Manila's best guitarists in Himig ng Cuerdas 3 concert at the Ayala Museum

The Guitar Friends and the Ayala Museum present Manila's best guitarists in GuitarNights: Himig ng Cuerdas 3 on April 4, 2019, 6:30 PM at the Ayala Museum.

Performing music from various genres this evening are the Cuerdas Quartet, Aaron and Iqui Guitar Duo, Ivar Fojas, and special guest, jazz guitarist Noli Aurillo.

Francophonie Night 2019: The gastronomical and musical route to speaking French

With my very limited knowledge of the French language but armed with a huge curiosity enough to scare a cat and its nine lives, I took the plunge and checked out Francophonie Night 2019 held at the Alliance Française de Manille.

With a sumptuous dinner buffet offered by member countries of the International Organization of La Francophonie namely Belgium, France, Hungary, Lebanon, Monaco, Morocco, Qatar, and Switzerland, it was not hard to lure me in. And if the appetizing treats weren't enough, there was also the added attraction of music performances by Kate Torralba, Nyko Maca, and Radha.

Kate Torralba

It looked like many shared the same idea as I did based on the overwhelming turnout that night. This resulted in a bit of confusion as to the order of things with some already starting to enjoy the food even before French Ambassador Nicolas Galey delivered his welcome remarks and officially opened the buffet.

Nyko Maca

My initial goal of trying a little of something from each of the participating countries was thrown in the air as the lines from the Swiss and the French tables, for example, were crazy and I opted to check out the other treats from less than crowded stations. This turned out a blessing in disguise since I had a relatively easier time discovering an explosion of tastes and flavors from Hungary, Lebanon, Morocco, and Qatar. These cuisines aren't the usual fare and it was a delight to try them.

Radha

I was in high spirits once the performances started. I didn't mind at all that I had no idea what the French songs that Kate, Nyko, and Radha sang. I couldn't join along in the singing like some of the francophones in the audience did but that didn't lessen my enjoyment.

The evening also featured the awarding of the winners of the Les Marmites Francophones cooking competition organized by the AFM earlier for its students. I was stuck at the Belgian table waiting for the next batch of fries while this was happening. I didn't mind waiting since this also gave me a chance to try out a few of the beers offered. 

Overall, it was still an enjoyable night although the crowd almost made me anxious. It was great hearing a different kind of French music which isn't Claude Debussy. And I have no complaints on whatever kilograms I might have gained after enjoying the food and drinks served. I just hope that those who generously shared their respective cuisines do not take it against me the little French language that I can speak.

Sopranos kick off Youth On Stage series at the Ayala Museum

Coinciding with the Women's Month this March, the Youth on Stage concert series for 2019 kicks off with Women in Opera happening on March 28, 2019, 6:30 PM at the Ayala Museum.

Featured in this concert are Myramae Meneses, Nerissa de Juan, Anna Dinnah Migallos, and Stefanie Quintin, four of the country's leading sopranos who have quickly made a name for themselves with breakthrough performances in various competitions and productions here and abroad. Collaborating with them is multiple award winning pianist Gabriel Paguirigan.

This concert marks the return of Myramae Meneses in the local scene since graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Anna Migallos, a graduate of the Royal School of Music in London, was part of MusicArtes' production of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Medium. Stefanie Quintin won Second Prize (Professional Category) at the Second Asean Vocal Competition held in Singapore. Nerissa de Juan just starred as Maria Clara in Noli Me Tangere, the Opera  by J&S Productions at the Cultural Center of the Philippines earlier this month.

The four will portray 16 roles and perform arias from various operas by Vincenzo Bellini, Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Leonard Bernstein, George Frideric Handel, etc.

Women in Opera is presented by the Cultural Arts Events Organizer and the Ayala Museum in partnership with Lyric Piano, DZFE.FM 98.7 The Master's Touch and National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

Fukumura, PPO deliver exceptional Tchaikovsky

Ray Wang, Yoshikazu Fukumura, and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

An exceptional and emotionally charged Tchaikovsky symphony gave the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of music director/principal conductor Yoshikazu Fukumura, one of their finest performances to date.

Expectations were set high even before the first note sounded as news I've gathered from some musicians about their rehearsals speak highly of the scheduled Tchaikovsky piece. And there was a different kind of buzz felt at the lobby too as hundreds of high school students all the way from Laguna trooped to the Cultural Center of the Philippines for this concert. As someone who rarely missed a PPO season concert, there was indeed a feeling that this had the making of an unforgettable night.

Yoshikazu Fukumura and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

These students were actually in my thoughts when the first piece, Toshiro Mayuzumi's Bacchanale was performed. Bursts of vigorous sound and rhythms, with a couple moments of breathing space via romantic violin solos is how I would describe this work. And for the students who were watching an orchestra performance for the first time, I thought that this music was an awesome introduction to the symphony for them.

I did worry about them a bit when it was cellist Ray Wang's turn with Robert Schumann's Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129. During his previews visits here, Wang performed concertos that demanded full attention from the audience like the Lalo which he did the last time. The Schumann may not be as cerebral as the Lalo, but still, the structure and the introverted nature of the piece made for a challenging listening experience. And just like the last time, he involved the whole cello section with his encore which was Pablo Casal's Song of the Birds.

I will just be brief with how Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 turned out. I said last month that I couldn't recall applauding the horn solo so enthusiastically before. Let me just say that I very much outdid myself in applauding enthusiastically this time around. And this divine horn solo was responsible for making the person seated to my right tear up starting from the second movement and continued to wipe tears at the lobby even after the concert was done.

With two, back to back outstanding performances in the bag, the PPO sets up for a very highly anticipated season finale concert next month.

Madz go inspirational at the Ayala Museum

The Philippine Madrigal Singers and the Ayala Museum present Awit ng Panalangin on March 21,  2019, 6:30 PM at the Ayala Museum.

The Madz led by choirmaster Mark Anthony Carpio perform songs of faith, love and inspiration in one musical night.

Pianist Raffi Kasparian, MSO thrill FEU audience

Pianist Raffi Kasparian
with Marlon Chen and the Manila Symphony Orchestra

What I initially thought of as an afternoon of Gershwin and Rachmaninoff music courtesy of American pianist Raffi Kasparian and the Manila Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Marlon Chen turned out to be a refresher course to the orchestra for me.

Presented by SILAW, in cooperation with the Far Eastern University's President's Committee on Culture, the concert was held at the FEU Auditorium that has been recently reopened after the building that housed it underwent retrofitting. It has been almost a decade already since I last heard an orchestra performance there so this concert was a can't miss for me especially after the invite (as well as reminders and updates too) from PCC Director Martin Lopez.

Like I said above, I was just expecting the previously announced twin bill of George Gershwin and Rachmaninoff so I was pleasantly surprised to hear additional pieces starting from Ave Maria by Johann Sebastian Bach/Charles Gonoud performed right off the bat during the Invocation. This and the others that followed, along with the MSO Executive Director Jeffrey Solares' annotations, proved to be helpful in easing the mostly FEU students in the audience to the wonders of the orchestra and classical music.

The program proper started with Overture on Philippine Folk Songs by Bernard Green that gave the audience familiar tunes to latch on to while hearing an orchestra live probably for the first time for some of them. The appreciation was turned a notch higher with a theme and variations arrangement of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star that gave each instrument and section their respective spotlights. There were a handful who couldn't contain themselves and started to applaud when the piece reached its climax in a rousing orchestral tutti. And the fun didn't stop there as two Beatles songs, Let It Be and Hey Jude were performed that had most of the audience singing along.

Pianist Raffi Kasparian answers a question
during the post performance Q&A

The audience has already been primed by the time that Raffi Kasparian took to the stage. As an American, Kasparian wanted to showcase music from his homeland. And nothing else in the repertoire for the piano with orchestra could be more American than the jazzy Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin.

It was his wife, SILAW's Joyce, who chose the other piece which is the immensely popular Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Prior to this Joyce gave an introduction on SILAW and the foundation's sociocultural and educational activities in her hometown of Paoay, Ilocos Norte.

Back to the music, whatever worries I may have had for the audience not being able to appreciate the Rachmaninoff was already dispelled by the way this concert was programmed. They had a taste of a lengthy, one movement work by Gershwin and it looked like this was enough for them to be ready for a three movement piano concerto, and a Rachmaninoff at that.

It was during the Rachmaninoff when I got a bit bothered by how I hear the sound of the piano mostly from the speakers while I still hear the orchestra from the stage. The acoustics is now less dry compared to before but I wish that I could've heard the piano more without electronic amplification. The piano sounded too loud and drowned the orchestra especially at times when it took on the accompaniment role at some parts during the first two movements.

Overall, I was very pleased by how accessible the program was and how it eventually gave the newbie audience a great introduction to the orchestra. The concert could be considered a great success when audience members are left wanting more and eager to know the MSO's upcoming performances. And I am eager too for their upcoming season and also for the upcoming performances at the FEU Auditorium.

Cellist Ray Wang returns for PPO's March concert

Cellist Ray Wang

Cellist Ray Wang returns once again and joins the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and music director/principal conductor Maestro Yoshikazu Fukumura at their upcoming season concert happening on March 15, 2019, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo. 

The music lined up for this evening includes Toshiro Mayuzumi’s Bacchanale, Robert Schumann’s Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129 with Wang as the soloist, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64.  This upcoming performance will be Wang's third time to perform with the PPO.

An international cellist and music professor, Ray Wang has performed in different cities in Asia, North America and Europe. Ray has performed as soloist with conductors and orchestras such as Yoshikazu Fukumura, Yang Yang, Krysztof Penderecki, Macau Orchestra, Soloistas de La Habana. Cellistra, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Manila Philharmonic Orchestra and the Guang Zhou Symphony Orchestra.

Ray currently serves as Head of Junior Music Department and Senior Lecturer in Strings at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and also serves as a music faculty member of the Baptist University and Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Noli Me Tangere, the Opera: Promise fulfilled for current generation of classical singers

Since it has been just a little over two years since I saw Noli Me Tangere, the opera by National Artists Felipe Padilla de Leon (music) and Guillermo Tolentino (libretto), staged by J&S Productions, the memories of that 2017 mounting at the Cultural Center of the Philippines easily came back once the curtain rose in this latest production.

I've had the privilege of catching both the Preview and Gala Nights that featured a different set of leads. The Preview had tenor Nomher Nival and soprano Nerissa de Juan as Crisostomo Ibarra and Maria Clara respectively. Nomher showcased his booming voice that I have no doubts was still heard even from the farthest seat in the upper balconies. And this voice effectively conveyed the shattered confidence of Ibarra as his noble plans were thwarted by those in power. At times, it felt like he was an emotional dam about to burst in a fit of passion. Nerissa on the other hand continued to impress especially now that I've seen her finally as Maria Clara. Her Aba Maria was extremely convincing and it was a delight to see her in character with all the highs and the lows that Maria Clara goes through. It is quite a departure from her usually reserved and low key demeanor off stage.

Cast of Preview Night take their bows

The pairing of tenor Ivan Nery and soprano Bianca Camille Lopez who performed at the Gala the night after gave a different approach and feel to the lead characters. Ivan was a more polished Ibarra, maintaining the fluidity of his vocals and the poise and manner of an illustrado. But there were moments when I wished that he had put more emotion especially in Ibarra's moments of despair. Bianca, on the other hand, showed mastery of dynamics like in her exquisite delivery of Kay tamis ng buhay flavored with sweet pianissimo passages and powerful fortes complete with a vibrato to die for.

Preview Night cast during the meet and greet

As expected, Sisa's coloratura aria Awit ng gabi ni Sisa and Basilio's Gising na o inang ko stole the show. The two Sisas I saw each gave her own take on the aria with Bernadette Mamauag employing more acting with her voice while Allison Cervantes delivered precise and piercing staccatos. Both ended their arias welcomed by rapturous applause. I felt a bit bad not having the opportunity to see and hear Kelly Peralejo who was the run's third Sisa.

Rare Jireh Columna, Ronaldo Abarquez, Edwin Josue, Jerry Sibal, Nomher Nival, and Nerissa de Juan

As for the Basilios, both Mari Yapjoco and Noel Comia, Jr. entered their teens since they were last seen in the opera. Their voices, already cracked, meant that they had to sing their parts an octave lower. And while they no longer sounded like little boys, their renditions of Basilio's heartbreaking aria still managed to send some audience members sniffing during this tender moment.

Edwin Josue, Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla, Robin Padilla, and Jerry Sibal during the Gala Night

Ronaldo Abarquez (Padre Damaso/Kapitan Tiyago), Nil's Flores (Padre Damaso), Joseleo Logdat (Elias), Greg de Leon (Pilosopo Tasyo), Krissan Manikan-Tan (Tiya Isabel), and Tomy Virtucio (Albino/Linares/Utusan) were the standouts among the supporting/featured roles.

Ivan Nery and Bianca Lopez take their bows at the Gala Night

Overall, this latest production turned out to be the fulfillment of the promise that Nomher and Ivan showed years ago when they were still upcoming tenors and the future of the classical singing/opera scene in the country. Bianca, on the other hand, has added another lead opera role to her impressive résumé that also includes an almost a decade stint with the Philippine Madrigal Singers.

Gala Night cast and creative team take their bows

As for Nerissa, she has been the revelation of Noli Me Tangere for me. Virtually unknown back in 2017, she made everyone notice with her thick timbre and ease of singing. Years from now, Noli will always be remembered as to where it all started for her. Producer/director Jerry Sibal said that she was so impressive during her audition for the 2017 production that it prompted him to cast her as Maria Clara despite her lack of experience. She has already gone to places since 2017 and I expect to see her soar more after this run.

And just like the last time, the most remarkable feat that this production has achieved is the huge number of young people in the audience who responded positively towards the production. Opera performances have been jokingly referred to as a gathering of senior citizens but Noli has remained a notable exception.

I hope that this encourages them to read (or reread) the novel with a renewed interest and vigor. I also hope that they find pleasure in perusing the pages of Noli and that it will rekindle in them not just patriotism but also love, pride, and support for local literature, arts and culture. Lastly, I wish that this opera becomes more ingrained in the consciousness of Filipinos. It would be swell to see on television one day someone performing Kay tamis ng buhay with the audience recognizing the music and knowing where it came from.

RAd's Playlist | Mayuzumi: Samsara, Phonologie Symphonique & Bacchanale

The next Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra concert happening a week from now will feature my favorite symphony of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and a romantic cello concerto by Robert Schumann. But the music on that night that intrigues me the most is Bacchanale, a piece of 20^th century music by Japanese composer Toshiro Mayuzumi.

This is by far one of the most adventurous of Fukumura's programming since he became the PPO's music director and principal conductor. But he is no stranger to this work since he has recorded it along with a couple of other Mayuzumi compositions with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra almost 35 years ago. And this record has been re-released by Naxos last June 2018.

It would serve me well to give this album a listen prior to the concert to give me an idea about what to expect from Bacchanale. I might as well go on and give the other two pieces, Phonologie Symphonique and Samsara, a spin to get acquainted with Mayuzumi and also widen my music horizons.

ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra performs Beethoven, Lalo, and Tchaikovsky in free concert

The ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra presents their Classical Concert Series with a performance on March 15, 2019, 6:00 PM at the Dolphy Theater, ABS-CBN Compound.

Venezuelan Joshua Dos Santos conducts the concert featuring Ludwig van Beethoven's Egmont Overture, Op. 84, Édouard Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole in D minor, Op. 21 with Orchestra of the Filipino Youth's concertmaster Jose Marie Eserjose as the soloist, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 17 ‘Little Russian'.

Admission to the concert is free. Contact Joji Cardones at (0998) 969-7329 for more information.

Vivaldi's The Four Seasons at the Ayala Museum

The Manila Symphony Orchestra and the Ayala Museum present Vivaldi's Four Seasons as their latest Rush Hour Concerts offering happening this March 14, 2019, 6:30 PM at the Ayala Musem.

Italian violinist and conductor Alessio Benvenuti join the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra in performing pieces by Antonio Vivaldi including the perennial favorite Le quattro stagioni/The Four Seasons.

Benvenuti had studied with some of the icons of violin in the last century such as Henryk Szeryng, Ruggierro Ricio, Igor Oistrach and Dorothy DeLay.

An awardee of the prestigious Prix De Rome in 2003, Maestro Benvenuti had his training from prestigious artistic institutions such as the Mozarteum in Salzbug, The Juilliard School in New York and the Royal College of Music in London. As a violin soloist he had performed with various orchestras and worked with top conductors such as Riccardo Muti, Claudio Abbado and Yuri Temirkanov.

Maestro Benvenuti now resides with his family in the beautiful island of Siquijor in the Visayas. He currently has teaching and performance projects in Cebu City and is excited to collaborate with the MSJO and be introduced into Manila’s classical concert scene.

Aside from The Four Seasons, also in the program are a couple of other Vivaldi works namely the Concerto in D minor for Two Violins, Op. 3 No. 11, RV 565 and the Concerto in F major for Four Violins, Op. 3 No. 7, RV 567, L'esbro armonico with Benvenuti and a some members of the MSJO playing the various solo parts.

Ballet Manila's Deux: A lot more than just Chopin and The Beatles ballets

Ballet Manila's Deux

Even before the first step was made on stage, Ballet Manila's CEO and Co-Artistic Director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde explained that their season ender Deux is more than just a pairing of the classical and the contemporary. Deux also means a pair of dancers in a Pas de deux which also the show features, the two sexes highlighted in their respective numbers, and as a side note, a birthday celebration of the company's very own Dames twins.

Joshua Enciso and Akari Ida in La Bayadere

The show got off to a good start with La Bayadere that showcased danseur Joshua Enciso who showed more maturity with greater control since I saw him last. As Solor, he danced with more polish and kept his tendency to go wild in check. His presence on stage is still so dominant that it takes an effort to keep an eye on his partner Akari Ida. There is a certain comfort and flair in her dancing as Gamzatti that makes me feel at ease, but sometimes she was dwarfed figuratively by her very imposing partner.

Sayaka Ishibashi and Rafael Perez in Flames of Paris

Such an opener was a tough act to follow that Sayaka Ishibashi and Rafael Perez had to step up to keep the momentum with their Flames of Paris Pas de deux. While the two managed to execute the steps, the polish and the character still need to be developed. I just have to remind myself that this is a young pair and that Ballet Manila has always shown guts by letting their junior/new company members do demanding numbers such as this that is usually reserved for more seasoned members.

The next couple of variations were an odd insertion. While it was great to see more of Hyuma as a rather haughty Ali in his variation from Le Corsaire, I wished that Alvin Dictado had more exposure since before I knew it, his Albrecht variation from Giselle is already done and over with.

Elpidio Magat as the Poet in Chopiniana

The main anchor of the first part was Chopiniana, a picturesque showcase that had the corps holding such unusual and intricate angles with their necks, arms, and torso and making them look easy in the process. It made me wonder how groundbreaking these unusual alignments were, in contrast to the classical vein of being always up and vertical, around a century ago when this ballet premiered This was also a showcase for Elpidio Magat as the sensitive poet, and the lead muses composed of Joan Sia, Nanami Hasegawa, and Rissa May Camaclang.

Gerardo Francisco as the soloist in Aramica

The second, contemporary half of the show began with Bam Damian III's Aramica, a slow crescendo that had the male company members parade on to the stage with music from Aram Khachaturian's Spartacus that surged into a powerful display of testosterone exemplified by Gerardo Francisco, who was the soloist for this signature piece. Ballet Manila is distinct for the number of its danseurs it has and it knows how to highlight them.

Pia Dames and Hyuma Kiyosawa in Diane et Acteon

Guest danseur and winner of the silver medal in the Junior Category of the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, Hyuma Kiyosawa returns for the Diane et Acteon Pas de deux with one of the night's birthday twins, Pia Dames. Pia showed character, spunk and grit not allowing a slight misstep towards the end of her fouettés dampen her disposition. While she looked diminutive besides the tall and technically impressive Hyuma, she proved that she was a match in intensity.

The Winding Road

The show reached its climax with the world premiere of Martin Lawrance's The Winding Road, a fun ballet set to the music of legendary band, The Beatles. Once again, this highlighted the strength of the danseurs especially the quartet of principals namely Rudy de Dios, Gerardo Francisco, Romeo Peralta, and Elpidio Magat. I admit that I never really gravitated towards The Beatles and was never really crazy about their music. But seeing how Lawrence (who admits to be a huge fan of the Fab Four) choreographed the selection of songs gave me an opportunity to appreciate the music in ways that I never thought possible. Seeing how he told the story visually through dance made me notice elements of The Beatles music like the song structure, rhythms, arrangement, and influences (I was caught off guard with the Greek music in Girl) that I sadly never took notice if before. It was a revelation for me to sit there watching the dancers go through the highs and lows of life while scrutinizing and deconstructing the music and that pleased me a lot.

It pleased some audience members too since more than a few were eager to hit the dance floor to The Beatles' tunes right after the company took their bows. And having dancing audiences leaving the Aliw Theater is a fine way to cap a season.

Catch the final weekend of Deux this March 9, 2019, 6:00 PM and March 10, 2019, 3:00 PM at the Aliw Theater.

RAd's Playlist | Black Panther

Continuing the Black Panther related posts in here as the critically acclaimed and worldwide commercial hit movie is still on a buzz from the three Oscars it won at the recent Academy Awards. Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson can now add his Oscar for Best Original Score to his Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media for the music he has written for this film.

Most people may be more familiar with the Kendrick Lamar soundtrack release Black Panther: The Album featuring music from and inspired by the film than the one featuring the original score. This album debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 and ended up as the 12^th top selling album for 2018 in the year end charts. The album track, King's Dead, performed by Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Future, and James Blake won as the Best Rap Song at the most recent Grammy Awards. Just a reminder that this album contains explicit lyrics.

Months after the film premiered, Black Panther: Wakanda Remixed, a five track EP was released featuring remixes of cues from the original score. Music videos for each of the tracks were also released.