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