PPO II - The Emperor

I always make it a point to arrive at concerts with time to spare but this time, it was such a nightmare for me. It took me more than three hours to get to the CCP in order to catch the PPO's second concert for the season entitled "The Emperor". And I got really worried that I might miss the Beethoven piano concerto lined up which was the main draw for me. Fortunately, I managed to arrive just in time and found my seat as the concertmaster walked on stage.

Since I arrived just in the nick of time, I wasn't able to focus on the first piece which was Bela Bartok's Two Pictures, Op. 5. Bartok's pieces for me need much more focus for me to really grasp and with a haggard mind still reeling from the agonizing hours of being stuck in traffic didn't cooperate at all. So it was an absolute failure for me to even absorb much of the music despite the efforts of the orchestra and their conductor Olivier Ochanine.

Thankfully, the next piece was Franz Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 104 in D Major which is also called "London". And this one was classical in every sense and very easy for me to grasp. I am not extremely fond of his music which is too happy for my taste but it was nonetheless a welcome relief.

I welcomed the interval with open arms since I was finally able to breathe and take in the sights and happenings at the lobby which I failed to do so before the concert. I then heard that there were other people too who had difficulty in arriving at the venue and that there were a bunch of guests who completely missed the first half. So around this time when I was finally able to gather my faculties together completely, I was already prepared for the highlight of the night's performance.

For months I've waited for Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat Major, Op. 73 to be performed. I've already seen the 3rd played last January and the 1st and 4th played a few months ago. I don't care much about the 2nd so it was just the 5th, popularly known as the Emperor, that I needed to see.

So the moment has arrived and the pianist featured for the night was Georgi Slavchev. And he was brilliant in this piece. But I got distracted by some iffy moments with the horns during the secondary theme passage which was my favorite but I just have to accept that faltering horns are a fact of life. And there were times when the orchestra missed it's mark and wasn't in sync with the pianist especially during the end of the cadenza. But those are just minor kinks which didn't really ruin the performance for me. For an encore, he played a piece which sounded like one of Chopin's Mazurka's but for the life of me, those Mazurka's aren't my favorite Chopin pieces so I never bothered to know them well so I can't provide details on what specific opus, number and key it was.

So despite the bad weather making it difficult for me and a lot of others to arrive at the CCP Main Theater, I was told that the attendance was in fact one of the biggest for a PPO performance. But a lot of young adults who watched the concert tumbled over to Star City right after so they weren't able to meet Ochanine and Slavchev who hung out at the lobby. Bad for them but good for us who were able to have photos taken, programmes signed and chat with them for a bit. And it was very nice of Dr. Slavchev to give us a copy of his CD. As I ended this night and catalogued it into my vault of memories, I am extremely grateful that what started horribly ended in such a high and happy note that only made this experience more memorable.

NINE and a bit of the September Gala

It was supposed to be a lazy Sunday afternoon that should've been spent hanging out and jamming with a few friends but I got invited at the last minute to watch a matinee performance of the Ballet Philippines' September Gala at the CCP Main Theater. Since it was so sudden, I didn't arrive on time and was only able to see the latter part of the second act of the show which was Bungangsakit. This particular piece had a clear storyline but since I wasn't able to see it from the start, I wasn't able to get it at all. All I knew was that there was this ballerina who had a blond wig on that made her look like Rapunzel. And also, there was a guy wearing just fiery red trousers and he was accompanied by the corps wearing blue. I tried to get clues as to what was happening through their costumes but to no avail. This piece ended on a sad note but I wasn't that moved since I wasn't able to get emotionally attached to any of the characters since I arrived late.

Fortunately, I was able to watch the entire third section of the performance which was set to George Bizet's Symphony in C. I admit that I wasn't able to concentrate much on the dancing this time since I was more focused on the music. And I regret not seeing the gala performance of this September Gala since during that time, the Manila Symphony Orchestra provided the live music. It would've been wonderful if I heard this Bizet piece played live!

After this ballet, it was decision time for me if I should drop by the Philamlife Auditorium to watch a piano trio perform or if I should accept another invitation to watch the Airdance Company's ninth anniversary presentation simply called "NINE". This was held at the other side of the metro area so I had to think quick. Well, it seemed that I didn't think at all since I decided to try out the unusual path and went instead to the contemporary dance performance.

The venue wasn't the best, no airconditioning, and uncushioned seats. But the atmosphere of the event, the programme that was prepared and the nature of the contemporary dances all came together and the venue really added to the appeal. It was amazing on how the not so ideal elements added up to something quite exceptional. Something intangible was added to the equation which made the event more than just the sum of its parts.

The programme for the night included pieces that were performed during the 5th WiFi Contemporary Dance Festival. And since I was able to watch 2 nights of it, some of the pieces were already familiar to me and it was a different experience watching them once again. Gone was the strangeness I initially felt and I was able to see it from a different perspective. But I do admit that it was still not easy for me to grasp the concept of movement of contemporary dance

I noticed that it was difficult for the performers to have the lights on them considering that the venue had no airconditioning. The lights give off heat and since this was a contemporary dance performance, there was a lot of movement that demanded a lot from the bodies of the performers. And being in a very intimate venue, I could really see the dancers sweating a lot and it just made me appreciate their dedication and passion to their craft despite me not really being able to understand most of what they were doing or trying to achieve.

I admit that being in this tight community of contemporary dancers was still uncomfortable for me and I was thinking if I made the right decision coming here instead of the piano trio performance which was what most people expect for me. I was also surprised on how this day turned out but the decision was made, the shows were seen and new horizons were explored. Overall, it was a learning experience for me and I am glad that I was able to be immersed in a new crowd and meet new people and explore new possibilities.

1st National Orchestra Festival 2010 UST Symphony Orchestra & FILharmoniKA

I made an effort to see this third night of the festival despite not feeling very well for various reasons. First, some members of the UST Symphony Orchestra are my friends and I wanted to support them. And I am also friends with some of the university's music students so I knew that I would see them there as well. Second, some members of the Pinoy Violinist group would be there as well since some of them are being mentored by a violinist from FILharmoniKA who is also from UST. So despite my body's desire to rest, I disobeyed common sense and watched this performance.

The evening started with the USTSO conducted by Herminigildo Ranera performing the Overture to "Rienzi" by Richard Wagner. And just like the opening night, things got started with an overture which I am not really familiar with. It was really hard for me to get into the zone since I was not feeling well and this was an unfamiliar piece.

Next performed was Piano Concerto No. 6 in B Flat Major, K. 238 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart featuring pianist Najib Ismail. I've seen him perform a Mozart piano concerto before and as I've been saying again and again, as much as I prefer seeing piano concerto performances, Mozart pieces don't excite me that much. But there's no denying that Ismail really knows how to play Mozart and he definitely nailed this performance. Unfortunately, the orchestra still wasn't able to match his level.

The last piece that the USTSO performed was Albert Reed's Symphony for Brass and Percussion and this was an interesting piece since as stated in the title, only the brass and percussion section were present. I guess that this was when my interest was heightened and I was finally able to get settled for the night.

There was an interval after this in preparation for the next part which was performed by FILharmoniKA conducted by Gerard Salonga. I admit that I enjoyed this part of the programme more since the pieces were familiar to me and I was already looking forward to them even before this night. It's quite rare to have a Charlie Chaplin piece performed by an orchestra. But Terry's Theme from Limelight is absolutely one of my favorites and it was really nice to see it finally performed live by an orchestra. And the orchestration really satisfied my expectations since it retained and captured what I like about this piece.

And they followed it up with another favorite which was Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain. A friend of mine also like this piece and we were both pleased to see this performed live a last. And aside from Russian music, I also like Spanish music so having Manuel de Falla's Three Dances from El Sombrero de Tres Picos, Suite No. 2 continued the roll of FILharminiKA for me.

After this, things slowed down with Antonino Buenaventura's Meditation featuring a sublime violin solo from the orchestra's concertmaster Rechelle Alcanses. This was a short piece but it was sweet and provided a nice change of pace before the next piece which was the highlight for me: Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. This is a very familiar piece to me and it's one of my favorites as well. The orchestra performed this piece months ago which I failed to watch so I was extremely glad that I was present when they performed it again. I couldn't tell if FILharmoniKA prepared a more accessible programme or if it just happened that I was more familiar with the pieces that they performed.

After this, there was another interval before the next part where the two orchestras were combined. Most people who weren't there during the opening of the festival marvelled at the number of musicians onstage. But I was there so it didn't surprise me at all since I think that the Festival Orchestra numbered more than the USTSO and FILharmoniKA combined.

The final two pieces that the combined orchestra performed were Jean Sibelius' Finlandia and Mikhail Glinka's Overture to Russlan and Ludmila. The first piece was conducted by Ranera while Salonga took over for the second piece. The combined orchestra radiated a different kind of energy which was really interesting to see. And the combined numbers really produced a bigger sound which was really evident during the frantic strings of the Glinka overture. It felt a bit odd that the final piece would be an overture and finally, a familiar piece for me. After this, the audience demanded an encore from the combined orchestra and Salonga conducted the music from Cinema Paradiso which was really appreciated by the audience.

USTSO surprised me once again since they have been on the upswing and I do hope that this trend continues. But it was really noticeable how different FILharmoniKA was compared to them. USTSO is an orchestra made up of students while FILharmoniKA is already establishing its identity as an orchestra with the help of its high profile conductor.

It was a long night and fortunately, my friends and I were still able to socialize a bit after the concert. This was quite an exhausting day for me and I do need to build my stamina if I were to survive busy days like this. But as always, music does have an energizing effect on me. And a night spent with friends listening to orchestral music was a great way to end the day.

1st National Orchestra Festival 2010 Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra & Festival Orchestra

Finally, the 1st National Orchestra Festival 2010 has begun and I was there to witness the opening concert of the festival held at the CCP Main Theater. But I was really surprised when this night wasn't as grand as I thought it would be. And noticably absent was the pre-concert buzz at the lobby moments before the show started due to a less than desirable turn out. I guess that having the opening on a Tuesday wasn't the most appealing to a lot of people. And probably the weather which brought in heavy rains earlier that afternoon deterred some people from attending. And there was definitely something in the air since a lot of people have been getting sick lately.

But those factors didn't hinder me from being present that night and I was able to snag a couple of tickets thanks to Arvin Ello's contest. And I managed to bring with me a friend and member of the Pinoy Violinist forum who was available during that night. Unfortunately, Arvin was ill and wasn't able to make it.

The opening night featured two orchestras: the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and the Festival Orchestra under the baton of Olivier Ochanine. The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra performed during the first half of the night. And they started with the Overture to Colas Beugnon by Dmitri Kabalevsky. I like a lot of Russian composers but somehow this work wasn't too familiar with me and I found it hard to concentrate on the music. This is usually the time when I usually settle down and it doesn't help at all if the first piece performed is something that I've never heard before.

The next was The Swan of Tuonela by Jean Sibelius. Tone poems are a hit and miss for me but this one had a nice english horn solo which kept me mesmerized. Again, unfamiliarity with this piece made it hard for me to focus. And it didn't help that I couldn't see the one playing the english horn from where I was sitting. And quite honestly during the first two pieces, I was gearing up for the next pieces to be played.

So finally, it was time for Symphony No. 40 in G Minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and it brought memories of a previous performance of the same piece months ago. The last performance that I've seen of this piece performed by another orchestra wasn't that good and I was hopeful that this one would be a vast improvement. So despite my view regarding Mozart's music, I really looked forward to this performance. Thankfully, the PPO was a lot better but the horns were sloppy during one section of the second movement and even those who aren't familiar with the piece at all would've noticed that jarring moment. But despite this much improved performance of this specific piece, Mozart's work still doesn't excite me. Finally, the first part was over and it was almost time for the piece that Ochanine was really pimping prior to this night.

The second half was truly the highlight of the night since it was the debut of the Festival Orchestra composed of musicians from the different participating orchestras namely the Angono Chamber Orchestra, FILharmoniKA, Manila Symphony Orchestra, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, PREDIS Chamber Orchestra, UP Orchestra and UST Symphony Orchestra. And they played one of Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's famous works, Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64. I wasn't able to see musicians who were exclusively from PREDIS or AnChOr but these two groups are mostly made up of young kids still studying so I guess that it wasn't possible for them to join the Festival Orchestra. But some who came from these two groups during their younger years are now currently playing for the other orchestras participating so PREDIS and AnChOr were still represented.

Anyways, the Festival Orchestra was massive with all these members and the sound they produced was massive as well which was very appropriate for this popular Tchaikovsky piece. The orchestra shook the theater and the crescendos really swelled sweeping me away. It was like playing a recording with the volume on max but a lot better since this was a live performance. I was glad to hear once again the famous theme of the second movement which sent shivers down my spine and thankfully, the horn solo played well. One thing that I regret once again was not seeing the players further back the stage. I was able to have a good view of the cello and the double bass section but I wasn't able to see the wind, brass and percussion sections at all. So I wasn't able to see if a solo part was done by which musician and from which orchestra was he or she from. And no wonder the Ochanine pimped this piece a lot since he had the whole piece memorized since he didn't use a score during this performance.

But still, it was a very good performance and only someone without a soul would not be moved by not just the popular second movement theme but also the coda that ends the entire symphony. It's just a shame that the opening night of this festival didn't have the same audience turnout compared to the opening night of the PPO season a couple of weeks before.

Their encore was Nimrod from the Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar and once again, having more members made the piece soar a lot more. And I remembered that Ochanine with the PPO during his debut some months ago also performed this piece as an encore.

It was a nice performance especially the Tchaikovsky piece which was divine. I initially wanted to watch every night of this festival but prior commitments and the need to pace myself to avoid fatigue and exhaustion prevent me from doing so. So just wait and see if ever I would be able to make it to the other nights.

USTSO in Concert

Some months ago, I missed a performance of pianist Heliodoro "Dingdong" Fiell II with the UST Symphony Orchestra. I heard some nice words about Fiel's performance that I told myself that I'd make sure to see him if ever he performs again. And so he did have a performance with the UST Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Jeffrey Solares at the CCP Main Theater which capped off a week of so many concerts/events for me.

It felt odd arriving at the CCP on a Sunday night and since this was a UST event, most of the people there were either students from the University or somewhat related to the institution. It was a totally different atmosphere compared to the September Gala of the Ballet Philippines or the PPO Opening Concert that I was also able to attend to the same week. But it was nice seeing some of the same people whom I saw a couple of times that week and also some people whom I was only able to see that time only.


The programme was a delight since it featured two Russian composers whose work I really like. But unfortunately, the orchestra had to start with Symphony No. 35 "Haffner" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I usually tolerate works by Mozart but this one intrigued me since I was warned by some friends from the orchestra that this piece was the one that gave them the most trouble during rehearsals. I didn't set my expectations too high on this performance but I was pleasantly surprised that their performance wasn't that bad at all compared to the previous times when they completely disappointed me.

I was prepared for a disaster but although there were messy parts by the horns and some of the strings during the Andante movement. They were able to make it through and the Presto of the fourth movement which was what they told me was the hard part was done okay. So although I am not too thrilled with Mozart's works, I guess that the USTSO redeemed themselves with this performance.

Then came the part that really interested me. Fiel's performance of Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in Bb Minor, Op. 23. The last time I saw this performed, the orchestra once again left me stunned because they weren't able to match the level of the pianist. This was another chance for me to see a performance of this concerto and I was hopeful that it would be decent this time.

Fortunately, there were only minor trips in this piece and the horns weren't as bad as I expected them to be. It just felt that the pianist and the orchestra found it hard to be in sync during the final moments of the third movement. And I admit that despite this being a piano concerto wherein I normally focus on the piano, I took more notice on the brass section since I had this dreadful feeling that they would play badly.

Fortunately, there weren't as many glaring mistakes and again, it took me by surprise. Overall, I was satisfied with Fiel's performance although his encore which was a modern piece left me a bit baffled. And I was glad that a friend finally introduced me to him. I'll watch out for his future performances for sure.

The last piece they performed was Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. A friend from the orchestra was quite proud of this one and she should be since they played it quite well. I really like the Promenade theme of this piece and I am glad that I was able to listen to it performed live.

It was just odd that this night, I concentrated more on the orchestra because of the ominous warnings of impending disaster that I received from some of the members. But honestly, they redeemed themselves with their performance and I do hope that this bodes well for their upcoming performances.

PPO I - La Musique Francaise

The opening concert of the 28th Season of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra at the CCP Main Theater was very memorable for me. I bet that this was also equally memorable for PPO Principal Conductor and Music Director Olivier Ochanine. Months ago, I told him that I would bring to the CCP a group of recreational musicians with little or no experience in watching an orchestra perform live. And on this night itself, I had with me a bunch of friends from the Pinoy Violinists forums who had little or no experience in watching an orchestra performance.

Their presence gave me an added boost of energy for that night. I was able to appreciate the entire programme of the concert because of them. I confess that I have no idea about Harold in Italy by Hector Berlioz and Pastoral d'Ete by Arthur Honegger which were two of the four pieces performed that night. But one of the people in the group also plays the viola and the Berlioz piece is one of his favorites and the another likes pastoral music. So their desire to hear these pieces somehow added to my anticipation and it dispelled any indifference that I felt regarding these pieces.

The first piece performed that night was Harold in Italy featuring Japanese violist Sayaka Kokubo who is now part of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. Upon reading the programme notes and the voice over prior to the performance, I somehow got a little idea of how this piece would turn out to be especially with the reference to Paganini. Kokubo had a very interesting looking viola and the piece itself was quite interesting too. I've already said before that I'm not really familiar with the repertoire for viola but this piece was really unusual since it wasn't really a virtuosic piece. After this piece was performed, we finally realized why Paganini refused to play it. There weren't any jaw dropping passages from the violist and it was the typical program music that I am not really a fan of. We were hoping for an encore from Kokubo but unfortunately, that didn't happen.

The piece that I was looking forward to started the second half of the night. I have fond memories of Darius Milhaud especially with his works influenced by Brazilian music. And the piece performed by the orchestra, Le Boeuf sur le Toit, Op. 58 was definitely infused with Brazilian and South American music and rhythm. To pump myself for this night, I listened to a recording of this piece. The PPO played it differently from the recording but that was alright with me since another interpretation only serves to enhance my knowledge of the said piece.


After that, it was Pastoral d'Ete that was performed. As I've said before, I am not a huge fan of pastoral music. But again, one of my friends with me that night likes pastoral music. And if he was happy because of the inclusion of this music in the programme, then whom am I to complain.

The last piece performed was the one piece many of my companions were waiting for: Maurice Ravel's Bolero. Many of them are very familiar with the piece and yet this was the first time that they've seen it performed live and I was honored to have been with for this experience. They found it amusing how the snare drum played the same two bars over and over again and yet he was positioned at the center of the orchestra. And they also noticed how the trombone had difficulty in playing his part which is quite a shame since that part with its slides is one of my favorites in the entire piece. Even those with an untrained ear were able to notice that things didn't go well for him. But I heard from someone that he had a problem with his tooth/teeth on that night hence the difficulty during his solo.

The orchestra then played pieces from non-French composers for their encore. I failed to take note of the first encore that sounded like a loud polka that always pleases the crowd but the second one they played was Intermezzo by Pietro Mascagni from Cavalleria rusticana. And this second encore really got through me since it evoked some memories within me.

After the concert, my friends were thrilled when they were able to meet violist Sayaka Kokubo and conductor Olivier Ochanine at the lobby. Some had their souvenir programmes signed by these two and then we had our photos taken with them. It's been a pleasure for me to accompany them to this performance as this inspired them to practice their instruments more and appreciate music more as well. So dear reader, don't be surprised if you see us once again at another concert soon.

Piano Optophonique Music and Image

I've heard about this performance when I had been dropping by the UP College of Music's Abelardo Hall Auditorium for their Sounds of August series. This performance organized by the Manila Composers' Lab and Goethe-Institut was dubbed as Piano Optophonique Music and Image and initially I had no idea what to expect from this performance.

Then it was announced that works by Oliver Schneller would be performed. I am not really familiar with who he is and let alone his works so I'm not sure what kind of music he had in store. And the programme said that the pieces were for video projection, real time electronics and virtual instruments aside from the piano which would be played by his wife Heather O'Donnell. I had no clue how the video, electronics and virtual instrument would contribute to the pieces but it made me curious to see this performance. Also included were works by familiar composers John Adams and Charles Ives which made the night more interesting because of the selection of the works to be played.

And it was indeed very interesting to see this performance. Not only were the works not the usual classical repertoire but the setup was also unusual as well. The video wall was expected already but the speakers set up wasn't. And the speakers played a major role since the sound emanating from the speakers would shift from the left to the right and it had an effect on the overall performance.

The music in itself takes a lot of getting used to. I admit that I wasn't able to get or hear them all. I would understand if some people were put off by this kind of performance especially if they were expecting the usual piece with a melody that could be easily recalled. The minimalist piece China Gates by John Adams was the only piece played that could be easily appreciated by a casual listener but the others require more than just casual listening.

So I was surprised that the Charles Ives piece called Three Quarter Tone Pieces was able to get through me. This piece is originally for two pianos but there was only one piano and pianist, so the other piano part was pre-recorded and it was on a different pitch, specifically a quarter tone off the pitch. It sounded really dissonant at first but somehow, it added to the appeal, mystique and enchantment of the piece. It's not for everyone and I would normally be not drawn to it but hearing it gave me shivers and goosebumps.

Since I mentioned the video wall, in some pieces, some abstract images were seen that were generated by a computer and if I'm not mistaken, the images formed took their cues from the sound of the piano picked up by the microphone. The piano played unusual notes to start with that had no discernible melody and it was difficult to see if the piece had any structure or form to it. So the images that accompanied it were thematically the same which was very abstract. And I admit that I found it hard to understand if I indeed understood anything at all.

But the other piece which had a video accompanying it was a bit easier to understand. The music was the usual difficult to understand but the video was a surprising contrast since it was about some guy who had thought up of some architectural design. So it was interesting to hear something without any form being accompanied by a video that was about a field very much into geometric forms and structure.

Overall, this night was an eye and ear opener since I've never experienced something like this before. I am just glad that I've listened to and liked some pieces by George Crumb which is somewhat in the same vein of some of the pieces performed so I wasn't entirely shocked as I could be.

And when I found out that O' Donnell would be performing a few days later at the Podium, I got a bit excited and fearful. I got fearful at first since I knew that the mall crowd would not appreciate the programme that they performed at UP. And then Schneller, during our brief chat after the show, told me that O' Donnell would be performing pieces by Schumann, Ravel, Chopin Gershwin and would be repeating the Adams piece, I knew that I had to drop by at the Podium to see her perform.

And so I did manage to see her perform once again and this time, it was the usual pieces from the usual composers that I am familiar with that she played. She first played Robert Schumann's Selections from Davidsbundlertanze, Op. 6 and then Maurice Ravel's Sonatine.

The next piece she played was a favorite: Frederic Chopin's Berceuse in D Flat Major, Op. 57 followed by John Adams China Gates which she also performed at UP. To end the short set, she played George Gershwin's Three Preludes.

Unfortunately, piano performances do not work well at all at a mall like the Podium. Most of the pieces O'Donnell played had many pianissimo parts and it was distracting to hear a young girl shrieking in the background while a Berceuse (basically a lullabye) was being played. And again, it was too short but quite understandly so since they were supposed to play the same programme that they did at UP but it wasn't possible due to the acoustics of the venue and it was not possible to dim the lights as well.

But O'Donnell's short set impressed me since it showcased her versatility since she was able to play not only modern pieces but pieces from the standard classical repertoire. Schneller and O'Donnell are a married couple and they made this brief detour to Manila from Shanghai for sentimental reasons. It turned out that Schneller spent some years in here while he was still studying in his younger years. And that he wanted to come back so he made things work out for him.