Special Concert Series III: Antoni Josef Inacay

Cellist Anjo Inacay and pianist Mary Anne Espina

Featuring:

Antoni Josef Inacay, cello

Mary Anne Espina, piano

Programme:

Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 3 in A major, Op. 69

Claude Debussy Sonata for Cello and Piano

Johannes Brahms Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 99

Cellist Antoni Josef Inacay aka Anjo recently held a solo concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater) that capped out the Special Concert Series showcasing young Filipino artists. Accompanied by pianist Mary Anne Espina, Anjo performed a trio of cello sonatas by Beethoven, Debussy and Brahms. Unfortunately,  missed the earlier two concerts and only managed to watch the third and last concert of this series.

Anjo’s prepared programme for the night comprised of Ludwig van Beethoven;s Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 3 in A major, Op. 69, Claude Debussy’s Sonata for Cello and Piano for the first half, and Johannes Brahms Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 2 in F major, Op. 99 for the second half of the concert.

Although I’ve gotten the chance to watch a handful of cello concertos throughout the years, I’ve only seen very few cello sonata performances. The concert programme for this night consisted of unfamiliar works by composers that I am familiar with. So it was an opportunity for me to learn more of the composers’ musical language through the cello in relation to an instrument that I am fully familiar with which is the piano. It was hard to grasp the themes, modulations and the overall structure of the pieces just by listening especially with the Debussy that was very much different from the Beethoven and the Brahms. But that didn’t hinder me from enjoying the tone, color and mellow sound coming from Anjo’s cello.

For the encore, the duo performed Jed Balsamo’s Halik. This piece is an original piece of music from the ballet Crisostomo Ibarra staged by Ballet Philippines. While the final version featured very brief violin parts, the encore that they performed stuck to the original concept which is a lovely and romantic duet between the cello and the piano.

The last time I saw Anjo, he was accompanying Bamboo as he performed cuts from his solo album during a recent guesting at Radio Republic. While I am not truly a rocker by heart, I know Bamboo’s songs very well and I was able to appreciate the color and texture that the cello added in their band setup. So I found it very odd that when Anjo returned to his classical side, a genre that I am very much comfortable with, that I felt like I ventured into uncharted territory due to my lack exposure to the cello repertoire. And I am glad that this concert by Anjo was a way for me to gain more knowledge in music for the cello. Now, I can’t wait to see Anjo performing once again, be it alone, with the Manila Symphony Orchestra, with Bamboo or with his band Silent Sanctuary.