PPO I: Opening Night: Guzman & The Pathétique

Flutist Viviana Guzman

Featuring:

Viviana Guzman, flute

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Paul Dukas Fanfare from La Péri

Franz Liszt Les Préludes

Antonio Vivaldi  Flute Concerto in D major, Op. 10, No. 3, RV 428  Il Gardellino

Viviana Guzman Flutes of the World

Vittorio Monti Czardas

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, Pathétique

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s 31st season, dubbed as Classic Blend, formally opened with a concert held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). The concert, billed as Opening Night: Guzman & The Pathétique featured a nice blend of music performed by the orchestra led by its music director and principal conductor Olivier Ochanine and various flutes as well courtesy of the evening’s guest artist Viviana Guzman.

The concert started with Paul Dukas’ Fanfare from La Péri, which is a one act ballet. This piece only featured the brass section which had me a bit nervous considering how spotty this section had been in previous performances. But in a pleasant surprise, they managed to get through this short piece quite well. The PPO then performed Franz Liszt’s Les Préludes, a piece that I’ve heard twice before but then forgotten soon after. I fear that the PPO’s performance of this piece would be relegated to that department as well. I think that I’ve yet to figure out how to appreciate Liszt’s symphonic poems a lot more. And it didn’t help that around this time, I was already looking forward for Viviana Guzman to come on stage and finally perform.

Conductor Olivier Ochanine

Viviana started with the Flute Concerto in D major, Op. 10, No. 3, RV 428, Il Gardellino by Antonio Vivaldi. I am not usually too keen on Vivaldi’s music (or Baroque music for that matter) but having an actual harpsichord for this performance had me glued throughout the performance. It was nice hearing the duets between the flute and solo strings which was done delicately.

It was during the Flutes of the World section when things got really interesting. In this portion, Viviana introduced various flutes (Native American Indian flute, Swiss Gemshorn, Hungarian Fuvola, Chinese Ditzi, Chilean Zampona, Irish Tin Whistle and the Philippine Nose Flute) that she has acquired through her numerous travels and played short pieces with them while being accompanied by members of the PPO’s percussion section. Her winning personality shone through and by the end of this section, she already had the audience at the palm of her hand. This bode very well for her last piece, Vittorio Monti’s Czardas which was the showcase that everybody was waiting for. But the audience couldn’t get enough of her so she had to perform two encores. First was the short tango Milonga de Mis Amores by Pedro Laurenz. And her second encore that brought down the house was the third movement of Three Beats for Beatbox Flute by Greg Pattillo. Like what the title said, Viviana did some beatboxing while playing the flute. It still amazes me up to this day to think about the range and variety of her repertoire, from Vivaldi to beatboxing, that she presented during the concert.

Olivier Ochanine, Viviana Guzman and Chilean Ambassador Roberto Mayorga

The second half of the concert consisted of the hauntingly beautiful Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, Pathétique by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. A highly personal work for Tchaikovsky, this symphony is more somber in mood, often exploring the depths of despair mirroring the torment that the composer has endured in his life. He titled this piece a Program Symphony but never wrote whatever this program was and took it with him in his grave. This piece also had an unusual quiet ending. One might think that the triumphant march of the third movement sounded like the more proper finale but Tchaikovsky thought otherwise. Adding more to the mystery surrounding this piece was Tchaikovsky’s death just a few weeks after this premiered. One suggested that this symphony was actually his suicide note and that his cause of death was not cholera but by poisoning himself. Even without these stories surrounding the piece, the symphony is still a masterpiece despite not being immediately acclaimed during Tchaikovsky’s time. There had been attempts to play this symphony with the last two movements flipped so that it would have the typical climactic end. I am so pleased that Olivier Ochanine and the PPO stuck with the original order which is essential in retaining the character of the work. 

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra goes Out of the Box for 2013-2014 season

Offering more than just the classics, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra goes Out of the Box for their upcoming 2013-2014 Concert Season. In addition to their subscription concerts held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the PPO, led by music director and principal conductor Olivier Ochanine, brings the orchestra to the Rizal Park for a series of free youth/family oriented concerts.

For the Out of the Box concert series to be held at the Rizal Park, the PPO will collaborate with the University of the Philippines, Manila in November for an Andres Bonifacio themed concert which is in line with the hero’s 150^th birth anniversary. Come December, a Christmas concert will be presented alongside the University of Santo Tomas. A nature themed concert will be coming this January in collaboration with the Far Eastern University. Expect the tamaraw to be featured prominently in this concert. And finally in February, the concert in collaboration with the Ateneo de Manila University will focus on love. I am still not sure if the Out of the Box concerts’ programmes will be announced or if these performances will contain some elements of surprise.

Conductor Olivier Ochanine

The Out of the Box concert series sounds interesting and worth checking out but what I am really looking forward to are the performances for the orchestra’s subscription concert season. During the press conference held at the CCP Main Theater Lobby, Olivier Ochanine said that people’s requests factored in a lot for the programming of this season which is the orchestra’s 31st. He revealed that the most requested piece is Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons which will be performed by the orchestra in January. There will be two violin soloists for this performance, PPO Assistant Concertmaster Joanne Ruth Livioco and her brother, Jonathan David Livioco, Concertmaster of the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra. Other popular pieces that will be part of this season are Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, Pathétique, Manuel De Falla’s El sombrero de tres picos, Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54, Johannes Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 and Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30. This season will also introduce to the Philippines several pieces that have never been played in the country before. One of these will be the world premiere of the winning piece of the 2013 PPO Composition Competition happening at the closing concert of the season this April.

Bassoonist Adolfo Mendoza

Guest artists for this season include Chilean flutist Viviana Guzman, Israeli pianist Yossi Reshef, Chinese cellist Ray Wang, American violinist Roger Wilkie and Chinese oboist Wanchen Hsieh. Guest conductors for this season are the returning Yoshikazu Fukumura from Japan, former PPO music director and principal conductor Eugene Castillo and Apo Hsu from Taiwan.

The November concert is the one that I’ll be looking forward to the most this season. Not just because it will feature a piano concerto, but the event will also be in partnership with the Embassy of Israel.

The FEU Bamboo Band

The press conference also featured a few performances. Olivier Ochanine with the flute was joined by pianist Lourdes Gregorio in performing Cécile Chaminade’s Flute Concertino in D major, Op. 107. They were followed by bassoonist Adolfo Mendoza who performed Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan by George Canseco. Finally, the FEU Bamboo Band entertained those who were present with an energetic performance of Magtanim ay ‘Di Biro, Leron Leron Sinta and Eye Level.

Here is what is in store for everybody at the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2013-2014 Concert Season.

September 6, 2013

Opening Night: Guzman & The Pathétique

Featuring:

Viviana Guzman, flute

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Paul Dukas Fanfare from La Péri

Franz Liszt Les Préludes

Antonio Vivaldi  Flute Concerto in D major, Op. 10, No. 3, RV 428  Il Gardellino

Vittorio Monti Czardas

Viviana Guzman Flutes of the World

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, Pathétique

October 11, 2013

Mostly Filipino

Featuring:

Herminigildo Ranera, conductor

Programme:

Angel Peña Philippine Festival Overture

Alfredo Buenaventura

     Manik Buangsi and Tuan Putli Symphonic Poem

Lucio San Pedro Suite Pastorale

Darius Milhaud La création du monde, Op. 81a

Antonín Dvořák Slavonic Dances, Op. 46

November 14, 2013

Reshef Plays Schumann

Featuring:

Yossi Reshef, piano

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Robert Schumann

     Overture from Manfred, Op. 115

     Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54

Richard Wagner

     Overture from Rienzi

     Overture from Der fliegende Holländer

Giuseppe Verdi Overture from La Forza del Destino

December 13, 2013

Fukumura, Wang & Saint-Saëns

Featuring:

Ray Wang, cello

Yoshikazu Fukumura, conductor

Programme:

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36

Camille Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33

Manuel De Falla El sombrero de tres picos

January 17, 2014

The Four Seasons

Featuring:

Joanna Ruth Livioco, violin

Jonathan David Livioco, violin

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Antonio Vivaldi Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons)

                      Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV 269, La primavera (Spring)

                      Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, RV 315, L'estate (Summer)

                      Concerto No. 3 in F major, Op. 8, RV 293, L'autunno (Autumn)

                      Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, L'inverno (Winter)

Carl Nielsen Symphony No. 2 Op. 16, FS 29 The Four Temperaments

February 21, 2014

Romantic Brahms

Featuring:

Roger Wilkie, violin

Eugene Castillo, conductor

Programme:

Gerald Finzi Fall of the Leaf, elegy for orchestra in D minor, Op 20

Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 82

Johannes Brahms Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77

March 14, 2014

Hsu, Hsieh & Prokofiev 5

Featuring:

Wanchen Hsieh, oboe

Apo Hsu, conductor

Programme:

Carolyn Yarnell Yosemite and the Range of Light

Bohuslav Martinů Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra, H. 353

Sergei Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 in B flat major Op. 100

April 11, 2014

Symphonic Film Music Extravaganza

Featuring:

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Premiere of 2013 PPO Composition Competition winner

Various Classical works made popular in film scores

Richard Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30

All concerts fall on a Friday with the exception of the November 14, 2013 concert which be on a Thursday. The concerts on January 17, 2014 and February 21, 2014 will be held at the Meralco Theater. The rest of the concerts will be held at the CCP’s Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo.

I noticed that there was an increase in ticket prices for this season which could put off some concertgoers from watching. But there’s still the usual discount given to students, senior citizens, government employees, military personnel and persons with disabilities. Subscription packages for four (4) or eight (8) shows are also available.

Chilean flutist Viviana Guzman spices up PPO’s 31^st Season opening concert

Flutist Viviana Guzman

September 6, 2013, 8:00 PM

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Viviana Guzman, flute

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Paul Dukas Fanfare from La Péri

Franz Liszt Les Préludes

Antonio Vivaldi  Flute Concerto in D major, Op. 10, No. 3, RV 428  Il Gardellino

Vittorio Monti Czardas

Viviana Guzman Flutes of the World

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, Pathétique

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra led by music director and principal conductor Olivier Ochanine opens its 31^st Concert Season in a concert entitled Opening Night: Guzman & The Pathétique this September 6, 2013, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo.

Chilean flutist Viviana Guzman will be the featured guest of the night. She will be performing Antonio Vivaldi’s  Flute Concerto in D major, Op. 10, No. 3, RV 428  Il Gardellino and Vittorio Monti Czardas. An improvisational piece, entitled Flutes of the World will have Guzman performing with the PPO percussion section.

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

According to her biography, Guzman is described by the New York Times as "an imaginative artist," She began her musical training at the age of 5 and won her first competition at seven. By the age of 15, she played as a soloist with orchestra, studied with Jean-Pierre Rampal, and was featured on a John Denver nationally televised NBC special. Guzmán studied with Albert Tipton, master classes with James Galway and graduated from the Juilliard School. Performing over 80 concerts a year, she has been seen on the cover of Latina Style Magazine, and in COSMOPOLITAN en Español, and has played in 118 countries. Her music video was aired on UNIVISION in 30 countries.

Conductor Olivier Ochanine

Other pieces to be performed during this evening will be Paul Dukas’ Fanfare from La Péri, Franz Liszt’s Les Préludes and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s last work that premiered in his lifetime, Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, Pathétique.

Ticket prices:

P1500 Orchestra Center

P1200 Orchestra Side

P800 Extreme Orchestra Side

P500 Balcony I Center

P400 Balcony I Side

P300 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

MSO II: The MSO with Regina Buenaventura

Arturo Molina conducts the Manila Symphony Orchestra

Featuring:

Regina Buenaventura, violin

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Paul Dukas The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Samuel Barber Violin Concerto, Op. 14

Zoltán Kodály Háry János Suite

After many months, the Manila Symphony Orchestra’s 2012 Concert season resumed for me when I watched the second night of their Magic, Fantasy and Ambition themed concert at the Philam Life Auditorium. During this evening, the orchestra, under the baton of Arturo Molina performed pieces by Paul Dukas, Samuel Barber and Zoltán Kodály. The concert also featured violinist Regina Buenaventura who is back in the country while she is taking a summer break from her studies in the US.

The Magic of the concert was represented by Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. This piece was made immensely popular by the Disney animated film Fantasia and it was really a challenge for me not to conjure images of the film in my head while the performance was going on. But my focus paid off as I was able to gain a new insight regarding the piece since I got to focus on the musicians, especially the bassoonists. I wouldn’t hold it against any member of the audience if they envisioned Mickey Mouse, the brooms and the sorcerer while the orchestra was playing since the music did tell the story that was brought to life by the film.

Next to be performed was Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto which represented the theme Ambition. Violinist Regina Buenaventura told me weeks earlier that she was actually practicing Sibelius but had to go back to practicing Barber since this piece suited the theme of the evening more. It had been two years since I last saw Regina perform and I wasn’t completely satisfied by that performance owing to the poor acoustics of the performance venue. This time around, with the superior acoustics of the Philam Life Auditorium, I was finally able to hear and appreciate the nice, clear and expressive tone of Regina’s violin. Throughout the first two movements of the piece, she deftly played with finesse and an effortlessly sublime vibrato. And during the notoriously difficult third movement (which I think was where the ambition theme came from), she showed no signs of strain which made me believe that she’s one of the most relaxed violinists out there. Regina doesn’t dazzle audiences with fireworks or overt showmanship, but she mesmerizes instead with her elegance and restraint.

The last piece of the concert, the Háry János Suite by Zoltán Kodály represented the Fantasy theme. Like many members of the audience that night, it was my first time to see this piece performed live. I’ve listened to a recording prior to the performance and I took note of the cimbalom, an instrument used in this piece which is popular in Hungary but almost unheard of in this part of the world. For practical reasons, a keyboard simulating the sound of the cimbalom was used instead. I personally don’t like it when this happens since the mechanical sound that the keyboard generates doesn’t fit with organic, live orchestral sound. But I did enjoy the folk tunes that were featured in this suite. I think that if I’d known better the story of the opera where this suite was taken from, I would’ve appreciated this piece a lot more.

Concertmaster Gina Medina, violinist Regina Buenaventura
and conductor Arturo Molina

Regina didn’t have an encore and the audience would’ve been left unsatisfied if the orchestra didn’t play an extra piece. The concert duration was already relatively short compared to their previous performances so I think it was wise for the orchestra to play a bit more. And they did play more folk music by performing the orchestral version of Romanian Folk Dances by Béla Bartók. I don’t know how this piece fit with the Magic, Fantasy and Ambition theme that evening but no one complained. I’ve waited some months before the orchestral season resumed and now that they’re back, I couldn’t be any happier.

Manila Symphony Orchestra launches 2012 Concert Season

Live Life with Music is how the Manila Symphony Orchestra ushers in their 2012 concert season. Coming off a successful 2011, the MSO has prepared a challenging and varied repertoire (including an opera and a special concert with Ryan Cayabyab) along with exciting guest artists like violinist Regina Buenaventura, pianist Victor Asuncion and conductor Robert Rÿker.

MSO Chairman Tony Boy Cojuangco hosted a dinner at La Regalade French Bistro launching the orchestra’s 2012 season. This dinner was attended by the MSO Board of Trustees, several members of the orchestra and other guests (including myself). The sections of the orchestra (strings, winds, brass, and percussion) were introduced and short pieces were performed so that the people who gathered that night would have an idea of what instruments made up each section of the orchestra and how each instrument sounded as well.

MSO’s executive director and associate conductor Jefrey Solares also informed everyone about the orchestra’s mission to educate and promote music more people especially those from outside of Metro Manila. And that they would use Filipino music, like folk songs for example in promoting music to them. So for this season, it will not be just the performances that the Manila Symphony Orchestra are looking forward to, but also their outreach program as well.

July 6 & 7, 2012
The MSO with Regina Buenaventura

Featuring:
Regina Buenaventura, violin
Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Paul Dukas The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Samuel Barber Violin Concerto, Op. 14

Zoltán Kodály Háry János Suite

August 10 & 11, 2012
Music by the Russian Masters

Featuring:
Victor Asuncion, piano
Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Francesca da Rimini: Symphonic Fantasy after Dante, Op. 32

Sergei Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43

Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 9 in E flat major, Op. 70

September 21 & 22, 2012
Robert Rÿker

Featuring:
Robert Rÿker, conductor

Programme:
Claude Debussy Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faun

Richard Strauss Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, Op. 28

Alfred Reed El Camino Real

Igor Stravinsky Suite from Petrouchka

October 26-28, 2012
Carmen

Featuring:
Lyric Opera Company

Special Concert with Ryan Cayabyab*

Date and venue to be announced

*The previously announced Special Concert with Ryan Cayabyab was replaced by a concert that featured soprano Claire Primrose and the music of Richard Wagner.

**The July 6, August 10 and Sepember 21, 2012 concerts will be held at the Francisco Santiago Hall at the South Tower of the BDO Corporate Center in Makati. The July 7, August 11, and September 22, 2012 concerts will be held at the Philamlife Auditorium. Bizet's Carmen will be held at St. Cecilia's Hall at St. Scholastica's College Manila.

Violinist Regina Buenaventura starts MSO’s 2012 Season

Violinist Regina Buenaventura

July 7, 2012 8:00 PM

Philam Life Auditorium

UN Avenue, Manila

Featuring:

Regina Buenaventura, violin

Manila Symphony Orchestra

Arturo Molina, conductor

Programme:

Paul Dukas The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Samuel Barber Violin Concerto, Op. 14

Zoltán Kodály Háry János Suite

I last saw Regina Buenaventura back in 2010 when she and Diomedes Saraza Jr., along with the Manila Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Arturo Molina, performed at My Dreams for My Children, a Standard Insurance, Inc. sponsored concert held at the FEU Auditorium. She and Saraza Jr. only did a movement of a violin concerto along with other show pieces. She played Brahms while his did Tchaikovsky but a single movement from both of them wasn’t enough for me. A few months later, I was able to see Saraza, Jr. perform all three movements of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto and it was followed by the Khachaturian a few months after that as well. So while I had two violin concerto performances by Saraza Jr. last year, I’ve yet to see Buenaventura perform a complete one. After almost two years, that time has finally come. Along with the MSO and conductor Arturo Molina, Regina Buenaventura will perform Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto this July 7, 2012, 8:00 PM at the Philamlife Auditorium. Other pieces featured in this evening are Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice which was made popular when it was featured in the Disney animated film Fantasia and also the rarely played piece by Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály: the Háry János Suite.

This concert starts the 2012 Concert Season of the Manila Symphony Orchestra although they did have a special concert with the Israeli musicians back in February. The orchestra also performs the same program on July 6, 2012, 8:00 PM at the Francisco Santiago Hall at the South Tower of the BDO Corporate Center in Makati. But if I’m not mistaken, this performance is exclusive for sponsors and subscribers only.

Ticket prices:

P1000 Orchestra Center

P800 Orchestra Side

P600 Loge
-50% student discount

-20% senior citizen discount

For inquiries:

523-5712

info@manilasymphony.com