The AYO / Reynaldo Reyes

The 107-member Asian Youth Orchestra consists of the best young instrumentalists all over Asia. Before they are finally chosen, they undergo the most rigorous auditions, and then together, they rehearse each summer for three weeks of practice and another three weeks of actual performance.

Through the AYO’s current Asian tour, Aug. 6-31, it has been playing the same two programs over and over again under Rumanian conductor Sergiu Commissiona and the American Richard Pontezius.

In this light, it is little wonder that the AYO reaches such a high level of professionalism, it is comparable to more seasoned orchestras, often proving to be even better.

Its string section is predominantly female – the concert master is a woman – and of the seven Filipino members, four are from the UST Conservatory. The Filipinos are Maria Victoria Regalario and Maurice Ivan Saraza, violin; Ariston Payte III and Joven Tidon, double bass; Floyd Ricafrente, flute; Rodel Hernandez and Saturnino Tiamson, percussion.

Under the baton of the mighty mite Maestro, the AYO essayed vibrantly Berlioz’s Le Corsaire Overture, Debussy’s La Mer and Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2 in E Minor. Le Corsaire’s agitated opening by the strings, shimmeringly cohesive, was followed throughout by fine tonal balance, the strings, woodwinds, brasses and percussions producing sumptuous sounds conveying a variety of moods and widely-ranging towering climaxes.

Debussy’s La Mer (The Sea), despite its fancy subtitles — from dawn until noon on the sea, Play of the waves and Dialogue of the wind and the sea – is not really programmatic music that describes the sea realistically; rather it is a poetic conceptualization, an evocation of the sea and its unpredictable moods, in Debussy’s impressionistic manner. The dominant strings, undulating, were complemented by the harp’s silken arpeggios. Thoughts about the sea, rather than the sea itself, came to mind as Maestro Commissiona shaped delicate, sensitive, sensuous orchestra nuances.

Rachmaninov’s massive symphony has a long, melancholy introduction; the violins start the allegro, and the strings and winds – these clean and precise – bring on the second theme which leads to a tremendous ascent, the solo violin tautly and incisively rendering the principal melody.

The first movement, sad and doleful, contrasts with the ensuing energetic, zestful scherzo played by the horns and the violins. The latter then interact with the clarinet and the oboe splendidly, the conductor firmly guiding them, with the winds joining in for the march – this preceded by an exquisite melody from the adagio – the violins entering forth with in octaves. Borrowing from earlier movements, the finale achieves shattering proportions.

Despite lusty applause and cries of Bravo! and Encore! the Maestro took the concert master in hand and exited with her to signify the program’s end. What a glorious evening for the astonishing orchestra and its brilliant conductor!

* * *

Hewing to his usual innovative programs featuring a single composer, the highly-acclaimed international concertist Reynaldo Reyes – he instantly made his mark years ago by winning the Premier Prix du Piano at the Paris Conservatory – played an all-Prokofieff recital at the Philamlife auditorium.

Those who had committed themselves earlier to Reves’ recital missed the second AYO concert under Richard Pontzius.

Reyes’ audience was rather small; not many wish to listen exclusively to Prokofieff whose music, atonal or polytonal, is full of leaps and large intervals, and is devoid of flowing melodies. Undaunted, Reyes carried on in virtuoso fashion, dashing with fantastic speed and dazzling bravura through the composer’s terrifying technical demands.

Prokofieff’s music has been described as "ironic and satiric, saucy, infectiously impudent, with tart and often disjointed harmonies, sudden fluctuations from the naïve and the simple to the unexpected and complex".

Reyes reflected all these as he captured the essence of the music in Visions Fugitive, two sonatas – No. 3 in A Minor and No. 7 in B Flat – and Romeo and Juliet (Juliet’s Girlhood, Montagues and Capulets and Mercultio). Romeo and Juliet was relatively the most lyrical, becoming more descriptive by association, with the listener seeing in his mind’s eye the ballet on film set to Prokofieff’s score: the Capulets’ grand ball; Juliet frisky antics, the swift, deft strokes of the fencing duel.

Both sonatas were compellingly propulsive, replete with staccatos, rapid, leaping chords rendered with considerable power and passion, the runs demonstrating astonishing finger dexterity. The opening Visions Fugitive, a set of 20 short, polytonal and dissonant pieces, immediately suggested the kind of music for the rest of the recital.

Music lovers conversant with Prokofieff’s style were awed by Reyes, rewarding him with ardent applause, a standing ovation and clamors for encores. Reyes obliged with more Prokofieff: Prelude in C Major and Devilish inspiration. And what would foreshadow his recital next year – a piece by Chopin’s unknown contemporary Charles Aklan – the programmatic Song of a Crazy Woman at Sea. A typical gesture from the uniquely innovative Reyes.