustan’s, Vivere Hotel, Contis and Philippine Italian Association.

Ticket prices:

P1000 Orchestra Center

P800 Orchestra Side

For inquiries:

Marie (0917) 817-7261, (0918) 941-9472, 585-3823

Lorenzo Medel Solo Piano Recital 2013

Pianist Lorenzo Medel

Featuring:

Lorenzo Medel, piano

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Johann Sebastian Bach Prelude and Fugue No. 23 in B major, BWV 892

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 Appassionata

Nicanor Abelardo First Nocturne

Frédéric Chopin Étude in A minor, Op. 25, No. 11 Winterwind

Franz Liszt Grandes études de Paganini No. 6 in A minor Theme and Variations

Claude Debussy Préludes Book 2 No. 12 Feux d'artifice, L 123

Béla Bartók Two Romanian Folk Dances, Op. 8a

Sergei Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18

I can still remember the time when I asked young pianist Lorenzo Medel when he would play a piano concerto by Sergei Rachmaninoff which could be either the Rach 2 or 3. And he responded by saying that he wanted to but that he had to increase his hand span first. I guess that right after that, his hands have gotten bigger (he has also gotten a lot taller too) since I learned soon after that he would be playing the very popular Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 with the Manila Symphony Orchestra.

Fast forward some months later, that time finally came as Lorenzo “Enzo” Medel mounted his third solo piano recital at the Philam Life Auditorium. It had been about a year and a half since I saw him perform the Liszt Piano concerto at the same venue.

Enzo with the Manila Symphony Orchestra

Enzo, dressed in a sheer and glossy, black barong, began the night by playing Johann Sebastian Bach’s Prelude and Fugue No. 23 in B major, BWV 892 from the Well-Tempered Clavier Book II. I’ve always been honest that Bach’s music doesn’t get through me and that it’s really challenge for me since a lot of pianists start their performances with a Bach piece. I am just glad that the next piece, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 also known as the “Appassionata”, is a very familiar one. This section of the program got my brain right on track with Enzo performing this comfortably despite the tempestuous and violent nature of the piece which has been on his repertoire for quite some time now. Enzo then slowed things down with Nicanor Abelardo’s First Nocturne which was the calm before the storm considering the pieces the immediately followed.

Enzo then played virtuosic pieces one after the other: Frédéric Chopin’s Étude in A minor, Op. 25, No. 11 also known as the “Winterwind”, Franz Liszt’s Grandes études de Paganini No. 6 in A minor “Theme and Variations”, Claude Debussy’s Préludes Book 2 No. 12 “Feux d'artifice”, L 123 and Béla Bartók Two Romanian Folk Dances, Op. 8a. It seemed to me that these demanding pieces were just another walk in the park for Enzo. For people who were there just for the Rach 2 and thought that they had to sit out an hour of solo piano pieces before hearing the concerto, they were treated to a display of Enzo’s technical brilliance that only served to heighten the anticipation for the most awaited piece of the night.

For Enzo’s performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, he was accompanied by the Manila Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Arturo Molina. During this time, he has donned his signature blue barong. At the start of the piece, I immediately thought about the time when he mentioned increasing his hand span since I didn’t hear any arpeggiated chords at the opening. And it’s not only his wider hand span that I noticed but also his maturity as a pianist. When he played the Liszt concerto back in June 2011, he still seemed like a kid playing in a sandbox which was a concert grand piano. And during the Rach 2, he has grown a lot (literally and figuratively) and started to exhibit some dashes of sensitivity, finesse and depth.

I admit that the programme prepared for this evening was quite heavy with pieces designed to impress that they almost overwhelmed me. I really wanted another change of pace and Enzo somehow heard my plea when he played his encore, Chopin’s Étude in E minor, Op. 10, No. 3 Tristesse. Enzo did show a huge improvement during this concert but he is still far from being a complete pianist. Yes, he can pound those keys and do extremely fast and difficult passages with his eyes closed and probably not miss a beat, but he still has a long way to go in effectively communicating and playing more than just the notes in the music sheet. At 17 years old, he is still very young and I’ve always believed that maturity in music can only be achieved through time and life experiences. Speaking of experiences, Enzo will add more experience that can improve his performances as he prepares to fly over to the US for a series of auditions in music institutions there. I wish him all the best and may he get his desired results.

Lastly and on a lighter note, Enzo has considerably improved his walk entering the stage and the way he bows to the audience is rather peculiar and yet amusing.

MCOF Young Artists' Series 2012 I: Christian Tan

Violinist Christian Tan

Featuring:

Christian Tan, violin

Mary Anne Espina, piano

Programme:

Eugène Ysaÿe Sonata for Solo Violin, Op. 27 No. 2 Jacques Thibaud

Camille Saint-Saëns Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 75

Nicanor Abelardo Cavatina

Pablo de Sarasate Zapateado Op. 23 No. 2

Maurice Ravel Tzigane

I’ve been aware of who Christian Tan is for some years now. I’ve seen him perform as a member of the Manila Symphony Orchestra and I also saw him compete at the most recent NAMCYA wherein he was awarded an Honorable Mention. It’s amazing that after all this time, we only got acquainted just right after the MCO Foundation had its press launch of its Young Artists' Series 2012 which was just fairly recent. Now that Christian and I formally know each other, it gave me more incentive to catch his concert that was the first of three performances comprising the Young Artists Series' 2012 held at the Filipinas Heritage Library.

Christian prepared a programme consisting of pieces that were both familiar and unfamiliar to me. The unfamiliar pieces, Eugène Ysaÿe’s Sonata for Solo Violin, Op. 27 No. 2 "Jacques Thibaud" and Camille Saint-Saëns' Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 75 made up the first half of the concert. Christian was joined by pianist Mary Anne Espina during the Saint-Saëns piece. I haven’t heard these pieces before so I used this moment to increase my knowledge of the vast violin repertoire especially in chamber music. The second half consisted of pieces that are already very familiar with me: Nicanor Abelardo’s Cavatina, Pablo de Sarasate’s Zapateado Op. 23 No. 2 and Maurice Ravel’s Tzigane. It was during the performance of these pieces when I noticed that Christian’s demeanor changes and he shows some intensity and  emotion while playing compared to his shy and timid personality off stage.

Among the audience members at the intimate venue were a handful of members from the string section of the MSO who were in full support of Christian. Once he finished all of his pieces, his fellow musicians cheered him on prompting him to do an encore performance of Sa Kabukiran by Manuel Velez. Christian is still a very young musician who plans to gain scholarships so that he can further his studies abroad. Seeing his performance during this evening, I wouldn’t be surprised if I find out that he would have to leave temporarily the MSO to do just that.

The Young Artists' Series 2012 continues with soprano Elainne Vibal who will perform this July 19, 2012, 6:30 PM at the Filipinas Heritage Library. I last saw Elainne as part of the ensemble of the recent production of Madame Butterfly. She was also among the masterclass participants who performed at the Songs and Symphony Concert as well. Tickets are at P500 with student and senior discounts. For inquiries, contact the MCOF at 750-0768, (0920) 954-0053, the Filipinas Heritage Library  at 892-1801, and TicketWorld  at 891-9999.

PPO VII: Gerodias and Bruckner

Soprano Rachelle Gerodias

Featuring:

Rachelle Gerodias, soprano

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Johann Strauss II Overture from Die Fledermaus

Giacomo Puccini Sì, mi chiamano Mimì from La Bohème

Gian Carlo Menotti Hello, Hello from The Telephone

Georges Bizet  Les Dragons d’Alcala & March of the Toreadors from Carmen

Nicanor Abelardo Nasaan Ka Irog

Angel Peña Iyo Kailan Pa Man

Lucio San Pedro (arr.) Lulay

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 4 in E flat major Romantic

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra returns to its regular performance venue at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) for its latest season concert. Since previous concert was held at a different venue and featured a guest conductor, it seemed ages ago when I look back at their last performance when everything seemed normal with Olivier Ochanine, PPO’s principal conductor/music director at the helm.

I arrived at the Cultural Center of the Philippines when the pre-concert lecture given by Herminigildo Ranera, PPO’s associate conductor was about to begin. He surprised me when he mentioned Die Fledermaus since I had no idea at first where that came from. To my surprise, additional short pieces were included in the first half of the concert: the overture from the aforementioned Die Fledermaus and a couple of pieces from the opera Carmen. I didn’t know about the inclusion of these pieces before but I didn’t complain since I’d rather have additional pieces than having something cut from the programme.

For me, the main draw of this concert was soprano Rachelle Gerodias whose one night as Violetta in the recent production of La Traviata wasn’t enough for me. I knew that she would sing arias and kundimans for this evening but it wasn’t until almost a week prior to the concert that I knew what her specific repertoire would be. And I was glad that there was a Puccini aria (Sì, mi chiamano Mimì from La Bohème) which basically made everything else just a bonus. I’ve always wanted Gerodias perform in a Puccini opera and hearing her sing Mimì’s most beautiful (and flirtatious) aria in the concert still wasn’t enough. Another side from her which I’ve never seen before was humor and this she exhibited via her next number which was Hello, Hello from Telephone by Gian Carlo Menotti. I’ve never heard of this work before but it was a fun piece that even had Olivier Ochanine playing along at the beginning. Then after the short Carmen pieces, Gerodias returned with a change of clothes to a terno (Filipino formal wear) which was fitting for the kundimans that followed. Showing the affinity for kundimans more than the operas which she is more known for, Gerodias sang Nicanor Abelardo’s Nasaan Ka Irog, Angel Peña’s Iyo Kailan Pa Man and Lulay from an arrangement by Lucio San Pedro. She gave a heartfelt performance especially with Iyo Kailan Pa Man which she did exquisitely. There were foreigners among the audience and I believe that they were moved by this piece despite not understanding the lyrics. Gerodias’ performance that evening made me want to see her in a full length opera once again but I had to wait some months for that to happen.

Rachelle Gerodias and Olivier Ochanine

Finally, it was time for Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 in E flat major which is subtitled Romantic by the composer himself. Ochanine had been very enthusiastic about this piece leading to its performance so I’ve had high hopes. And since the previous PPO concert featured very familiar pieces, I’ve had more time to get acquainted with this piece realizing that I wasn’t familiar with it at all in the first place. My first impression of the piece was that it was a horny one with the horns and the rest of the brass section figure prominently throughout the piece. Unfortunately, there were multiple hiccups by the horns (always a problem in orchestras here) that made me a bit bothered. I guess I’ve learned to like the piece because I’ve already listened to it many times that the horns faltering at times let me down. I’m really glad that I studied this piece since it would’ve been very difficult for me to sit through the performance that lasted for about an hour or so if I hadn’t done so.

After this long piece, the orchestra as well as Olivier looked very tired and exhausted. Most of the audience probably felt exhausted as well even if they just watched and listened. So there were no encores again this time. One point of interest during this concert was the presence of several audience members who belong to the blind and deaf community. I could imagine the blind still appreciating the music that they were able to hear but it was difficult for me to figure out how the deaf were able to take in the performance. Yes, they were able to see the orchestra moving and someone did the sign language for them during Gerodias’ performance. I think that it would’ve been better for them if a special concert was held for them that incorporated a more visually engaging element like video/light projections along with the orchestra playing. It was very nice to see them experience the show and I do hope that they come back again in other performances.