Sunico dazzles audience, premieres Toledo work

Awesome though Raul Sunico’s pianistic prowess is, he seems to be evolving still — he sounds more impressive at each performance! His concert last Monday at the residence of Chito Madrigal Collantes encompassed romantic, impressionistic and contemporary pieces rendered on Chito’s sonorous, brand-new Steinway.

The celebrated international concertist captured and conveyed the spirit, essence and distinctive style of each piece. He was ineffably poetic in Chopin’s Barcarolle in F-Sharp, and the Etudes in A-Flat, F-Minor and E; he demonstrated sweep and flair in Granados’ Allegro de Concierto, intense emotion and lyricism in Schubert’s Impromptu in G-Flat, exquisitely and subtly graded tonal hues in Ravel’s Jeux D’eau (Fountains) and Debussy’s L’isle Joyeuse (Isle of Joy).

Sunico explained to his listeners that J. Rodis’ "Planting Rice" was planting done in water, and indeed there could not have been a more descriptive piece denoting the onrush of water. The native song was hardly recognizable in the florid arrangement.

Brilliance, brio and bravura characterized Liszt’s Funerailles, and it might have been Liszt himself producing those massive, surging chordal densities that created a virtual tornado.

Throughout the program, the dramatic vied with the lyrical, each creating a tremendous impact and compelling undivided attention.

The concert closed with Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, its syncopated rhythms, leaps and runs demanding utmost dexterity and lightning speed, with the chords, particularly in the end, thundering as though the piano would, if it could, give way.

Awed and dazzled, the audience gave Sunico a standing ovation. As a Valentine’s Day gift, he graciously played the love song, All the Things You Are.

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The concert, emceed by Chloe Periquet, was sponsored by the Friends of Cultural Concerns of the Philippines, formerly the Friends of the Cultural Center founded and first headed as president by Chito. Mellie Ablaza and Lulu Castañeda are current and former FCCP heads. Among music lovers present were UK Ambassador Peter and Jill Beckingham, Australian Ambassador Tony Hely and Wendy Jefferey, Japanese Ambassador Ryuichiro Yamazaki and US Cultural Attaché Bruce and Christine Armstrong.

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"Evolution", the final concert of the 6th Metro Manila Community Orchestra season, set for Feb. 24 at the CCP main theater, will be highlighted by original Filipino compositions, primarily by Josefino "Chino" Toledo, with Raul Sunico giving his work its premiere performance. Toledo’s new piece for piano and orchestra, titled "Ekontra: Kongruo: Iunktum", was inspired by various contemporary traditions.

The 3-movement work depicts a series of shifting musico-emotio relationships. These start with confrontational challenge in the first movement, accordance in the second, and forbearance in the third. The work is further divided into 11 segments or playlists. Though linearly connected, each segment is treated as an individual playlist and independently conceived. With this "mobile structure", rearranging the playlists’ order within its movement is possible. The non-descriptive title allows each listener to rely on his unique receptivity and imagination to appreciate and aurally explore the work.

"Evolution" will also present Bagong Kundiman, consisting of new works for symphony and voice by participants in the Music Underkonstruction project of the Institute for Orchestral Development: Nilo B. Alcala, Joel F. Cruz, Nelson O. Polvoriza, Reginald T. Tam and Louise L. Ybanez.

Other events

On Feb. 16 at 8 p.m., marimba player Deena Fernandez will perform with the Four Seasons Chamber Orchestra under visiting conductor Ruggero Barbieri at the Multiple Center, Bel-Air Park.

Also on Feb. 16 at 6 p.m., 17-year old Beah Darda Gumarang, Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, will give a junior recital at the Fleur-de-lis theater under the auspices of St. Paul U. Manila College of Music headed by Dean Sr. Anunciata Sta. Ana.

Beah’s formidable program will be works by Bach, Haydn, two concert etudes by Liszt, Bartok’s "Romanian Dance", Jose Rodis’ "Music Box", and Liszt’s Concerto in A Major with Ruth Quiñones on a second piano.