SETTING aside their lesson plans momentarily, several UST Conservatory of Music teachers joined their students on stage for the annual “Sampung mga Daliri atbp: Concert of 10 Grand pianos” at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo of the Cultural Center of the Philippines last September,.
“Sampung mga Daliri” features pianists playing on 10 grand pianos in one stage. This year’s repertoire ranged from traditional Filipino ballads to classical works, Broadway tunes, and movie scores, including the famous bass-heavy soundtrack of the James Bond series.
Kicking off the auditory treat was “Pandangguhan,” Spanish genre music combining folk and flamenco, music and dance. The pianists played with the UST Rondalla Ensemble, conducted by Ricardo Calubayan, and evoked the passion of the Spanish music, particularly evident in the ensemble’s careful blending of low and high pitches.
The second act featured a modern version by 20 Piano students of Hungarian Rhapsody, the reworking by Franz Liszt (1811-1886) of Hungarian folk themes. It was an obvious showdown of skills between the two sets of pianos.
If you’re a fan of the movie “Once upon a Time in Mexico” and loved its guitar-ridden soundtrack, then you’ll probably love “Danses Andalouses,” by Spanish composer Manuel Infante (1883-1958). Done by 10 Guitar students, it reminds one of a caravan scene from Arabian Nights due to the abrupt and hurried rhythms, as well as the crisp sound the guitars made.
The fourth act used unconventional instruments, to say the least: the USTe Mundo band used empty water gallons and tree leaves to perform Tininglayang Mundo by Antonio Africa The use of unorthodox instruments (which puts a whole new spin to the term “earthly sounds”) convincingly depicted the clamor and chaotic symphony of the streets. But a careful ear would notice off-beats and misplaced notes inherent in wielding such unconventional instruments.
Then it was back to conventional instruments in “Fantasy Variations,” performed by the UST Symphony Band under the baton of Herminigildo Ranera. It used to the full extent strong bass sounds mixed with the high-pitched cries of wind instruments, resulting in a goosebump-inducing tidal wave sweeping over the audience and gripping them to the last note.
Apart from being a treat to the ears, “Libertango” by the UST Percussion Ensemble deviated from the other acts by appealing visually: the playing was accompanied by tango dancings. But the dance number seemed out of sync with the fast beat of the percussion instruments, making it pale to the energetic music. The dancers also seemed a tad too self-conscious, thus hindering the fluidity of their movements.
Popular music
What musical compendium would be complete without popular movie themes? “Mission Possible” featured familiar movie soundtracks from Mission Impossible, Pink Panther, James Bond, Austin Powers and Star Wars, rendered by alumni pianists with the UST Brass Ensemble. The renditions were faithful to the original and the transitions between the songs were carried out smoothly, leaving no space for awkward pauses save for a few instances when the brass group would run out of breath and the songs would skip a note.
But the selection was too predictable. It would have been more gratifying for the audience to witness the pianists play newer movie music scores, such as those in Pirates of the Carribean, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.
For the next set, “Broadway Showstoppers,” the pianists were joined by the UST Jazz band and UST Opera Chorus. The blending was good, but the vocals tended to be drowned by the full sound of the jazz instruments. And most of the time, the voices were not strong enough to reach the back row.
Capping off the night was the emotional “Nessun Dorma” (from Puccini’s Turandot) rendered by tenors Lemuel dela Cruz, Eugene de los Santos, Ronan Ferrer and Randy Gilongo, which awed the audience and nearly reduced them to tears.
Then seven divas! — sopranos Rachelle Gerodias, Nenen Espina, Thea Perez, Florence Aguilar, Elisanta Cortes, Naomi Sison and Vanessa Verceles –rendered “Regina Coeli..Innegiamo il Signor non e morto” (from Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana). Lending their voices to the concluding act were the Liturgikon Vocal Ensemble, Coro Tomasino, and Chorus classes. The soaring finale gripped the audience.
“Sampung mga Daliri” was a musical feast and an opportunity for students and aspiring musicians to shine. It showed how teacher and student, like the black and white keys of a piano, could create beautiful harmony together.
Our only complaint would be the unhelpful, uninformative and ultimately unimaginative souvenir program. For a production by a major music education institution, “Sampu” didn’t educate its audience, presumably mostly composed of the lay and the uninitiated, on the repertoire, which would have been supplied by an informative souvenir program. Many of the informative details in this review were “Googled” and checked with music experts. Alas, many from the audience wished that the performing faculty of the Conservatory of Music had brought with them to the CCP their lesson plans after all. E.K.A. De la Cruz
