Featuring:
Tomonori Arai
Duo Trussardi
Eisei Tanigawa
Takashi Endo
Sting Asistores
Marlee Pabico
Programme:
Agustín Barrios Mangoré
La Catedral
Lucrecia Kasilag
Prelude
Etnika
Agustín Barrios Mangoré
Julie
Florida
Georges Bizet
Serenade
Espagnole
Shingo Fujii
Rhapsody
Japan
Hirokazu Sato
Journey to the Far Valley
Rami Vamos and Randall Ayers
12 Silly Song
Dušan Bogdanović
No Feathers on this Frog
Celso Machado
Imagens do Nordeste
Roland Dyens
Saudade No. 3
Francisco Tárrega
Caprichio Arabe
Heitor Villa-Lobos
Prelude No. 1
Leo Brouwer
Elogio de la Danza
Klaus Wüsthoff
Samba Quica
Luigi Boccherini
Introduction and Fandango
Paulo Bellinati
Baiao de Gude
Goran Ivanovic
Ethno Dance
Agustín Barrios Mangoré
Zapateado Caribe
Máximo Diego Pujol
Fin de Siglo
Hirokazu Sato
Song of Birds
Encore:
Fujii Keigo
Soap Bubble Variations
The solo, duo, and trio
performances by Japanese guitarists Tomonori Arai and Duo Trussardi’s Eisei
Tanigawa and Takashi Endo earned their recent concert the title …Three, Two, One, Arai! But for me, the title was more apt as a
countdown to the music journey across the world that these artists took the
audience that gathered inside the Abelardo Hall Auditorium at the UP
College of Music in UP Diliman.
Performing a diverse selection of
music from the Americas, Europe and of course, their home country of Japan, the
concert was a great venue for increasing knowledge and awareness of the vast guitar repertoire that included transcriptions and those composed specifically for the instrument.
Duo Trussardi, made up of Eisei
Tanigawa and Takashi Endo performed a mixture of traditional Japanese tunes
transcribed for guitar duo along with contemporary pieces by Japanese,
American, Yugoslavian, and Brazilian composers. Takashi, who is able to
communicate in limited English, provided brief backgrounds before playing each
piece. And with such a varied selection, the duo’s set brought about different
moods like nostalgia and cheeky playfulness. I particularly enjoyed the duo’s
performance of Hirokazu Sato’s Journey to
the Far Valley which evoked a laidback, rural vibe accompanied by guitar
taps that added a percussive element to the piece.
A clear and rich tone (mostly
owing to a combination of a superior instrument and impeccable technique) was
evident when Tomonori Arai played his first notes. Presenting Romantic era
music with more of a Hispanic/Latin flavor, Arai played most of his pieces
during his set without pauses in between. It felt as if he played a long, multi-movement composition like a sonata or a suite. Arai's take on Capricho
Arabe by Francisco Tárrega was a highlight with him bringing out the
exotic flavor in this Romantic piece.
Arai and Duo Trussardi later on
joined forces for the trio portion of the concert. The humorous banter among
the three made the crowd more relaxed and resulted in a more enjoyable listening
experience not minding that the concert clocked for more than two hours already by this point. What was very interesting for me was seeing how the main melody, harmonies, and other passages were passed from one guitarist to another. And having a visual of these things made me appreciate more the layers, textures, and overall structure and form of the music. Máximo Diego Pujol’s Fin de Siglo, with the music resonating
well to 21st century ears and sensibilities, was the gem for me during the trio portion.
And to cap the evening after travelling all over the world
music wise, the trio ended in the bathtub with a fun piece called Soap Bubble Variations by Fujii Keigo.
The trio explained that the main theme of this variations was a children’s song
about soap bubbles and if my impression is right, these bubbles are the one
made during bath time.
Prior to the Japanese guitarists’
performances, opening acts Sting Asistores and Marlee Pabico gave guitar performances
that belied their youth.
The concert …Three, Two, One, Arai! was a presentation of Independent Philippine Art Ventures, Inc. (iPav) and was supported by the Japan Foundation, Manila.
The concert …Three, Two, One, Arai! was a presentation of Independent Philippine Art Ventures, Inc. (iPav) and was supported by the Japan Foundation, Manila.
