Kanngiesser's mature, mellow Dvořák cello concerto in Manila Symphony Orchestra's season opener

Cellist Claus Kangiesser and the Manila Symphony Orchestra

A mellow take on Dvořák’s well-loved cello concerto by German cellist Claus Kanngiesser highlighted the Manila Symphony Orchestra’s 2018-2019 Year of the Titans season opening concert held recently at The Theatre at Solaire.

Kanngiesser showcased a more refined and introspective rendition of Antonín Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104, B. 191 that probably left some audience members wanting a little more bite and aggression especially on the main theme of the first movement. But this refinement served him well during the second movement and also with his encore which was Gavotte I & II from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cello Suite No. 6 in D major, BWV 1012.

Overall, his performance left me an impression of a journeyman whose edges got rounded off as time went by as his Dvořák had a more leisurely pace and a weathered feel to it than being outwardly flashy. It is fascinating to see a veteran play with an orchestra like the MSO that has several very young players in its roster.

Conductor Arturo Molina and the Manila Symphony Orchestra

Prior to the Dvořák, the MSO, under the baton of Arturo Molina delivered lush rendition of Richard Wagner’s Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde. The first time I heard this piece performed by the MSO, I was still coming to terms on how different Wagner’s operas are compared to the Italians and not just in the language of the text but also in the music context. For this latest performance, the only thing I could’ve asked for was for a Wagnerian soprano singing during the Liebestod.

The final piece, the one that gave the concert its title The Color of Music, was Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and they showed a marked improvement since I last saw them tackle this piece some years back. Commendable for me are the alto sax and tuba solos and also the strings’ rich and full lower registers during the Samuel Goldenberd.

The MSO was such a sight to behold especially during tutti passages due to the spiffy Theater at Solaire with its optimum view from where I was seated up in the balcony. And I couldn’t pass up mentioning that the ample back and neck support made the seats very comfortable. But the acoustics still left something to be desired. The amplification volume of the harp and the keyboard was too much and disrupted the balance for me.

Claus Kanngiesser and Arturo Molina during the meet and greet

I hope that by the time the MSO delve into symphonic rock with Rockestra 2018 on July 29, 2018 and film scores with Silver Screen Symphonies on September 16, 2018, The Theatre at Solaire’s much touted Constellation Acoustic System will be en pointe and let the audience hear the MSO at their finest.