PPO 28th Season 2010-2011

The blog entries for the upcoming season lineup of orchestras continue with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s schedule for their upcoming 28th Season.

PPO I - La Musique Francaise
September 10, 2010

Berlioz, Hector - Harold in Italy (Sayaka Kobuko, Viola)
Milhaud, Darius - Le Boeuf sur le Toit
Honegger, Arthur - Pastorale d'Ete
Ravel, Maurice - Bolero

PPO II - Beethoven’s Emperor
October 8, 2010

Bartok, Bela - Two Pictures
Haydn, F.J. - Symphony No. 104 "London"
Beethoven, Ludwig v. - Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor" (Georgi Slavchev, Piano)

PPO III - Dibner’s Bassoon
November 12, 2010

Strauss, Richard - Tod und Verklaerung
Weber, Carl Maria v. - Bassoon Concerto (Steve Dibner, Bassoon)
Elgar, Edward - Romance for Bassoon and Orchestra
Schubert, Franz - Symphony No. 9 "Great"

PPO IV - Dvořák’s Sixth
December 10, 2010

Ives, Charles - The Unanswered Question
Romero, Redentor - Philippine Portraits
Tchaikovsky, Piotr I. - Francesca da Rimini
Dvořák, Antonin - Symphony No. 6

PPO V - Robert Ryker: Guest Conductor
January 14, 2011

Program TBA

PPO VI - Tianwa Yang Plays Brahms
February 11, 2011

Beethoven, Ludwig v. - Symphony No. 5
Gershwin, George - Symphonic Pictures from "Porgy & Bess" (arr. Bennett)
Brahms, Johannes - Violin Concerto (Tianwa Yang, Violin)

PPO VII - Verdi’s Monumental Requiem
March 18, 2011

Verdi, Giuseppe - Requiem (4 SATB Soloists TBA, with choirs from the Philippines)

PPO VII - Gulyak and Mahler 1
April 15, 2011

Hohvaness, Alan - Symphony No. 2 "Mysterious Mountain"
Rachmaninov, Sergei - Piano Concerto No. 3 (Sofya Gulyak, Piano)
Mahler, Gustav - Symphony No. 1 "Titan"

Performances are held at the CCP Main Theater and they start at 8:00 PM.

This lineup had some changes compared to the subscription form that I got during the orchestra’s last performance. It’s not uncommon for the programme and performers to change but sometimes they do throw me off especially if they’re last minute changes. Initially, Slavchev was to play the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto but it was changed to Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. And Gulyak’s piece was previously announced as Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and now, it’s the Concerto No. 3 instead. Oh dear, someone will play Rach 3 and why do I have to wait for next year? I want to see it now!

Ochanine also adds that there will be other special performances aside from their regular season concert. But no details about those yet.

PPO Signature Series Concert VIII

Finally, the long wait is over and the inaugural concert of Olivier Ochanine, the new music director/principal conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, has arrived. And as expected, I went to the Cultural Center of the Philippines and watched this concert which was the eighth and the last of the 27th concert season.

This concert had a very interesting programme. The first played was Dmitri Shostakovich’s Festive Overture in A Major, Op. 96. I am very familiar with this piece and it does sound like what the title suggests. And it’s a really feel good piece of music. And during the performance, I was a bit thrown off by how slow the brass fanfare was at the beginning. It made me quite anxious for it to finish so the piece could go on to the delightful clarinet solo. The slower fanfare did make the main theme sound a lot livelier in my opinion. By the way, Ochanine told me later on that the fanfare actually has been played a lot faster than how it was supposed to be by others and that was why I thought that his was a lot slower. Nonetheless, it was a nice and exciting start to the concert.

The next piece the orchestra played was Le Cid, Suite for Orchestra by Jules Massenet. I’m not really familiar with this piece but it was quite accessible. And I always get amused on how some French composers managed to write music that is inspired by Spain. The suite featured melodies that are easy to like, familiar rhythms and most important of all, a variety of percussion instruments which never fails to please the audience.

From the unfamiliar to a very familiar one was how the concert progressed. The orchestra then closed the first half of the programme with Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings. As the title suggests, only the strings played in this piece and it’s a very sad tune usually used in funerals/memorials. I am quite puzzled as to why this was the closing piece for the first half since I felt a bit drained during the intermission. This piece is definitely not one to listen to if one wants to get energized. But the audience gave a rather energetic applause after the piece was played.

So I tried to energize myself during the intermission by drinking wine and I knew that I needed a lot of energy since the second half featured a piece that made me exhausted whenever I listen to it actively: Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 57 by Dmitri Shostakovich. The concert started with a Shostakovich piece that I could just relax and enjoy listening to it and it ended with a piece by the same composer in which listening to it is not a walk in the park. Remarkably, watching it live for the first time didn’t exhaust me at all. It was a very different experience from just listening to a recording of it. And the menacing timpani during the last movement which is my favorite really got my heart pounding.

The audience really welcomed Ochanine when they gave him a nice applause that could’ve rivaled the intensity of the timpani during the last moments of the Shostakovich Symphony. And as expected, Ochanine and the orchestra did a trio of encores. And it’s quite embarassing that I failed to get the titles and the composers of these pieces. All I know is that the first was Edward Elgar's Nimrod from Variations on an Original Theme for orchestra, Op. 36 or Enigma Variations. The second encore was a medley of popular Philippine songs. As always, foreigners who make an effort to learn a Filipino piece instantly endear themselves to the local audience. The final encore was a lively number and unfortunately, that’s the only thing that I could say about this since it was the first time that I heard that piece.

So now that the 27th season is over, I must wait a few months until the next season begins. I already have a copy of what the PPO has lined up and while some pieces are unfamiliar, the ones that I know especially the piano concertos happen to be some of my favorites. I wish Ochanine well in his stint with the PPO and he can count on my support as I continue watching my national orchestra.

Conductor Olivier Ochanine

PPO Signature Series Concert VII

My mood during the February concert of the signature series of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra wasn't the best and I somehow had to convince myself to watch the performance. But now, things are different and I looked forward to this performance, the penultimate concert for the season, with much enthusiasm. Piero Gamba was originally announced to conduct but he had a family emergency so he wasn't able to come. And it was Aries Caces, PPO's resident conductor, who eventually led the orchestra at this performance.

The night’s programme consisted of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, Op. 84, Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47 featuring Joseph Esmilla. Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 “Classical” and lastly, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture – Fantasy.

There have also been a few changes in the programme leading into the performance. The Beethoven piece was an addition and I do welcome additional pieces than the other way around. And it was actually Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol that was originally announced, then replaced by Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Oveture before ending up with Romeo and Juliet.

Before the show started, Esmilla was hanging out at the lobby, complaining of the heat but very appreciative of the people who wished him luck at his performance. I was very much amused to see a young boy wearing a barong who eagerly had his programme signed by Esmilla even if the show didn’t start yet.

Well, the concert started with the Beethoven piece. I had to strain my ears in order to hear the earlier parts. It’s one problem that I have whenever I am seated in a not so good section. I’m quite familiar with this piece. It’s quite enjoyable especially in the end when the music gets exciting. But at this moment, I was just patiently looking forward to the Sibelius piece.

Esmilla was a delight to see perform. A few people expressed regret that I wasn’t able to catch his performance about a couple of months ago and I vowed to myself that there was no way for me to miss this. Unfortunately, it’s still a struggle for me to listen to his parts as the sound doesn’t come across as loud enough at my section. I really had to actively listen to it and if one is not familiar with the piece and didn’t know what to expect, it would be not easy for him to appreciate. But those people who told me to watch Esmilla were absolutely right. And I’m glad that I was able to see him play a romantic piece such as this. I can’t imagine him playing something like a Bach piece. He was met with thunderous applause after the concerto. Then, he treated the audience with an encore and if I’m not mistaken, it’s Tango Etude No. 3 by Astor Piazzolla. He might’ve complained of the heat earlier before the show, but he definitely raised the temperature of the hall with this encore.

So it’s no wonder that the lobby was in high spirits during the intermission. And during this time, I had the pleasure of meeting incoming PPO music director Olivier Ochanine who just arrived that day. And Esmilla went back there and was promptly congratulated by a lot of people who were very pleased with his performance. The atmosphere at the lobby was more vibrant compared to the other concerts that I’ve been to this year. I really felt the adrenaline rush which is quite usually felt during rock/pop concerts.

Violinist Joseph Esmilla

So when the concert resumed, I found it hard to settle back and listen to the Prokofiev piece. Adrenaline was still pumping and it was not easy for me to get back listening actively. And it didn’t help that I don’t like this piece to start with despite it being by Prokofiev. Also for the same reason during the first part, I was anticipating more the next piece to be played. All I can say about the performance of Romeo and Juliet was that the young couple seated beside me was all cuddled up throughout the duration of the piece. The cuddling only ended when the woman leaned forward to applaud after the final note was played. The rest of the audience clearly enjoyed this popular piece and they were really on a high.

It was such a treat when the orchestra played the very delightful Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Johannes Brahms as an encore. That piece always brings a smile to my face and I do find the orchestra version lovelier than the piano version. And the audience was all smiles when they left the hall to socialize at the lobby.

I can’t stress it enough that the atmosphere was very different that night. I guess I really felt the contrast since I was very much troubled during the previous concert of the PPO. Right now, I’m looking forward to the final concert of the season. It’s a gala night which means that I have to think a lot longer on what to wear.

PPO Signature Series Concert VI

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s concert for February usually features the works of Filipino composers. But for this season, the concert narrowed things down further by featuring the works of a single Filipino composer: National Artist Lucio San Pedro. Coincidentally, the concert was held at the 97th anniversary of his birthday while he died back in March 31, 2002.

Conductor Agripino Diestro led the orchestra and started the concert with a regal performance of the Jubilate March which wasn’t initially included in the programme when this concert was first announced. Normally, this kind of change/addition would leave me a bit thrown off but there was one added piece that night that I welcomed wholeheartedly. And I guess that I wasn't alone since it's one of San Pedro's most well loved works.

But before we go to that part of the concert, featured soloist, soprano Ferleoni Medina had to perform her opening piece which was Diwata ng Pag-ibig (Goddess of Love). Right from the start, she invited, enchanted and embraced the audience with her voice. Despite her tiny frame, she was able to project her voice well. But what I liked about her performance was the way she sustained the notes with a very pleasant vibrato.

And so the time came for my most eagerly awaited piece of the night which was Sa Ugoy ng Duyan (Lullabye). Medina’s performance gave me goosebumps as it had a profound effect on me since I’ve been dealing with difficult family issues as of that moment. Her voice was again soothing and never imposing which suited this song very well. By the end of the song, my eyes were welling up in tears and I silently thanked whoever it was who decided to add this piece at the concert.

She then performed her last piece, Lupang Mahal ng Araw (Land Loved by the Sun) which is a much longer work so it showed more of her range. And in this piece, there was a lovely melody that was repeated over and over again usually by a pair from the winds and the brass section. And I also realized that I liked the horns this night a lot better than the previous concert.

Soprano Ferleoni Medina

After the interval, the concert resumed with the orchestra playing Ang Buwan Sa Kabundukan (Moon Over the Hills). This was the first time I’ve ever heard this piece played and it was an eerie and melancholy piece. The orchestra then played the finale piece which was Lahing Kayumanggi (Brown Race). This was a very interesting piece since it contained a bit of the opening of the very popular folk song Bahay Kubo (Nipa Hut). But the orchestration and the texture and the harmony made it sound majestic and noble which is very much unlike the humble tune sung by kids. By the end of the piece with the orchestra playing triumphantly, I was absolutely entranced.

So the concert ended and I noticed that it was a bit too early for the night to end. And the rest of the audience somehow agreed with me and eagerly applauded for an encore. Diestro then lead the orchestra to a medley of San Pedro’s famous works which really pleased the audience. After that, he acknowledged the presence of San Pedro’s family in the audience and even asked everyone to join him and the orchestra in singing Happy Birthday since the concert was held on San Pedro’s birthday.

Attendance in this concert was good and I was very surprised to see a lot of kids present despite being a weekday. It was difficult for me at first deciding if I should still attend this concert but I'm glad that I did.

A Touch of Dutch

Dutch pianist See Siang Wong was the main attraction at the concert entitled “A Touch of Dutch” that was held at the Culturual Center of the Philippines. Accompanying him was the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Herminigildo G. Ranera. This concert was also presented by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

For that night’s performance, only the orchestra section was available and it made the affair a lot more intimate. I knew beforehand that it would be a double piano concerto performance but upon receiving the programme, I found out that a Mozart overture would be the starting piece of the night.

I was delighted that the orchestra had a nice performance to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, K.492. They played it comfortably and it made me feel relaxed which was a good way to start the show. It’s a popular piece and the orchestra had no problems with it. And it helped a lot that this overture is a favorite of mine because it just makes me happy whenever I get to hear it.

I am not really an avid fan of Joseph Haydn and the era where he came from. But that didn’t hinder me from enjoying Wong’s rendition of the Piano Concerto in D Major Hob. XVIII:11. It was playful, light, youthful and full of joy. There were a few tentative moments at the beginning when the orchestra couldn’t seem to get settled with the pace of the piano but they found their groove by the second movement. It was odd that I started thinking about the Beethoven piece which was to be played later on even while the Haydn was still being played.

I couldn’t help it since as I’ve said earlier that Haydn doesn’t do much for me. But it’s totally different for Ludwig van Beethoven. I admire Beethoven and his works especially his symphonies and piano sonatas and piano concertos. So it was with great anticipation that I awaited for Wong to finally play Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37.

Again, I felt that the orchestra had some tentative moments in the beginning especially during the opening passage of the wind section. The long orchestral exposition was almost too unbearable as I anxiously waited for the piano part to begin. And Wong entered with a statement of authority which is in stark contrast to the cheerful Haydn piece. Gone was the playfulness of the Haydn and what was present was the seriousness, drama and maturity of Beethoven especially in this C minor key.

And with the command and authority of the first movement, Wong showed delicate touch with the accompanying arpeggio while the flute and bassoon played their solos during the second movement. This has always been my favorite part of the concerto and it made me absolutely relax and I knew that I had to savor that moment since it was all too brief.

So by the time of the Rondo in the third movement, Wong had the audience at the palm of his hand. I was almost hypnotized when he attacked the coda and in another odd moment, I thought about the earlier Haydn piece. How totally different the moods of the two pieces and how Wong was able to convey those two concertos magnificently. The audience showered Wong with thunderous applause that resonated around the theater that can make one think that the balcony sections were filled with people as well.

Wong then treated the audience with a recap of the finale of the Haydn piece for an encore. He was back to his cheerful self again. And it felt as if he was trying to put the audience back at ease after the drama of the Beethoven. But that wasn’t enough. For the second encore, he did a very interesting Chopin Nocturne in C sharp minor, Op. posth. He started slower than usual, then played at the usual tempo, and then went faster than usual. It was the same for the dynamics with some passages played loud and turbulently. Overall, it was an interesting display of light and shade in that usually melancholic piece. I still can’t get over that Chopin.

Pianist See Siang Wong

After the performance, cocktails were served at the second floor hallway courtesy of Dusit Thani Hotel. I was able to have a brief chat with See Siang Wong and I told him how I felt about the Chopin encore. He told me that those deviations in tempo and dynamics were spontaneous and unplanned. Also among the crowd was Maestro Jae-Joon Lee who was with a group of very enthusiastic and very appreciative Koreans.

PPO Signature Series Concert V

The fifth concert of the 27th Season of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines was the first concert of the year for me. Included in the programme lead by conductor Oscar Yatco were Paul Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber; Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 and Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68. The featured pianist for the Chopin piece was Albert Tiu.

As I settled into my seat about 10 minutes prior to the start of the concert, I heard the usual tuning of the instruments backstage. From the discordant tones stood out a clear passage played by a lone violin. It was from Brahms Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68. But I had to wait since that was the last piece of music to be played that night.

I admit that I wasn’t too familiar with the Hindemith work so I can’t really comment on how the orchestra played it. I did find the second movement quite interesting with the main theme repeated over and over as it got passed on from one group of instruments to another only to end up abruptly with a loud chord. And then what came next was a variation of that same theme but done with a jazzy feel to it by the trombones. And add to it the use of several lesser known percussion instruments like the tubular bells that added another facet to this very interesting movement. But during the end of the fourth and final movement, the brass section completely overpowered the strings and I could barely hear a sound from them despite their frantic bowing.

The next piece to be performed was the Chopin which is one of my favorite pieces of classical music. And I am glad that Albert Tiu delivered. He absolutely made the piano sing despite a few missed notes at the end of the difficult passages during the first and third movement. The second movement though was divine and the bassoon responded beautifully during the solo parts that supported the delicate and clear sounds from the famous slow section of this concerto. Again, I noticed that the brass section, particularly the horn was too loud. And unlike the bassoon solo which complimented the piano well, the horn sounded harsh which didn’t go well with the soft piano passages from this movement.

The audience responded well to the Chopin with some already applauding even when the last note was still being played. Tiu then treated the audience with an encore of a piano transcription of Le Cygne by Camille Saint-Saëns. He was later mobbed by adoring fans at the lobby during the intermission.

Pianist Albert Tiu

The Brahms started out nicely with the ascending and descending tunes of the introduction accompanied by the steady beat of the timpani setting the mood for this heavyweight work. The solo parts were remarkable especially the oboist during the second movement. I wish that I could say the same for the sweet yet haunting violin solo but as I’ve noticed earlier, the horn was too loud again for me to appreciate this wonderful tune. But the horn finally delivered at the fourth movement during the famous horn call. The flute that immediately followed echoing this call was up to the task and he also played his part well.

It seemed like it was all coming together as the final movement comes to a triumphant end but somehow it didn’t turn out as well as I would’ve expected. A flute noticeably stuttered, a horn had a very cautious entry, and in a strange turn, during the second brass chorale that usually sends a shiver down my spine, the brass section was somehow underwhelming. This was the part where the hair at the back of my neck was supposed to rise but it didn’t. I’m not sure if the orchestra ran out of gas at the end. It’s not like they crashed and burned and had it all wrong in the end but it was more like it didn’t end right. The applause at the end which should’ve been the loudest was a bit restrained compared to the audience’s enthusiastic response to the Chopin piece.

Overall, it was a satisfying performance by the orchestra. The Chopin alone was worth it. I still feel a bit overwhelmed by the brass section but it made me think if adding a few members to the string section would’ve improved their sound production. Speaking of the strings section, during the orchestral tutti at the beginning of the Chopin piece, a member from the 2nd violin section stood up and left the stage. He came back after the first movement and exchanged instruments with the Associate Concertmaster. I think that the Associate broke a string or something and had to have it fixed. Fortunately, the one who left returned during the pause between the first two movements and everything went well during the rest of the performance.