The Cultural Center of the Philippines, in collaboration with the UST Symphony Orchestra, reimagined Francis Poulenc’s “La Vois Humane,” as part of the third offering of the “Intramuros Evenings” series held at Centro de Turismo on Nov. 13.
The orchestra, under the baton of conductor Herminigildo Ranera, and pianist Raul Sunico, opened the concert with a performance of Poulenc’s “Aubade,” a composition inspired by the ancient Greek goddess Diana.
It was followed by a performance of soprano Armela Fortuna of “La Voix Humane,” a forty-minute piece that follows a French woman and her telephone conversation with her lover, as she navigates emotions of love, hopelessness, and resignation.
In a talkback session, director Nonon Padilla, the 2020 Gawad CCP Awardee, and Fortuna delved into the inner workings of the production.
“I took the aesthetic of Poulenc himself,” Padilla said, referencing Poulenc’s involvement in the Dada movement, an avant-garde and artistic protest against the First World War, as well as Duchamp’s Rotereliefs, a series of optical illusions.
Fortuna said: “It’s really different when you do it with the orchestra. Especially with the young orchestra that we have because Poulenc’s music is very hard.”
In an interview with The Varsitarian, Ranera explained the orchestra’s process of rehearsing demanding compositions, which carefully dissect the piano, orchestra, and vocals parts of the pieces before puzzling them together to create a cohesive and electrifying performance.
“I think we should also educate people na meron din mga classical compositions like this one—napakaganda ng story,” Ranera said.
