Piano Peace

I first got aware of this event when I picked up a flyer for the Filfest 2010 Season that was available during the Chopin concert series. I admit that I wasn’t at all interested with the contents of the flyer at first because the concert venue, the Insular Life Theatre at Alabang, was too far south from where I live. So I just told myself why bother since it would be difficult for me to go and see concerts there.

But I still read what was inside the flyer while I was waiting for the show to start and the concert entitled Piano Peace got me curious. It’s no secret that concerts featuring pianists are what I really prefer compared to those that feature other instruments. And the distinction that the pianists featured in this concert were an interesting pair further fueled my interest. The pianists for the concert were Bishara Harouni and Yaron Kohlberg; the former is an Arab while the latter is a Jew. A pair like that performing in one concert is very rare so I told myself that I must get my gears turning so that I could catch this performance.

So I was glad that I was able to make it to the theatre to see this interesting pair. And right from the start they made a very good impression upon the audience when they appeared on stage wearing the Barong Tagalog. And the good impression continued as they played Dmitri Shostakovich’s Concertino for 2 Pianos in A Minor, Op. 94. I really like this piece since it’s a joy to hear and it has some passages reminiscent of some themes in Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 which is my favorite piece as of this moment. I knew that the show had just started but at the back of my mind, I felt the urge to practice at the soonest time possible.

Then it was Yaron’s turn to play. And he did please me since he played music by Frédéric Chopin. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: I never grow tired of watching pianists play Chopin especially good pianists who can do his exquisite work justice. I can forgive Yaron for playing five out of the 24 Preludes from Op. 28 which is not my favorite Chopin piece to hear. But he made up for it by playing three etudes that are among my favorites: Etude Op. 10, No. 12, Etudes Op. 25, No. 5 and No. 11. I was absolutely glad that it somehow felt that this was a little extension of the Chopin concert series that I’ve enjoyed a month before this.

For the next piece, they played Franz Schubert’s Fantasia in F Minor for Four Hands, Op. 103. Since it’s a piece for four hands, they played side by side on just one piano and it was remarkable to see how well they work together. And it was during this piece when I was reminded that Yaron is Jewish and Bishara is Arab and there they were, playing side by side. It was very unlike what I normally see in the news and I hoped at that moment that this was how things should be in real life. And this was also the piece where I noticed how different their style and their personalities as they were playing. Yaron was more animated and grinned a lot at Bishara. And Bishara was more passive and reserved but he wasn’t overwhelmed at all by Yaron’s extroverted demeanor.

After this, it was Bishara’s time to do his solos and he started with Chopin’s Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52. It was a bit odd seeing him play this piece seated not on the usual piano bench, but on the typical chair with back support. But aside from that interesting choice of seat, Bishara’s Chopin was quite mesmerizing. He is a tall guy who might come of as intimidating at first glance but there was this tenderness and depth in his Chopin. And then he showed his intensity and power at the end of this piece. Then he changed the pace with his next piece: Franz Liszt’s La Campanella which is the more popular name for Etude No. 3 in G Sharp Minor from the Grandes etudes de Paganini. I normally associate music by Liszt as just fireworks showpieces but Bishara had a way of making it more than just that. Again, there was this delicate artistry which is beyond just showing technique.

For the last piece, the duo played Darius Milhaud’s Scaramouche which is a piece that is just plain fun for me. And the two of them definitely looked like they were having fun especially Yaron who dealt with humor the snags that he encountered with his piano and his inexperienced page turner who was one of the usherettes that night. Despite these minor problems, the duo played with such joy that left everybody in such high spirits. Proof of this was the wild applause from the audience who demanded an encore and the duo granted them with a reprise of the first movement of this piece.

Pianist Bishara Harouni

Pianist Yaron Kohlberg

Honestly, I thought that the programme for the night was a bit short and I was disappointed a bit that they didn’t give another encore performance. But in an amazing turn of events, my experience with these two pianists extended beyond the night of the concert. And what I experienced after was one of the most memorable moments that I’ve had recently. But this story merits a blog entry of its own.

Chopin Manille 2010 Bicentenaire Cecile Licad II

Just a couple of days after her solo concert, renowned Filipino pianist Cecile Licad performed once again for the fifth concert of the Chopin Manille 2010 Bicentenaire series. This was without a doubt, the main highlight of the series since she was scheduled to play Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 21 with the Manila Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arturo Molina. And people knew it as well since a very diverse crowd ranging from the well dressed members of the high society to the young music students filled the Philamlife Auditorium. All of them were eager to see Licad perform this famour concerto.

But the Chopin concerto was the last piece for that night which meant that the orchestra had to play something else. Chopin composed almost exclusively for the piano so the other pieces had to be from other composers. And these pieces were Richard Wagner’s Overture to "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg", Franz Liszt’s Les Preludes and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34.

The first half of the concert featured the orchestra playing the Wagner and Liszt pieces. I am remotely familiar with these pieces and this half was a real test of my patience. I was actually more eager to listen to the second half of the concert but I had to sit throughout these two pieces.

As expected, the second half was the most awaited part of the concert. And Rimsky-Korsakov’s delightful Capriccio Espagnol was a good way to start it. I’ve seen the orchestra play this piece before during the NAMCYA guitar winners’ concert a few months back. But for this night, the tempo felt a bit too slow than what I’m used to. Still, the clarinet and violin solos were quite lovely.

And saving the best for last, Licad then played the Chopin concerto. So long have I waited to see her play this piece live and it was absolutely sublime. In this concerto, there are certain parts that I absolutely adore and Licad nailed them perfectly. Kudos to the first bassoon for not letting me down as the second movement Larghetto was winding down. It was exquisite and he had a lovely tone during the counterpoint.

The audience thought that despite a superb performance from Licad, it was still not enough as they demanded an encore and she obliged with a handful of them. She played a couple of Chopin pieces: Etude in C Minor, Op. 10, No. 12 and Waltz in D Flat Major Op. 64, No. 1. And then she played a handful of pieces which I again failed to note the titles and their respective composers. But a couple of them she played as encores as well during her solo concert. After the concert, Licad was mobbed by members of the audience all wanting to have her autograph and their photos taken with her. Spotted among the audience were Rudolf Golez and Raul Sunico who were previous performers of the concert series.

Pianist Cecile Licad

Finally, the concert series is almost over since the next performance is still months away. I’ve had my fill of Chopin and I think that it’s time for me to have a change of pace. It’s time for me to rest a bit since I’ve been through a lot of concerts this March and it’s been tiring. But I’m still far from getting tired of all the concerts and the music; I just need to recharge so that I’ll be energized for the next concerts/recitals just lurking around the corner.