PTGP Beethoven Concerto Competition 2010

It's the time of the year when going to concerts requires a lot more effort. For the PTGP Beethoven Competition 2010 Winner's Concert, the heavy rains resulting in flooded streets made it difficult for a lot of people to arrive at the Philamlife Theatre on time. But I did make it despite being very wet and quite haggard.

But thankfully, the foul weather didn't dampen the performance of the winners of this competition. Before the performances started, the finalists were awarded their trophies. For Category B, the winners were Kao Sugata (1st prize), Lorenzo Medel and Gabriel Allan Paguirigan (3rd prize). For Category C, the winners were Ma. Regina Montesclaros (1st prize), Maysel Joy Adap (2nd prize) and Elaine Sara Lim (3rd prize).

First to perform were the winners of the Best Performance of the Contest Piece. The winner for Category B was Gabriel Allan Paguirigan and he played Rondo in C Major Op. 51 No. 1 and he was followed immediately by Category C winner Maysel Joy Adap who then played Rondo in G Major Op. 51 No. 2. This being a Beethoven Concerto Competition meant that all the pieces played were obviously by Ludwig van Beethoven.

After the performances of the two Rondo, it was time for the 1st prize winners to perform. The winning pianists performed their respective concerto pieces accompanied by the UST Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Herminigildo Ranera. And this was actually one of the prizes for winning the competition, a performance of their concerto piece accompanied by an orchestra. They did also receive a cash prize but I wasn't able to get information on how much did each of the winners including those who placed 2nd and 3rd for each categories.

The 1st prize winner for Category B was Kao Sugata and she played Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major Op. 15. Her Category C counterpart was Ma. Regina Montesclaros and her piece was Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major Op. 58. They played adequately but still none of the passion that I would expect from a seasoned performer.

But I was really taken aback by the orchestra's performance especially the brass section which seemed to me to have been grossly out of tune. I know that they are a student orchestra but their performance that day didn't meet my expectations.

Quartetto Espressivo

I admit that I'm not really familiar with string quartets. I don't listen to recordings of it and I can't recall if I ever watched a live performance before. But since then, I've gotten acquainted with the members of the Quartetto Espressivo composed of Joseph Brian Cimafranca (violin 1), Sara Maria Gonzales (violin 2), Rey Casey Concepcion (viola) and Gerry Graham Gonzales (cello). And when they invited me to come over the GSIS Museum to watch their concert, I did so without any second thoughts.

The weather during that afternoon seemed ominous but the opening piece of the concert, Franz Joseph Haydn's Quartet No. 43 in G Major, Op. 54 No. 1, somewhat provided some cheer to block the thoughts of the threatening rain outside. I'm not a huge fan of Haydn's happy music but I'd take anything to counter the gloomy weather outside.

The next piece they performed was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Adagio and Fugue K. 546. I was very much pleasantly surprised by this piece since the Adagio sounded very dark which I didn't expect from Mozart. I never liked fugues before but the introduction made me like the fugue part that followed it.

The last piece they played was Ludwig van Beethoven's Quartet No. 3, Op. 59 "Razumovsky". I've never heard this piece before as well as the other pieces that they played but this was the one that brought me through many different moods. But the one thing that stood out during this performance was the way that Sara Gonzales' face lit up during the final bars of this piece. It was such a delight seeing her face in triumph as she savored the last moments of the performance. She knew that they performed well and the audience did so too.

For an encore, the quartet played a Cebuano medley and it was then when they appeared to be relaxed and just focused on enjoying playing this encore. This piece was quite fitting since with the exception of Concepcion, the other three members all hail from Cebu.

One thing that I really liked about this concert was the spiels done by Jeffrey Solares who hosted the event. He provided some background information regarding the pieces to be performed which really sparked my interest. And he even commented on an Amorsolo painting that was displayed at the gallery to provide some insight on how western music has been embraced by the Filipino people. And proof of that is the Quartetto Espressivo and the much improved audience attendance at the GSIS Museum that night.

Quartetto Espressivo

Italian National Day Concert: Uto Ughi

Uto Ughi

When word got out that in line with the Italian National Day celebrations, the Italian Embassy would be bringing in violin virtuoso Uto Ughi to perform at the CCP Main Theater, I immediately secured tickets for myself and convinced friends to do the same. Events like this, especially if admission is free, are always a hit with people and reserving them later would only cause the disappointment of being informed that tickets are no longer available.

And there were indeed a lot of people who attended this concert. There was a very diverse mix of people: members of the diplomatic corps, key figures in local classical music scene, concert regulars and other people who grabbed at this rare opportunity. So even before the concert started, there was already this energy and buzz that made the atmosphere in the lobby very exciting.

So what can I say about the performance? Well I got a bit distracted at the start since there was an announcement that there would be a change of program and I tend to get a bit disappointed about things like that. And the piece that would be replaced was one of the pieces that I’ve been looking forward to that night so. So I wasn’t able to listen that well to the first piece that was played which was Fritz Kreisler’s Praeludium and Allegro in the style of Paganini. I do admit that it’s hard for me to get settled at first during concerts and sometimes it takes a familiar work for me to finally get into the mood. And it was difficult for me this time since the Kreisler piece is an unfamiliar work for me. But I do like to point out that the violin had a very lovely tone and if I’m not mistaken, he was playing with the Guarneri del Gesú violin. And throughout the concert, Ughi was accompanied by Alessandro Specchi on the piano.

And because he played with the Guarneri, he opted not to play with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 also known as the Kreutzer Sonata which he does with his other violin, the Stradivarius of 1701. Well, that was what I was told but I’m not too sure if that was indeed his reason. And he replaced it with the Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major Op. 24, which is also known as Spring. Although I am a lot more familiar with this Spring sonata, I was really looking forward to another performance of the Kreutzer sonata since I’ve learned to like it in recent weeks. Yes, Ughi played splendidly, especially the very familiar first movement but I was really hoping that didn’t have that change in the programme.

The disappointment of the first half was nullified by another change in the program at the start of the second half. Instead of playing Henryk Wieniawsky’s Fantasy on Faust Theme, Op. 20, he played Pablo de Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25 which is one of my favorite violin pieces. And Ughi certainly didn’t disappoint especially during my favorite parts of the piece: the Seguidilla and the Gyspsy Dance. The only thing that could’ve topped this performance was if he played it with an orchestra instead of just having Specchi accompany him on the piano.

I guess that the Sarasate piece had a way of relaxing him since he loosened up a bit and started to talk more to the audience introducing the piece and giving a bit of background about the composer before playing. He explained that the next piece, La Campanella by Niccolo Paganini was from the Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 7. And he got a bit cheeky, pausing midway through a performance to tell the audience that the section where the bells would come in was already next. If this was a regular concert, I would’ve been aghast by this but I didn’t mind at all since he played Carmen Fantasy after all.

And then came the last piece of the night’s programme which was what I was originally waiting for until the Sarasate piece stole its thunder. I really love Camille Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A Minor, Op. 28 and I’m glad that this piece wasn’t replaced by another. At this point, Ughi already owned the stage and again, the only thing that could’ve made this performance better was having an orchestra playing alongside with him.

The night was still young after he finished this piece and people had some glasses of wine so they thought that Ughi needs to play more. Fortunately, he gave about four encores. The two pieces weren’t really familiar to me but I was told that one of them was The Dance of the Goblins (La Ronde des Lutins), Scherzo fantastique, Op. 25 by Luigi Joseph Bazzini. The last two encores I knew. First was the latter part of Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20. And the last was the very popular Meditation from Thaïs by Jules Massenet. I wish that he’d played the entire Sarasate piece but I guess that they didn’t have enough time. And I felt that he went a bit too fast with the Massenet piece.

Even after the concert ended, people still hung out at the lobby and enjoyed the food, wine, coffee, gelatto that was served. I’ve had too many espresso shots that night which didn’t help me sleep at all. It was nice bumping into familiar faces many of whom I haven’t seen for the past couple of months. But it was very nice seeing groups of people who, judging from the excitement that they exuded that night, aren’t regular concert goers and are quite new to this. They may be unfamiliar faces to me for now but I do hope that get to be regular concert goers too since they looked like they were having a grand time. And if this actually happens, then it’s mission accomplished for Uto Ughi, Alessandro Specchi and the local arts and culture scene.

Too bad I wasn't able to take any photos since the two musicians immediately had dinner after the performance.

PREDIS Young Artists Recital Series Giancarlo Gonzales & Joseph Brian Cimafranca

To escape the scorching summer heat in Metro Manila, I went to catch the third and final day of the PREDIS (Philippine Research for Developing Instrumental Soloists) Young Artists Recital Series at St. Cecilia’s Hall, St. Scholastica’s College. On this day, the featured soloists were cellist Giancarlo Gonzales and violinist Joseph Brian Cimafranca. Unfortunately, as I’ve said before, I missed the second day of this recital series that featured violinist Sara Maria Gonzales and cellist Gerry Graham Gonzales due to a convention that had to attend to that day.

These two artists boast a nice set of achievements between them. Gonzales was the 2008 First Prize winner of the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) Cello Category. And he was also a delegate of the Asian Youth Orchestra back in 2007 and 2008. Cimafranca on the other hand is a 2002 and 2005 Prize Winner of the NAMCYA Violin Category. And he was a delegate for the Southeast Asian Youth Orchestra and also the concertmaster.

The first recital of that day featured Giancarlo Gonzales and he played a familiar piece to start the show: Habanera Filipina No. 2 by Ernesto Vallejo. He was accompanied on the piano by Mary Anne Espina. I’ve heard this piece before played on the violin but Gonzales is a cellist so this piece was transcribed for his instrument. And it felt a bit odd hearing this piece in much a lower pitch more suited to the range of the cello. But he played it with enough command needed for this show piece.

The next piece was Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op. 19. Again, Espina accompanied Gonzales with this piece and I admit that I had my attention more on the pianist since she had a difficult piece to play. And like the previous PREDIS recital of Rey Casey Concepcion that I was able to see, Gonzales didn’t play like he was in a junior recital at all.

After an intermission, the recital resumed with Gonzales playing the Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major, Hob. VIIb/2 by Joseph Haydn. For this piece, he was accompanied by the Manila Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Arturo Molina. I’ve said before that Haydn pieces are a bit too happy for my taste but for this recital, it was okay since there was the Rachmaninoff piece to balance it with. Obviously, the highlight of the recital for me was the Cello Sonata.

Cellist Giancarlo Gonzales

After an hour or so, it was the turn of violinist Joseph Brian Cimafranca to have his graduation recital. He had Greg Zuniega accompanying him on the piano and the recital started with the Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 by Ludwig van Beethoven. I admit that despite being familiar with a handful of Beethoven piano pieces, I am not familiar with most of his work for other instruments. Again, it’s embarrassing to say that I can’t remember much about this performance except that he was the one who looked the most nervous compared to the previous two recitalists that I’ve seen.

But he settled when he played the next piece which was Mutya ng Pasig (arranged by Kabayao) composed by Nicanor Abelardo. He no longer looked nervous which made me feel more relaxed and I really enjoyed this piece which wasn’t really a technically demanding piece but was able to tug into my emotions.

And if I felt that fireworks were needed to show impeccable mastery of technique, Cimafranca supplied them in abundance when he played Theme Original Varié, Op. 15 by Henryk Wieniawski. Oh dear, I found myself holding my breath when I began to imagine how on earth one plays some of the passages of that piece. I enjoyed this piece and so did the other members of the audience.

The second half of the recital as expected was a work accompanied by an orchestra. And it’s no longer a surprise that the Manila Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arturo Molina joined Cimafranca for the performance of Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto Op. 14. I admit that except for the wildly popular Adagio for Strings, I know nothing else of Barber’s work which is quite a shame.

But Cimafranca, carried on the momentum that he had from the first half of the recital and did an excellent job on this piece. It was my first time to hear this and a mark of a good performance of an unfamiliar work is if it made me want to hear a recording of it so that I could be more familiar with it. And he certainly did that.

Overall, I was glad to catch three recitals and regret missing two especially when I heard nice things about the performances that I’ve missed.

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.

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.