Featuring:
Aries
Caces, piano
Manila
Symphony Orchestra
Arturo
Molina, conductor
Programme:
Richard
Strauss
Death and Transfiguration (Tod und
Verklärung), Op. 24
Sergei
Rachmaninoff
Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30
Symphonic Dances, Op. 45
An
electrifying Rach 3 by Aries Caces amid a dark and brooding lineup of late
romantic music by Richard Strauss and Sergei Rachmaninoff was how the Manila Symphony Orchestra and their principal conductor/music director Arturo Molina wrapped
up their 2014-2015 Sound of Life Season
concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino
(CCP Little Theater).
Performing
to a packed theater, the MSO opened the concert with Richard Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration (Tod und
Verklärung), Op. 24 which I think is the most musically poetic
depiction of death. The orchestra was able to weave an arc depicting the last
moments of an artist, his final burst of reminiscence, his body finally succumbing
to the inevitability of death, and ultimately, the immortality and triumph of
the spirit. Such profound themes by Strauss could’ve made for a very emotional
experience. Despite being the among the oldest orchestras in Asia, the MSO currently probably the youngest orchestra on average in here and this inexperience became a barrier for them. While they were able to go through the piece, I
felt that it somehow lacked the punch needed to make the journey more moving.
The
orchestra certainly needed the punch if ever they were to match pianist Aries
Caces with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30, a
piece notorious for its difficulty and demands on the pianist’s stamina and
endurance. But Caces seemed to breeze throughout the concerto as if everything
was just as simple and easy as the unison passages that started the piece. The
piano used at the concert was far from optimum but his brilliance was more than
enough for me to look past the inferior sounding instrument. And the orchestra's level of playing was clearly more inspired in here than the previous piece. I was also relieved
that the piano was able to bear the brunt of such a demanding piece which
cannot be said by a member of the 2nd violin section who broke a
string during the Intermezzo. For an
encore, Caces performed the mega popular 18th Variation of Rachmaninoff’s
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 34
with the orchestra which slowed down the pace after the concerto’s electrifying
finish.
The
concert ended the evening, Symphonic
Dances, Op. 45 also by Rachmaninoff. The three movement piece offered the
orchestra a chance to showcase their range and explore different moods, colors
and textures. The first movement featured a bizarre march that contrasted with
a serene middle section that had Rachmaninoff using the alto saxophone for the
first time. For me, the movement that drummed up the most interest is the
second with its twisted and somewhat perverted version of a Viennese waltz. The
third movement was soaked in such dark, sinister gloom and a fascination with
death. What’s even more ominous was that this eventually turned out to be
Rachmaninoff’s final work. I guess that this piece tied up thematically with the
opening Richard Strauss work.
Again
with the dances, I felt that a lot of the young and newer members were more
relieved to get through the piece instead of being totally in command. The discrepancy
between the first and the last stands of the strings section, which has been
one of the MSO’s strengths, is now more pronounced. In recent years, the MSO
has had its share of veteran members transferring to other orchestras and
moving on to other things and that left the newer and much younger members with
not just a lot of catching up to do but also with very big shoes to fill. The
MSO is clearly on a transitional period with the younger members still gaining
more experience as they go on through every concert to be at par with their
predecessors.
 |
| RAd with pianist Aries Caces |
But
on a very positive note, the MSO has managed to fill up the CCP Little Theater
for most of the shows this season. And I’ve been very delighted to see a lot of
new and unexpected faces at their concerts, which is very much welcomed in the
classical music scene in here. I think that a lot of credit has to go to Carlos
“Garch” Garchitorena, their new Marketing Manager, who has been successful in
drawing people from the other side of the fence to watch the MSO concerts.
