Violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr., conductor Olivier Ochanine highlight MSO 98th anniversary concert; 2024-2025 season lineup announced

The countdown to 100 years of the Manila Symphony Orchestra, one of Asia's oldest orchrestras, ever draws near. The MSO caps its In Pursuit of Excellence 2023-2024 season with the 98th anniversary concert this January 31, 2024, 7:00 PM at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza in Makati.

Headlining the concert are violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr. and guest conductor Olivier Ochanine. Program for the evening includes Angel Peña's Trinity, Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 7, FS 16, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 with Saraza as the featured soloist.

The Manila Symphony Orchestra has also announced its 2024-2025 concert series lineup. Below is the list of performances that will culminate with the 99th anniversary of the MSO.

Concert 1: Puccini at 100: Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi

March 16-17, 2024

Hyundai Hall, Arete Center for Performing Arts, Ateneo De Manila University

Rachelle Gerodias, soprano

Byeong In Park, baritone

Marlon Chen, conductor

(supported by the Embassy of Italy in the Philippines)

Concert 2: Mäkïlä in Manila: Sibelius 3 and Dvorak

May 4, 2024

Samsung Performing Arts Theater, Circuit, Makati

Damodar Das Castillo, cello

Sasha Makila, conductor

(supported by the Finnish Embassy)

Concert 3: Triple Concerto: Ching Completes Mozart and Beethoven 8

July 27, 2024

Ayala Museum, Makati

EJ Villarin, violin

Jann Minn Mendoza, viola

Justin Vincent Louis Talusan, cello

Marlon Chen, conductor

Concert 4: Brahms Violin Concerto and Tchaikovsky 6

August 24, 2024

Ayala Museum, Makati

Jeanne Rafaella Marquez, violin

Marlon Chen, conductor

Concert 5: Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3

October 5, 2024

Aliw Theater, Pasay

Mariel Ilusorio, piano

Alexander Vikulov, conductor

Concert 6: Mahler 5 and Shostakovich

January 25, 2025

Samsung Performing Arts Theater, Circuit, Makati

Diomedes Saraza Jr., violin

Marlon Chen, conductor

*Dates and venues are subject to change.

MSO All-Access Memberships, offering discounted tickets and other benefits, for the 2024-2025 season are also now available through contacting Ms. Coeli via e-mail at marketing.manilasymphony@gmail.com or at cellphone number 09174613374.

Olivier Ochanine, PPO deliver challenging Shostakovich Symphony No. 10

Conductor Olivier Ochanine

Concertgoers hoping for a post-Valentine’s night filled with romantic music were probably caught unaware as war music instead echoed inside the halls of the Cultural Center of the Philippines at the latest concert of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra that reunited them with former principal conductor/music director Olivier Ochanine.

Taking a breather from the PPO’s back to basics season, Olivier presented Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Marche Slave in B flat minor, Op. 31, Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 88 in G major, Hob. 1/88, and a major work from the mid-20^th century, Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93.

The realization came to me right after the concert that most of the night’s program was war music. I am fully aware of the circumstances that led to the composition and the nature of the Shostakovich symphony but it somehow passed my mind that the Tchaikovsky work is actually a rousing call to arms against the enemy. With the Marche Slave in B flat minor, Op. 31, Olivier wielded the orchestra to convey the primary theme’s increasing intensity. A patriotic and much romanticized take on war, this music didn’t let me feel the horrors and the grim reality of engaging into battle. No wonder it took me some moments to realize the true programmatic nature of this wok.

No traces of war at all could be heard when the PPO performed Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 88 in G major, Hob. 1/88 which I think is a great example of what a classical era symphony is. Cheerful, light, and sweet as a cotton candy, the PPO breezed through it. Keen eared regulars would’ve noticed how the Finale theme of this symphony was used in Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21.  

The Shostakovich symphony, on the other hand, was in direct contrast with the previous pieces. Filled with tension, defiance, violence, unease, and fear, the shadow of Stalin looms over this piece, offering no sense of relief even if this was completed months after his death. I’ve listened to recordings and watched performance videos numerous times but nothing still compared to experiencing the orchestra bring out the music live. The lower strings continued their streak of sounding rich and robust heard especially during the opening measures and the contrabassoon once again was crisp. Not surprisingly, the solo horn was shaky and had a few hiccups.

Knowledge about the symphony like how it relates to Soviet/Russian history and the rest of Shostakovich’s works, and knowing the "DSCH" and "Elmira" motifs inserted in the music definitely add to my greater appreciation of the piece. Olivier touched upon these during his pre-concert that which made a return for this evening. But even if I strip away all the historical and political context, I could still see and hear the merits of the piece with its structure, the contrasts, and the mood that it communicates.

This performance of the Symphony No. 10 is Olivier’s third Shostakovich symphony with the PPO following the Symphony No. 5 in April 2010 and Symphony No. 1 back in September 2015. I personally dig Shostakovich’s works especially his symphonies, string quartets and concertos even if his music may not be everybody’s cup of tea. For me whose music tastes gravitate towards the 20^th century works and beyond, this concert was a welcome break from the current season’s focus on the classics.

Olivier Ochanine reunites with PPO in February 2017 Concert

Former principal conductor and music director Olivier Ochanine returns to conduct the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra this February 17, 2017, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). This upcoming concert marks the first time Olivier conducts the PPO since their history making performance at the Carnegie Hall in New York, USA back in June 2016.

Music to be performed in this concert includes Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Marche Slave in B flat minor, Op. 31, Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 88 in G major, Hob. 1/88, and Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93.

The Shostakovich’s 10^th Symphony was originally scheduled back in September 2015 but it got replaced by Shostakovich Symphony No. 1 around a couple of weeks before the concert much to my dismay. It looks like they’ve finally ironed out the kinks and it’s all systems go for Symphony No. 10 which I will see and hear live for the very first time.

In preparation for this, I watched again The War Symphonies: Shostakovich Against Stalin, a 1997 documentary by Larry Weinstein, re-released in DVD by EuroArts last year. The film focuses on the symphonies preceding the 10^th, in line with the revisionist view that Shostakovich wrote them in opposition to the Stalin regime.

The film features loads of interviews with Shostakovich’s contemporaries, some disturbing archival footage, and also music performed by the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Kirov Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev. Even if one is not familiar with Shostakovich’s music, the documentary serves as a history lesson on how oppressive regimes attempted to silence and/or manipulate artists and how arts and culture was used to serve their means as propaganda.

Granted that Shostakovich’s music has been closely tied to the history of Russia/Soviet Union and this link has given his work a great deal of mystery, intrigue and excitement. But even as one takes away all the political context, his works can stand on their own greatness, with a musical language that is unmistakably his. And I hope that audiences at the upcoming PPO concert will be able to hear Shostakovich’s musical genius as well.

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra 34th Concert Season 2016-2017

Timeless Classics, New Beginnings Concert VI

February 17, 2017, 8:00 PM | Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

Featuring:

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Program:

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

     Marche Slave in B flat minor, Op. 31

Franz Joseph Haydn

     Symphony No. 88 in G major, Hob. 1/88

Dmitri Shostakovich

     Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93

Ticket prices:

P1500 | P1200 | P800 | P500 | P400 | P300

50% discount for students

20% discount for senior citizens, PWD, government and military personnel

For inquiries:

CCP Marketing Department 832-1125 local 1806

CCP Box Office 832-3704

TicketWorld 891-9999

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra to make US debut at Carnegie Hall

June 18, 2016, 8:00 PM

Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage

Carnegie Hall

57th Street and Seventh Avenue, New York, NY

Featuring:

Cecile Licad, piano

Diomedes Saraza Jr., violin

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Dmitri Shostakovich

     Festive Overture in A major, Op. 96

Jean Sibelius     

     Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47

Sergei Rachmaninoff     

     Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18

Redentor Romero

     Philippine Portraits

In the 33 years that the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra has been in existence, it is quite remarkable to find out that the country’s leading orchestra has never performed in US soil. But come June 18, 2016, all that will change as the PPO makes its US debut at the Carnegie Hall nonetheless. Leading the orchestra in this historic concert is Olivier Ochanine, the PPO’s former music director/principal conductor, who has worked for more than three years to make this project come to fruition.

The evening boasts a formidable program including two major concertos that will feature pianist Cecile Licad and violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr., two of the Philippines’ top caliber artists. Licad will perform Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 while Saraza will tackle Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47. Other pieces to be performed are Dmitri Shostakovich’s Festive Overture in A major, Op. 96 and Redentor Romero’s Philippine Portraits.

Licad has performed the Rach 2 with the PPO and Ochanine earlier this year at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater that also saw her perform Tchaik 1 at the same concert. Saraza, on the other hand, had his solo violin concert with pianist Greg Zuniega at the CCP Little Theater just a few weeks prior to that of Licad’s concert.

The PPO’s Carnegie Hall concert/US debut is made possible with the support of Philippine Airlines (the official carrier of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra), Smart Infinity, Rustan’s Commercial Corporation, One Meralco Foundation, with the support of PLDT Smart Foundation, Federal Land, Inc., and Metrobank Card Corporation.

Proceeds from the concert will go to a housing project of the Philippine Disaster Relief Corporation, Inc. in Tacloban for typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) victims.

Ticket prices:

$130

$110

$85

$70

$60

$50

$40

$35

$30

$25

$22.50

For inquiries:

CarnegieCharge 212-247-7800

Festive music cap Olivier Ochanine stint as PPO music director.

Featuring:

Odin Rathnam, violin

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Jules Massenet

     Suite for Orchestra No. 6 Scènes de Féerie

Erich Wolfgang Korngold

     Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35

George Enescu

     Romanian Rhapsody No.1 in A major, Op. 11

Alberto Ginastera

     Four Dances from Estancia, Op. 8a

Encore:

Francesco Maria Veracini

     Allegro from Sonata No. 1 in A Major, Op. 7

Aram Khachaturian

     Lezghinka from Gayaneh

Capping his six year stint, Olivier Ochanine took to the podium for the very last time as the music director/principal conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra at a concert with music that toned down the drama and amped the festive mood instead.

The concert also featured returning violinist Odin Rathnam as the featured soloist in Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35. At times, the orchestra felt anemic, a bit bland during the quiet moments and also not swelling enough during the romantic climaxes of the first movement. After an unsettling disconnect at the start, Odin and the orchestra eventually clicked during the latter part of the first movement and both were in their element during the exhilarating jig of the third movement. It was a bit of a letdown that the opening movement, which was my favorite, didn’t pan out perfectly as I hoped it would. Also in between movements, Odin cracked some jokes and while the audience found it funny, I thought that it broke the mood that should've been kept until the end of the piece. My anticipation to hear the Korngold performed live again after almost six years set such a high expectation that it wasn't easy for me to let pass the things that have gone awry no matter how small they were.

During Odin’s encore, when he was left on his own to play the Allegro from Francesco Maria Veracini’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in A major, Op. 7, he was absolutely phenomenal and was able to make the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Main Theater acoustics sound divine. It didn’t matter that this was the same encore he did when he performed the Brahms a couple of years ago.

While the orchestra struggled with the long, sweeping passages during the Korngold, they had no problem with the very pronounced rhythms of the other pieces in the program namely Jules Massenet’s Suite for Orchestra No. 6 Scènes de Féerie, George Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No.1 in A major, Op. 11, and Alberto Ginastera’s Four Dances from Estancia, Op. 8a. These pieces, mostly taken from ballets, didn’t feature that much contrast in mood and dynamics and didn’t have much drama. Instead, the music went on to build and build, ultimately snowballing into an exciting climax which was evident during the percussion frenzied Malambo, the final dance from Ginastera’s Estancia that ultimately ended the concert And the dancing fever didn’t stop there as the orchestra did Aram Khachaturian’s Lezghinka from the ballet Gayaneh as their encore. They performed this as an encore years ago too, but this time, it was at a tempo that I am satisfied with.

What left me a bit unsatisfied in this concert was the lack of a symphony. For a milestone concert, marking the end of a memorable run, one would expect a major symphony to be part of the program. In the end, the night felt like there wasn't enough meat in it. Also, the previously announced performance of the PPO Composition Competition winner didn't happen due to the entries not meeting the criteria that were set. 

Olivier Ochanine came to the PPO at the time when the orchestra lacked a clear direction, and the Manila Symphony Orchestra and FILharmoniKA started having their respective season concerts also. Being the youngest music director of the PPO to date, Olivier took advantage of social media (and also his cameo roles in a couple of television series) and successfully used it as a promotional tool to entice younger audiences to watch the concerts.  Music wise, he was able to introduce to the Philippine audience works by Carl Nielsen, Alan Hovhaness and Steven Stucky while also accommodating audience requests for the more popular fare like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.

Personally, I am grateful that throughout the years, Olivier has been very kind in entertaining (and enduring) my numerous requests, suggestions, complaints, and brutally honest views. Our discussions about the PPO, the music scene here in the Philippines, and almost anything under the sun have always been animated with a lot of stuff not suitable for print. Olivier may not be the PPO’s music director/principal conductor anymore, but that doesn’t mean that we’ve already seen the last of him.

Olivier Ochanine conducts final PPO season concert, violinist Odin Rathnam returns

April 22, 2016, 8:00 PM

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

Cultural Center of the Philippines

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Odin Rathnam, violin

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

     PPO Composition Competition Winner

Erich Wolfgang Korngold

     Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35

Jules Massenet

     Suite for Orchestra No. 6 Scènes de Féerie

George Enescu

     Romanian Rhapsody No.1 in A major, Op. 11

Alberto Ginastera

     Four Dances from Estancia, Op. 8a

Olivier Ochanine, the outgoing music director/principal conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra takes to the podium for his last season concert with the orchestra this April 22, 2016, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’s Main Theater. Special guest for the evening is violinist Odin Rathnam.

Music to be performed at the concert include Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35, with Odin as the soloist, Jules Massenet’s Suite for Orchestra No. 6 Scènes de Féerie, George Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No.1 in A major, Op. 11, Alberto Ginastera’s Four Dances from Estancia, Op. 8a, and the winning piece of the PPO Composition Competition.

Odin is no longer a stranger to the PPO audience as he was the orchestra’s featured soloist for Johannes Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D minor, Op.77 at their February 2014 season concert held at the Meralco Theater. He was very kind enough to grant me an interview leading up to his performance here.

RAd: It was initially announced that you were to play Nielsen's violin concerto. I've heard a few people get disappointed when they learned of the change to Korngold. How can you convince those disappointed few to come see you perform the Korngold?

Odin Rathnam: Korngold is a better piece, no offense to my fellow Danes.

I love the Nielsen Concerto too, but sorry, Korngold is better architecturally, melodically and in terms of the harmonic language, at least for MY TASTE!

And I am half Danish.

I love Nielsen. But there is a reason why he is Nielsen and not Brahms. In Korngold’s case, the direct connection to the Viennese tradition is very strong. His biggest enemy is how players interpret him, biased on their perception writing for Hollywood somehow cheapened or compromised his art.

RAd: What do you mean by Nielsen not being Brahms?

Odin Rathnam: I guess what I was saying is that Nielsen is a wonderful, second tier composer, to me, who wrote a few things that touch greatness and timelessness. A couple of the symphonies, some chamber works, some of the concerti. I LOVE HIM, biased on being half Danish, proud and biased, but I also know he isn't Brahms.

Brahms is an infinitely more complex and satisfying composer for my ears. Nielsen has a wonderful and unique "Nordic" vocabulary of melody and harmony, but I don't see it ever grabbing the masses the way Brahms, Beethoven, Bach, Tchaikovsky, and others do.

Personally I love Nielsen. I don't expect everyone else to though. His sounds for me are Danish, familiar, and tied to my upbringing and childhood memories. So I am the wrong one to ask. I am very biased, and proud of him.

Dominicans and Puerto Ricans love salsa and merengue.

Argentines, the Tango. I could go on… but rating all these different things??? Perhaps they are all great, but DIFFERENT.

RAd: I do think that it’s silly to rank these things. I mean, 5 people will react differently to the same piece of music, literature, artwork, etc. And that is what makes art so great.

Odin Rathnam: Exactly! So we can love a composer, for specific things, regardless of whether critical scrutiny would make him or her generally rated as ok, good, very good or great. And the ratings are always somehow biased or subjective.

But in the end, something has to grab you, by the throat, in your gut, or in your loins, or in the depth of your HEART.

If it does that, there is no need to compare to anything else. It is ART.

RAd: Lastly, how does it feel to be part of the final season concert of Olivier Ochanine with the PPO?

Odin Rathnam: It is an absolute honor to be invited back. I love his musicianship, character and how he WORKS. PERIOD. That is the starting point. Interpreting scores with him is always honest, uncompromising and inspiring. My favorite Brahms Concerto was with HIM. So I am truly excited to present Korngold with him and the PPO on the 22^nd. I think it will be an important collaboration, at least in my life.

Aside from the upcoming concert, Odin will also conduct a workshop on Galamian principles at Coke Bolipata’s Casa San Miguel in Zambales. And the concert with Odin may be the Olivier’s last season concert with he PPO but he is not yet finished with the orchestra. This June, he and the orchestra will embark on a US tour including a concert at the famed Carnegie Hall.

Ticket prices:

P1500 Orchestra Center

P1200 Orchestra Side

P800 Extreme Orchestra Side

P500 Balcony I Center

P400 Balcony I Side

P300 Balcony II

For inquiries:

CCP Marketing Department 832-1125 local 1806

CCP Box Office 832-3704

TicketWorld 891-9999

PPO, Rachelle Gerodias, Byeong-In Park, Madz, et al in enthralling Brahms Requiem

Featuring:

Rachelle Gerodias, soprano

Byeong-In Park, baritone

Philippine Madrigal Singers, et al

     Mark Anthony Carpio, choir master

Philippine Madrigal Singers Alumni

UE Chorale

     Anna Piquero, choir master

UP Choral Class

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Herminigildo Ranera

     Philippine Symphonic Folksongs

Johannes Brahms

     Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45

As his stint as outgoing principal conductor/music director of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra nears its end, Olivier Ochanine drew another ace from his sleeve with the Philippine premiere performance of Johannes Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45. With a choir of at least a hundred members and soloists Rachelle Gerodies (soprano) and Byeong-In Park (baritone) joining the orchestra, the Brahms performance proved to be a feast not just for the ears but for the eyes as well.

But first, the concert opened with Herminigildo Ranera’s Philippine Symphonic Folksongs. This was just the second time this piece has been performed since its debut by the Orchestra Nipponica Tokyo for the Japan-Philippines Contemporary Music Festival held in February 2013. With this short work steeped in folk idiom, the PPO took the audience on a musical journey of the Philippines’ three main islands: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Each island/movement had a distinct orchestral color with Luzon having only the winds, brass and percussion section playing, Visayas just the strings and harp, while Mindanao had the full orchestral complement.

Then it was off to the evening’s main work: the Brahms German Requiem. The combined forces of the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Alumni, et al with choir master Mark Anthony Carpio, the UE Chorale with choir master Anna Piquero, and the UP Choral Class were expected to produce a wall of sound and they did. More impressive were the deft handling of the softer passages with the entire choir sounding as if their voices were just mists hovering/floating above the ground. But it was during the fugues that the choir truly shone and that’s something coming from me who isn’t too keen on fugues. It is interesting to note the presence in the choir of a handful of countertenors who sang the alto parts which is something I don’t see very often.

For the audience members who weren’t familiar with the Brahms piece, they were let down when they realized how brief the parts of Rachelle Gerodias and Byeong-In Park were. Byeong-In was imposing and firm, quite a contrast with the delicate solo of Rachelle. Being husband and wife, I wouldn’t be surprised that some expected a duet between the two, but none was written for this Requiem. No wonder that the talk at the lobby after the concert was wishing to hear more from the two of them. Personally, I wish the Olivier conducted this with a more glacial pace but doing that would’ve added at least five more minutes to the program. And that is five minutes more that the choir had to endure standing at the risers.

I admit that during this concert, it was very difficult for me to keep my eyes from the choir and the soloists during the Requiem. If not for the Philippine Symphonic Folksongs, I would’ve probably ignored the orchestra altogether. Well, not quite since I did savor the harp parts and also the low strings passages that opened the Brahms.

It is a remarkable coincidence that the last PPO concert that featured a huge choir happened exactly five years before and that the piece back then was also a Requiem albeit the one by Giuseppe Verdi. I think that the concerts seeming to go full circle serve as a reminder for everyone that Olivier Ochanine’s term with the PPO is about to wrap up and that next month's concert will be his last.

PPO, Rachelle Gerodias, Byeong-In Park, and Madz set for Brahms Requiem Philippine premiere

March 18, 2016, 8:00 PM

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

Cultural Center of the Philippines

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Rachelle Gerodias, soprano

Byeong-In Park, baritone

Philippine Madrigal Singers et al

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Johannes Brahms

     Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45

The Philippine premiere of Johannes Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45 headlines the penultimate concert of music director/principal conductor Olivier Ochanine with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra on March 18, 2016, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

Real life couple soprano Rachelle Gerodias and baritone Byeong-In Park will be the evening’s soloists while the Philippine Madrigal Singers lead the group of choirs performing in this magnum opus of Brahms. As the title suggests, this Requiem features German text as opposed to the Latin of a traditional Requiem Mass. And instead of being a mass for the dead, this piece centers more on comforting and consoling the living.

This upcoming performance of a large choral work comes almost exactly five years after the PPO played Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem. Olivier Ochanine told me that it wasn’t by design that this is happening but I think that as his stint with the PPO is about to wrap up, things are going full circle albeit by coincidence.

The initially announced world debut performance of the winning piece of the PPO Composition Competition is now scheduled for the concert on April 22, 2016. The piece(s) to be performed alongside Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem is to be announced.

Ticket prices:

P1500 Orchestra Center

P1200 Orchestra Side

P800 Extreme Orchestra Side

P500 Balcony I Center

P400 Balcony I Side

P300 Balcony II

For inquiries:

CCP Marketing Department 832-1125 local 1806

CCP Box Office 832-3704

TicketWorld 891-9999

Carl Nielsen music, Danish singers shine in PPO concert

Featuring:

Denise Beck, soprano

Thomas Storm, baritone

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Carl Nielsen

     Symphony No. 3, Op. 27 Sinfonia Espansiva

     Overture to Maskarade

Phillip Faber

     Shattered Song (in Hommage to Carl Nielsen)

Carl Nielsen

     Seven Tidlige Sange (Arranged by Bo Holten for Singer and Orchestra)

          Æbleblomst Op. 10, No. 1

          I Seraillets Have Op. 4, No. 2

          Silkesko, Op. 6, No. 3            

          Det bødes der for Op. 6, No. 4

          Genrebillede Op. 6, No. 1

          Irmelin Rose Op. 4, No. 4

          Vise af "Mogens" Op. 6. No. 5

     Min søde Balsambøsse from Maskarade

Denmark may be thousands of kilometers away from the Philippines, but through the power of music, the two countries never felt much closer when the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Olivier Ochanine devoted an entire concert to the Danish composer Carl Nielsen.

The concert, a part of The Carl Nielsen Project, a worldwide celebration of the composer’s 150^th anniversary of his birth had the Cultural Center of the Philippines in cooperation with Ambassador Jan Top Christensen and the Embassy of Denmark pulling out all the stops by flying in a couple of guest artists from Denmark: soprano Denise Beck and Thomas Storm. Carl Nielsen’s music is rarely heard in Philippine shores and PPO principal conductor/music director Olivier Ochanine has made it his mission to introduce works of one of his favorite composers in this part of the world.

Opening with Symphony No. 3, Op. 27 Sinfonia Espansiva, the orchestra delivered an arresting start with the increasingly violent outbursts of the “A” note. The ever forward moving waltz that followed right after had the strings stumbling but they eventually redeemed themselves at the idyllic second movement. This was also when Denise and Thomas first appeared on stage singing a wordless “Ah” that had me imagining lying on the grass, staring at the bright sky, looking at the passing clouds, and then hearing those two voices as if coming from a distance carried by a gentle, cool breeze. The third movement felt like a tug of war between two opposing forces that I still have yet to grasp fully but finally watching a live performance has made me a step closer. The symphony wrapped up nicely with a fourth movement that had very rural vibe that resolved whatever conflict there was in the third.

Also featured in the concert was the Overture to Maskarade, a short, brisk piece which is a direct contrast to Phillip Faber’s Shattered Song (in Hommage to Carl Nielsen). The Faber piece, a world premiere performance, featured languid strings that was interrupted by the snare drum reminiscent of Nielsen’s Symphony No. 5, Op 50.

The audience heard more of Denise and Thomas as the two sang a selection of songs by Nielsen: Æbleblomst Op. 10, No. 1, I Seraillets Have Op. 4, No. 2, Silkesko, Op. 6, No. 3, Det bødes der for Op. 6, No. 4, Genrebillede Op. 6, No. 1, Irmelin Rose Op. 4, No. 4, Vise af "Mogens" Op. 6. No. 5. Singing in Danish, I understood next to nothing about what the songs were all about. But I was savoring the strangeness of the Danish language, trying to pick out clues from the tonality and tempo of the music, and the two’s facial expressions as to what the songs were all about. Thankfully, the two gave a brief background on the flirty duet between the maid and a valet before ending with the quirky Min søde Balsambøsse from Maskarade. The audience gave the two a reception that is definitely a lot warmer than the cold winters they are accustomed to over in their homeland.

Having Denise and Thomas at the concert made it easier for me (and hopefully to others) to connect as the two gave a “face” and a “voice” to Carl Nielsen. I can imagine that the impact would’ve been a lot different had Olivier and the PPO performed just orchestral pieces by Nielsen. Lastly, a funny anecdote happened at the cocktails prior to the concert when a regular at the symphony wanted me to point out where Carl Nielsen was among the crowd at the lobby. I guess that she got too excited about the concert (or enjoyed the wine and Arla cheese too much) that she didn’t get the 150^th birth anniversary part of the whole affair.

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra joins Carl Nielsen celebrations

February 19, 2016, 8:00 PM

Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)

Cultural Center of the Philippines

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Featuring:

Denise Beck, soprano

Thomas Storm, baritone

Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

Olivier Ochanine, conductor

Programme:

Carl Nielsen

     Overture to Maskarade

     Symphony No. 3, Op. 27 Sinfonia Espansiva

     Selected Songs

Phillip Faber

     Shattered Song (Homage to Carl Nielsen)

When Olivier Ochanine assumed his post as the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s principal conductor/music director, he has made it his mission to feature the works of his favorite composer, the Danish Carl Nielsen.

Since then, the PPO audience has heard a couple of his works namely Symphony No. 4, Op. 29 The Inextinguishable and the Aladdin Suite performed on separate occasions. Come February 19, 2016, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Main Theater, an entire concert will be dedicated to Nielsen as the PPO in cooperation with the Embassy of Denmark join in The Carl Nielsen Project, a worldwide celebration of the composer’s 150^th anniversary of his birth.

Almost an all-Nielsen affair, the concert will include performances of the Overture to Maskarade, Symphony No. 3, Op. 27 Sinfonia Espansiva, and a selection of songs. The two soloists flying to the country for the concert are two of Denmark’s finest singers: soprano Denise Beck and baritone Thomas Storm. The concert will also feature the world premiere of Phillip Faber’s Shattered Song (Homage to Carl Nielsen), a piece commissioned by the PPO for this special occasion.

Carl Nielsen, considered as Denmark’s national composer and also a leading figure in Scandinavian music, has gone largely unnoticed outside of Europe during his lifetime. It was through Leonard Bernstein, then music director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra championing his works back in the 1960’s that interest in Nielsen started to grow in America. Today, Alan Gilbert, the current music director of the New York Philharmonic, and another ardent fan continues what Bernstein has started making sure that Nielsen becomes a household name in classical music circles. The Carl Nielsen concerts, exhibits, recordings, and publications have been underway since 2015 and finally, the Philippines is about to catch up and join in the celebrations this February.

In Asia, Nielsen’s music is even more obscure with his works almost never played at all. This puts the PPO in an enviable task of being one of the Asian orchestras performing and introducing his music at this side of the globe. In order to make this concert a reality, Olivier Ochanine embarked on a trip to Denmark tracing the life and musical journey of Carl Nielsen. And with the cooperation of the Embassy of Denmark and Ambassador Jan Top Christensen, one of Olivier’s dream projects with the PPO is finally coming to fruition.

Since its official reopening back in January 2015 after closing in 2002, the Embassy of Denmark, has promoted Danish culture to Filipinos who are mostly only familiar with the tales of Hans Christiann Andersen, the popular toy Lego, and of course, the Danish cookies along with the infamous tin can. Hopefully with The Carl Nielsen Project, people’s knowledge of Danish music will also expand beyond Michael Learns to Rock and Aqua. This concert is part of the Embassy of Denmark's celebrations commemorating the 70^th year of diplomatic relations between Denmark and the Philippines.

Ticket prices:

P1500 Orchestra Center

P1200 Orchestra Side

P800 Extreme Orchestra Side

P500 Balcony I Center

P400 Balcony I Side

P300 Balcony II

For inquiries:

CCP Marketing Department 832-1125 local 1806
CCP Box Office 832-3704

TicketWorld 891-9999