A Francophonie night of art songs, opera arias with Marielle Tuason

Pianist Gabriel Paguirigan,
Romanian Ambassador Răduţa Matache,
and soprano Marielle Tuason 

During her opening remarks, Romanian Ambassador Răduţa Matache told her colleagues and other guests to forget about work for the meantime and just enjoy a night of music as the Embassy of Romania and Alliance française de Manille presented Francophonie Opera Night featuring soprano Marielle Tuason and pianist Gabriel Paguirigan.

Soprano Marielle Tuason 

Setting work worries aside came easy as Marielle enchanted the audience with her performance of art songs in French namely Villanelle by Eva Dell'Acqua, Villanelle, H 82, Op.7 No.1 by Hector Berlioz, Plaisir d'amour by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini, and Oh! Quand je dors by Franz Liszt. She also gave a rendition of a Romanian piece, Ochi albaştri-s drăgălaşi. Op.41. Nr.3 by Eduard Caudella, that clearly delighted Ambassador Matache.

The second half of the recital showcased Marielle's coloratura prowess with a selection of arias in both French and Italian namely Chacun le sait from La fille du regiment by Gaetano Donizetti, Caro nome from Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi, Prendi per me sei libero... il mio rigor dimentica from L'Elisir d'amore by Donizetti, and Je veux vivre from Romeo et Juliette by Charles Gounod.

Italian Ambassador Marco Clemente

Serving as the intermission, Italian Ambassador Marco Clemente gave an enthusiastic lecture about the history of opera, especially of French opera like how it flourished, the challenges it faced, and how it eventually attained importance and significance second only to Italian opera.

The performance was proceeded by a soirée wherein the Alliance française de Manille and a handful of Ambassadors announced upcoming Francophonie events lined up for the rest of March.

Xavier Leroux, Joseph Felix Assad, Fortune Ledesma,
Canadian Ambassador David Hartman, Moroccan Ambassador Mohammed Rida El Fassi,
French Ambassador Michèle Boccoz, Romanian Ambassador Răduţa Matache,
Cambodian Ambassador Phan Peuv, Lao Ambassador Sonexay Vannaxay, and Marc Piton

Some of these events include Coffee Conversations with Virginie Bouyx and Jessica Zafra, which is also the next installment of Les Jeudis Culturels by the Embassy of France. A couple of Le Ciné Club special screenings, Güeros presented by the Mexican Embassy and Opinci & Povestea unui pierde-vară presented by the Romanian Embassy are also in store. All of these Francophonie events will take place at the Alliance française de Manille.