Performing arts: Events noted at random

There are five reasons to recommend the new opera for viewing. These are composer Ryan Cayabyab, librettist Fides C. Asensio, the brilliant soprano Margarita Yulo-Gomez and the seasoned actor-singer Robert Sena who takes the lead role of Juan Luna.

Unfortunately, I was not able to see the opera. Yet, for personal reasons, I would have liked to see how the Asensio-Cayabyab joint artistic venture delineated the great painter, doubtless a genius, Juan Luna.

The very first painting I ever saw hanging in our house was the Spoliarium. Before I was born, my mother had commissioned a certain Spanish painter named Cortez (I forget his Christian name) to make an exact copy of Luna’s masterpiece. Cortez came up with a painting probably a third the size of the original. At any rate, it was huge. I saw "was" because when the Japanese soldiers burned our house, the painting was reduced to cinders.

When I finally saw the original, I felt Cortez had made an excellent copy. I recall visitors gaping at it open-mouthed, wondering what it was depicting, and certainly not aware that the original had won first prize in the International Paris Exposition. In any case, even as a child, I had assumed that anyone who could have produced such a magnificent masterpiece was a great painter. How did the opera Spoliarium delineate him as a man?

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A day before the 28th Bamboo Organ Festival in Las Piñas opened, Belgian Ambassador Christian Tanghe gave a preview of it by presenting the eminent Belgian soprano Cristel De Meulder in a private concert at the residence of Luciano and Helen Ong.

Many music lovers (myself among them) have faithfully followed the "fate" of the world-famed bamboo organ. It was repaired in Bonn in the early 70s, and since then, organ recitals have been held under the supervision of parish priest Fr. Mark Lesage whom I called the "heart" of the festival, and Fr. Leo Renier, its "head" being its musical director.

The young Msgr. Allen C. Aganon has now taken over as president of the Bamboo Organ Foundation, with Della Besa assisting him.

Incidentally, I have been invited to become a member of the Foundation but I would like to beg off from joining. It is not usual for a member of media to be part of an organization whose concerts she writes about because she would be laying herself open to the charge of bias or prejudice, one way or the other.

At any rate, there is logic in Ambassador Tanghe’s special interest in the Bamboo Organ Festival, he being a Belgian and an avid music lover. As such, he made specific mention of the tremendous service Fr. Lesage and Fr. Renier rendered in promoting the unique bamboo organ concerts in the past.

At the preview, Cristel De Meulder interpreted the following songs with Jonathan Coo on the piano: Windmung (Dedication) by Schumann/Liszt; three lieders by Schubert, and a song by the Flemish composer Lodewijk Mortelmans. Pianist Coo rendered the first movement of Chopin’s third Sonata.

De Meulder studied at the Antwerp Conservatory where she won first prize in chamber music. Singing ancient and contemporary music with equal distinction, she has concertized in Europe and Asia.

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The Clarion Chamber Ensemble, founded by flutist-music director David Johnson, is relatively new, yet it has made its mark not only as a polished ensemble but also as a highly active one. Recently, it launched its live performance "Lecture/Concert Series" for university and secondary school audiences. Mr. Johnson says: "The goal of the series is to bring to light a closer analysis of the building blocks of musical structure. It aims to probe into the life, times and political environment of the composer and his/her psyche, and to illuminate the process of how performing artists prepare a piece for public performance."

The inaugural concert was held at the UST last February 18, through the urging and support of its dean, Raul Sunico, says Mr. Johnson.

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The UNESCO International Theatre Institute, a Cecile Guidote-Alvarez’s Earthsavers Dreams Academy and Radio Balintataw are jointly presenting a Festival of Bert Florentino’s plays for February.

The multi-awarded Bert won a Palanca prize for his The World Is An Apple, and since then, he has written more than a hundred plays for television and fifty for the stage.

As early as the ’50s, PETA-founder Cecile Alvarez has been consistently encouraging the writing of Filipino plays. Before she did, local authors were producing one-act plays mostly on trivial themes.

The Florentino Festival on the air is being complemented onstage by the Philippine ITI Center with a front act performance by the Earthsavers Dreams Ensemble and the Kalahi at the Araneta Elephant World. Walang Sugat performances at San Beda Theatre by the Bedan thespians, in a revival of the zarzuela, are staged and choreographed by Gig Velarde David.