Once again, I find myself at the Abelardo Hall Auditorium at the UP Campus in Diliman for another show in line with the Sounds of August series. But it felt really odd to see the campus almost deserted since it was a holiday. But nonetheless, a number people still came to see the performance entitled Dichter Liebe: Poet of Love which is in celebration of Robert Schumann's bi-centennial year.
I was still somehow poisoned by the Baroque Overdose that I've had the week before, so I need to have the proper antidote which is Romantic music. And although I'm not that into Schumann in regards to Romantic music, I still gladly took it just to have a change of pace.
But compared to the performance a week before which went too long for me, this one was too short and went by so fast. Only three pieces were played and although they weren't short pieces, it was indeed a short programme. I know that Schumann had more works than what was played and I didn't know why they couldn't have included another piece to add more meat to the programme.
First to perform was clarinetist Hernan Manalastas accompanied by Prof. Augusto Espino on the piano and they played Fantasiestucke, Op. 73. I am not really familiar with the clarinet repertoire despite owning the instrument. I just tried to see if my breathing could match that of the clarinetist and it didn't as expected. It's usually the same result whenever I see a clarinet performance, I only get frustrated on how badly I play that instrument.
The next number in the programme was Frauenliebe und leben (A Woman's Love and Life) by soprano Prof. Gabriela Francisco accompanied by pianist Prof. Pia Margarita Balasico. I forgot to mention that I was surprised to see quite a handful of kids and teens in attendance and it was they whom I took note of while watching this particular piece. I could barely grasp the meaning of the songs since they were in German after all and only got clues by how the music sounded and by looking at her facial expressions. I could only wonder if the young ones in attendance were able to appreciate this number at all. By the end of this number, the woman had indeed lived and loved and had gone through all what life brought to the table.
The second half of the programme composed only of one piece and it was Andante und Variationen Op. 46 (for 2 pianos, 2 cello and french horn). For this piece, Prof. Balasico and Prof. Espino return to play the 2 pianos along with cellists Gerry Graham Gonzalez, Giuseppe Diestro and french horn player, Mahler Villanueva.
I've never heard this piece played before and I couldn't really react to it. Although I'm drawn to Romantic music, it is such a broad category with so many composers and works under it. Unfortunately, Schumann's body of work isn't something that gets through me compared to other Romantic composers. So as much as I wasn't able to fully appreciate this performance at all.
I did find it alarming that despite not liking Baroque music, I responded to it more than this night of Schumann's music. But they I concluded much later that the Baroque still contaminated my body and that I needed another change of pace to flush it out completely.
I was still somehow poisoned by the Baroque Overdose that I've had the week before, so I need to have the proper antidote which is Romantic music. And although I'm not that into Schumann in regards to Romantic music, I still gladly took it just to have a change of pace.
But compared to the performance a week before which went too long for me, this one was too short and went by so fast. Only three pieces were played and although they weren't short pieces, it was indeed a short programme. I know that Schumann had more works than what was played and I didn't know why they couldn't have included another piece to add more meat to the programme.
First to perform was clarinetist Hernan Manalastas accompanied by Prof. Augusto Espino on the piano and they played Fantasiestucke, Op. 73. I am not really familiar with the clarinet repertoire despite owning the instrument. I just tried to see if my breathing could match that of the clarinetist and it didn't as expected. It's usually the same result whenever I see a clarinet performance, I only get frustrated on how badly I play that instrument.
The next number in the programme was Frauenliebe und leben (A Woman's Love and Life) by soprano Prof. Gabriela Francisco accompanied by pianist Prof. Pia Margarita Balasico. I forgot to mention that I was surprised to see quite a handful of kids and teens in attendance and it was they whom I took note of while watching this particular piece. I could barely grasp the meaning of the songs since they were in German after all and only got clues by how the music sounded and by looking at her facial expressions. I could only wonder if the young ones in attendance were able to appreciate this number at all. By the end of this number, the woman had indeed lived and loved and had gone through all what life brought to the table.
The second half of the programme composed only of one piece and it was Andante und Variationen Op. 46 (for 2 pianos, 2 cello and french horn). For this piece, Prof. Balasico and Prof. Espino return to play the 2 pianos along with cellists Gerry Graham Gonzalez, Giuseppe Diestro and french horn player, Mahler Villanueva.
I've never heard this piece played before and I couldn't really react to it. Although I'm drawn to Romantic music, it is such a broad category with so many composers and works under it. Unfortunately, Schumann's body of work isn't something that gets through me compared to other Romantic composers. So as much as I wasn't able to fully appreciate this performance at all.
I did find it alarming that despite not liking Baroque music, I responded to it more than this night of Schumann's music. But they I concluded much later that the Baroque still contaminated my body and that I needed another change of pace to flush it out completely.
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