An amazingly dexterous Portuguese percussionist / Envoy as eloquent reader

The 29-year old Portuguese Pedro Corneiro is the only percussionist to have attained international stature and acclaim. He has performed as soloist with major orchestras in Europe and has conducted the world premieres of over 70 works.

Watching a concert of his Monday night at the Intercon ballroom was by turns listening to a highly illuminating lecture on the history of percussion instruments and being dazzled by his playing on them. A charming personality onstage, he seemed like a walking encyclopedia on drums, infusing his observations with wit and humor. In one instance, he remarked, "When I was a boy, my mother used to tell me, ‘Why don’t you just play the violin’?" (She must have been annoyed by the rat-tat-tat of his drums.) At another time, he confessed that on his tours, airport attendants would sometimes give him a bad time because they would mistake his percussion mallets and sticks for dangerous weapons. Whenever they did, he would say, "Look, I’m just a drummer."

As it turned out at Corneiro’s concert, he was not just a drummer. He was an incredibly fantastic one.

Before playing on the snare drum, he demonstrated how to establish auditory differences by beating on it from various angles – front, side, crosswise, etc., and with different "beaters": sticks, a mallet, a brush. He fascinated his audience at once by following up his explanation with a rendition of Eugene Novotney’s "A Minute of News". By then, the listeners’ curiosity and interest had mounted considerably.

On the four-octave marimba, Bach’s Prelude, Allemande and Courante from Suite for Solo No. 1 in G Major acquired an exquisitely new aural dimension with its mellow tones and infinitely varied nuances hitherto unheard on the piano as Corneiro masterfully manipulated four mallets over the marimba keyboard. Emmanuel Sejouné’s "Bee" was a total contrast in its abrupt rhythms, accentuation and arrested melodic lines.

Roberto Sierra’s Bongo-O, interpreted on a pair of bongos, riveted and compelled attention with its contrasting tempi: rapid, very rapid, slow, very slow, and something in-between, with Corneiro’s hands giving a dizzying sight at the beats of lightning speed.

Through his immense talent, Corneiro drew from the marimba its remarkably descriptive capacity in the excerpts from "Image" by Bart Quartier, these including "Crocodile Tears", "Taking Grandma for a Walk" and "Why?"

Bach’s Sarabande, Minuet 1 and 2 and Gigue from Suite for Cello No. 1 in G Major again unraveled subtle nuances (previously unsuspected from a marimba) with its melodic lines and runs conveyed by extremely deft maneuvers of the mallets, thereby making the Bach piece even more fascinating and intriguing than it would have been if interpreted by a pianist.

The evening’s delightful surprise was provided by Corneiro and a guest marimbist – our own Dena Fernandez rendering "Under the Papaya Tree" with Sr. Anunciata of St. Paul’s College on the piano. The relatively simple piece, with passages derived from Leron, Leron Sinta, was arranged by Lucino Sacramento.

The marimbists’ lively, animated manner garnered lusty applause.

Corneiro climaxed his virtuoso performance by playing on the Conga, the 14-inch Tom Tom, the huge orchestral bass drum, and a small instrument which produced musical rather than percussive sounds. The tremendous, mind-boggling feat that conveyed cacophonous aural effects, belied Corneiro’s slight build and frame.

To persistent clamor and applause, the artist responded with another demonstration of his dexterity by simulating on the snare drum a train starting and continuing on its journey. The hesitant, lumbering beat imitated the slow start of the train which gained more speed, finally reaching its astounding frenzied maximum. All these changes of tempo were devastatingly delineated by Corneiro, leaving the audience dazzled and breathless.

Ambassador Joao Caetano da Silva has doubtless sent an amazingly unique percussionist, the most brilliant we have been privileged to hear.

* * *

As a refreshing interlude, Ambassador da Silva read two poems. One, on love, was by Luis de Camoes, the most famous Portuguese poet. Born in Lisbon in 1524 (or 1525), he belonged to the small nobility. He led a life of adventure in North Africa where he lost one eye.

In 1569, he returned to Portugal where he published his epic poems under the title Os Luisidas. Herewith is his sonnet Love:

Love is a fire that burns but is not seen,

It is a wound that hurts but is not felt,

It is a deal of joy that is not dealt,

It is a woe that maddens with no pain.

A wish for nothing but that wish expressed,

A walking solitary through the crowd,

A joy with all enjoyment disallowed,

A care increasing as it runs to waste.

It is a longing to be held in thrall,

The victory vanquished, laying down his arms,

To serve one who leads honour to a fall.

But how come that its favour can bring charms,

To take possession of the hearts of all,

If love so promptly contradicts its terms?

The other poem, Of God and the Devil by Jose Regio, was read in Portuguese. An eminent poet of the 20th century, Regio, however, does not enjoy Camoes’ stature. Nevertheless, his poem is now considered a classic.

Both poems were eloquently read with the intensity, fire and passion befitting their subject and substance, thus revealing the ambassador’s hidden talent.

Prior to the concert, the host and his wife Ulrike welcomed the guests who filled the ballroom to overflowing. Among them were Hans and Florinda Kasten, Fred and Nena Borromeo, Alice Briones, Argentine Ambassador Mario and Silvia Schuff, Japanese Ambassador Ryuichiro Yamazaki, Ms. Taniguchi, Belgian Ambassador Christian Tanghe, Mexican Ambassador Erindira Paz Campos, Brazilian Counsellor Carlos de Carvalho, Consuls Mellie Ablaza and Evie Costa, CCP President Nes Jardin Impresario, Martin Lopez, pianist Jonathan Coo and Intercon PR head Jenny Peña.