Philippine-Spanish, German-Phil concerts / A music critic’s obit

By coincidence, leading soprano Andion Fernandez of the Berlin Opera and virtuoso pianist Felipe Ramirez are both half-Filipino and half-Spanish, their fathers being Spanish and their mothers, Filipino. Therefore, these two richly talented artists seemed the ideal as well as the logical performers for the first Phil-Spanish Friendship Day which was celebrated June 30 at the Casa de America in Madrid. The duo concert, hosted by Philippine Ambassador to Spain Joseph and Conchitina Bernardo y Medina was attended by over 400 guests.

Fittingly, each musical artist rendered some Filipino compositions. Felipe interpreted Chopin’s Nocturne No. 1 and Polonaise No. 6 (The Heroic), F. Buencamino’s Ma-yon Fantasia, Granados’s El Pelele (An Insignificant Fellow) and Prokofieff’s Tocatta Op. 11.

Andion sang F. Buencamino’s El Collar de Sampaguita (The Sampaguita Lei); Abelardo’s Mutya ng Pasig and Velarde’s Minamahal Kita, followed by three songs from De Falla’s Siete Canciones Populares Españolas – El Pano Moruno, Nana and Polo – finishing with Pablo Luna’s De España Vengo (From Spain I Come). Felipe was on the piano as Andion’s assisting artist.

According to a first-hand account, it was a triumphant evening, with each artist receiving thunderous applause and giving several encores.

Philippine Embassy officials Celia Feria, consul, Sarah Salcedo, cultural attaché and Jose Ma. Cariño helped organize the event. An interesting aside: American Conductor Jennifer Weaver, wife of pianist Felipe Ramirez, was present at the concert, and earlier directed an 84-member orchestra at the Caruth Auditorium in Dallas, Texas, for the piece Mio Cid, a composition by Felipe for the piano and orchestrated by Jennifer.

Last week, Andion gave a concert at the F. Santiago Hall which was made even more significant by her rendition of three vocal works by Jeffrey Ching who had expressly written them for her. Announcement of the concert appeared only on the same day, thus causing many music lovers (myself included) to miss it. Ching’s innovativeness and originality never cease to amaze me. A pity I missed the concert.

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Sometime in 1995, the late French Ambassador Olivier Guassot presented young musical talents at his residence, among them pianist Mariel Ilusorio. The ambassador and I agreed that Mariel was the most outstanding of the performers. Since then, she has gone abroad to win prizes, including the Grand Prize in the Carla Soliva Piano Competition 2000 in Italy. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio and studied in the State Academy in Hannover. She subsequently received the Kuenstlerische Ausbilding Diploma with the highest grade in 1998. Currently, she is the official accompanist of a chamber group in the State Academy in Hannover and is a scholar in the chamber music academy of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinae. Mariel has given solo and chamber music recitals in several European countries.

I have heard Mariel on her last two visits and I must say her progress has been tremendously impressive. Last week, she performed with German violinist Angelo Bard at the residence of German Ambassador Herbert D. and Micheline Jess. This was to launch their German-Phil Exchange Outreach Tour under the joint auspices of the CCP and the Goethe Institut Inter Nationes.

While pursuing his studies at the State Academy of Hannover, Angelo won several prizes and scholarships. Only 23, he has already gained vast orchestral experience as member of the National Youth Orchestra of Germany, as assistant concert master and concert master of two major orchestras touring Russia and Europe under notable conductors. Several international master classes supplement his education.

At Ambassador Jess’s Hausmusikabend, Mariel and Angelo played Bethoven’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, G Major, Bach’s Sonata No. 2 for Solo Violin, A Minor, Abelardo’s Cavatina, Ben Zubiri’s Matud Nila (So They Say), Rubio’s Salamisim (Beautiful Reminiscences) and Vallejo’s Habanera Filipina.

Followed Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, Schubert’s Sonata for Piano, A Major, and Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy after Bizet’s Opera. To my considerable loss, I missed the concert but I trust Ambassador Jess will continue presenting his marvelous musical evenings.

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The following obituary written by Allan Kozina appears in the International Herald Tribune issue of July 28, 2003: New York: Harold C. Schonberg, the ubiquitous and authoritative chief music critic of the New York Times from 1960 to 1980, whose reviews and essays influenced and chronicled vast changes in the world of opera and classical music, died Saturday in New York. He was 87.

Writing daily reviews and more contemplative Sunday pieces, Schonberg set the standard for critical evaluation and journalistic thoroughness. He wrote his reviews in a crisp, often staccato style that gave his evaluation unequivocal clarity and directness, attributes that earned him a Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 1971, the first for a music critic.

However significant his opinion and endorsements, he viewed his role simply and directly. "I write for myself – not necessarily for readers, not for musicians," he said in 1967 interview, with Editor and Publisher. "Criticism is only informed opinion. I write a piece that is a personal reaction based, hopefully, on a lot of years of study, background, scholarship and whatever intuition I have."

One of his immediate and lasting innovations was establishing a code of conduct in which friendships with performers and composers were prohibited. He said: "I refuse to believe that if a critic is friendly with a musician he can be impartial. If word gets around you are a friend of a musician, your opinion becomes suspect."