Margarita overwhelms/UST ensemble surprises

The “Dog Day Afternoon” mini recital at the residence of Kumiko Kuroda, wife of the ADB president, was brief and brilliant, with the artists performing in varying degrees of excellence.

Renato Lucas, doubtless one of our top cellists, gave admirably seamless and dexterous renditions of Elgar’s Salut d’ Amour (Greetings of Love) after the opening Arioso by Bach, followed by Mendelssohn’s Lieder Ohne Worter (Song Without Words). Before playing Rimsky-Korsakov’s non-stop, virtuosic “Flight of the Bumblebee”, Lucas jestingly remarked it was the wrong piece because it should be “Dog Day Afternoon”. Grieg Zuniega gave piano support as remarkably as he played Chopin’s Nocturne in C Sharp Minor and Buencamino’s Ang Larawan (The Portrait) as soloist, infusing artistic sensitivity and dramatic contrasts into the stylistic demands of each piece.

Margarita Yulo Gomez overwhelmed listeners in Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise (Song Without Words), Abelardo’s Mutya ng Pasig and Lehar’s Meine Lippe sie kuessen heiss. In timber, range and volume, her voice sounded like a cross between that of the lyric and dramatic soprano. Possessing an incredible power that reached the rafters and threatened to break the glass panes, Margarita magnificently interpreted each song, embellishing it with rich tonal colors and finely-nuanced expressivity, while sustaining her fortissimos in mighty, flowing lines. Mrs. Renee Speltz clasped my hand to contain her excitement and awe, the rest of the select audience presumably feeling the same excitement and awe. Again, Zuniega, with his keen musicianship, anticipated each note of the singer, establishing perfect rapport with her.

Displaying her usual expertise, Kumiko Koroda played on the recorder Teleman’s Vivace and two Philippine love songs to the guitar accompaniment of Edgardo de Dios who displayed his own distinctive skill and nimbleness.

For the finale, the versatile Kumiko as pianist on bass, and Cristine Coyuito, one of our leading pianists, rendered Ravel’s Ma Mere L’oye. Cristine, in her characteristically graceful manner, evoked the exquisite impressionism of Ravel, her refined, polished, delicate touch accented by strong, brisk, sparkling glissandos. The program closed with lusty applause, the listeners clamoring for encores.

Hostess Koroda was assisted by Mrs. Speltz, president-founder of the K9 Search and Rescue Foundation (a concert beneficiary), Sen. Richard Gordon representing the Red Cross (the other beneficiary), and patron Leslie Murray.

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The UST Symphony Orchestra excels as a student ensemble. Its recent performance at the CCP main theater was under Conductor Jeffrey Solares who has trained in the best music schools, and received his bachelor’s degree as SSC scholar.

The concert program was formidable: Fingal’s Cave from the Hebrides Overture, one of Mendelssohn’s best orchestral works, was highly admired by Brahms; Beethoven’s Seventh, “the most glorious of all symphonies”, was called by Wagner “the apotheosis of the dance”.

The ensemble seemed rather lacking in spirit and sweep in Fingal’s Cave but infused subtle nuances into Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante K, its characteristic lightness and charm surfacing. The soloists — Reynato Resurrecion Jr., oboe; Ariel Sta. Ana, clarinet; Alvin Fernandez, horn and Adolfo Mendoza, bassoon, engaged in marvelously smooth, fluid interaction and interplay, the oboeist singularly standing out.

In Total Eclipse from Handel’s Samson, Respighi’s Tanto e bella and Balita’s Parang Maghapon Lang, tenor Eugene de los Santos demonstrated moving expression and clear enunciation, if not quite enough power and resonance.

Solares was most impressive in the Beethoven finale, his rendition surprisingly emotion-laden, this from an excitingly responsive orchestra. Solares is definitely a conductor on the rise, and it is typical of UST Conservatory dean Raul Sunico to encourage future music luminaries.