Mariel Ilusorio, Shiho Takashima, Franz Ramirez concert enchants Malabon

Shiho Takashima, Mariel Ilusorio, and Franz Ramirez

The city of Malabon is fast becoming a cultural haven as the San Bartolome Parish, more specifically the Diocesan Archives and Museum at the Old Sacristy, once again played host to a chamber music concert this time around that featured pianist Mariel Ilusorio, violinist Shiho Takashima, and cor anglais player Franz Ramirez.

Previous performances held at the San Bartolome Parish that were part of the Cultural Center of the Philippines' outreach program tours had programs that leaned towards light classical and mainstream music fare that was more accessible to casual audiences. But these trio of artists, went the other route and performed pieces that demanded more from the audience.

Franz Ramirez and Mariel Ilusorio

The opening piece, Robert Schumann's Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70, saw Franz and Mariel showcase the contrasting moods of the two movements. This piece probably gave some audience members their first encounter with the mellow sounding cor anglais/English horn which is rarely seen in chamber music performances compared to the more familiar oboe.

Some elderly women tried to discreetly wipe their eyes, not wanting their seatmates to know that they most likely teared up as Shiho and Mariel gave a spine tingling rendition of Jules Massenet's very popular Méditation from Thaïs.

Mariel Ilusorio

Mariel, who also provided background information prior to each performance, had her spotlight with a confident reading of L'Isle joyeuse, expressing the various waves of emotions that composer Claude Debussy had put into the showcase piece

Shiho Takashima and Mariel Ilusorio 

The dark character of Camille Saint-Saëns' Danse macabre had Shiho demonstrating clarity in her double stops and also power that belies her tiny frame.

The trio then joined forces for a performance of the 3rd movement of the Trio for Violin, English Horn, and Piano, Op. 14 by Donald Francis Tovey. In this configuration, the cor anglais/English horn plays the part that could also be played by the viola. This resulted in fascinating colors and textures especially in the passages where the cor anglais played in tandem with the violin.

With only the 3rd movement performed, this section felt too short. The performance of the entire Tovey trio could've given the concert more meat considering that the entire performance only lasted about an hour. It is certainly a piece worthy of listening to again. Sadly, searches for existing recordings in streaming platforms have come up empty.

Mariel Ilusorio 

Despite the longing for more Tovey, there is not that much to ask for with this concert that was generously hosted by the San Bartolome Parish considering that this was born out of the trio's desire for a venue in which to perform the piece that they have been practicing.

Surprisingly, quite a number of concert regulars, including a handful of musicians from the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, made the trip to Malabon to catch this chamber concert. It would no longer be a surprise if these visiting musicians put Malabon on the cultural map once again when it is their turn to perform at the San Bartolome Parish's Old Sacristy.