'Mrs. A's Opus'/Guitar Fete

Carolyn Kleiner, of the Greenhills Music Studio faculty, gave illuminating concert notes and a tribute to Carmencita G. Arambulo, founder of the GMS and the Suzuki Music Center. A leading pedagogue, Mrs. Arambulo (Mrs. A.) has taught for over four decades, many of her students becoming luminaries, among them international concertist Rowena Arrieta.

In the three-hour (rather overlong) concert, Rowena, pianist Oliver Salonga, composer-conductor-percussionist Ariel Arambulo, and seven-year old pianist Hansel Ang shone, among many others. Rowena performed Ryan Cayabyab’s remarkable “Ondoy-Ondoy” (world premiere) which earlier depicted the benefits of water from brook and stream — as delineated gently and languidly by the pianist who, belying her frail appearance, later conveyed the devastating fury and onslaught of Ondoy, the ponderous chords and passages overwhelming the listener.

The first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings proved Ariel Arambulo’s outstanding talent as conductor, the GMS/Philippine Suzuki Association movingly expressing the exquisite lyricism of the romantic piece in a smooth, cohesive, resonant manner.

Ariel then displayed his unusual gifts as composer in Arkipelago Pilipino, this interpreted by the GMS String Ensemble and more particularly, in the Hallelujah Concerto, which reflected and imaginatively interwove the distinct influences of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. The piece was eloquently infused with vibrant life by Rowena, by Jonathan Coo and Therese Gemora who brilliantly played on another piano and by the GMS/PSA Orchestra, the latter performing impeccably.

In Prokofiev’s Precipitato (from Sonata No. 7), propulsive and percussive throughout, Oliver Salonga was tremendously virtuosic, giving no respite to the breathtakingly swift tempo. Hansel Ang was the evening’s surprise. In Haydn’s Concerto in C (third movement), Ang, only seven, showed an incredible nimbleness, a grasp of style, an assurance and confidence to be envied by much older confreres. Gaining the admiration of the audience, he further gained its affection when, at the end of the piece, he held out both arms as an invitation to the string players to take a bow with him. What a marvelous gesture from the tyke! Prodigy Hansel clearly indicated where his prodigious talent will take him in years to come.

The endearing Suzuki Music Kids played the “Twinkle Variations” to perfection (without a conductor), illustrating how “rhythmic, intervallic and tonal concepts” are learned through the piece.

Highly-acclaimed Ryan Cayabyab, already mentioned, Manoling Francisco, SJ, whose liturgical songs are joyously interpreted in churches, Maritess Salientes who played her own song “Thank You for the Moment” on the piano (world premiere), with soloist Nikko Atienza, and Rica Arambulo who sang and accompanied herself on the piano in her own Ikaw at Ako pa Rin were the concert’s composers.

The spirited Mass Appeal Choir had equally spirited soloists. Chopin’s Revolutionary Etude innovatively arranged by Ariel for the GMS Alumni Pop Ensemble and Kevin Olson’s “Perpetual Commotion,” a sparkling atonal work full of isolated, lone notes — interpreted by Patrick Sy, Warren Garrido, Miguel and Paolo Panagsagan and Ariel on drums — completed “Mrs. A’s Opus”. This concert illustrated a progressive approach to music that included classic, semi-classic, contemporary and pop rendered by artists who have been or are still under Mrs. A’s tutelage.

The occasion also marked the 70th year of St. Paul U. Manila College of Music and Performing Arts under Sr. Anunciata Sta. Maria as dean.

The UST Conservatory of Music will present its first International Guitar Festival from Aug. 23-27 at the Philamlife Auditorium, 8 p.m., as part of the UST Quadricentennial celebration “Guitara 2010” will be a week of concerts, master classes and lectures, these latter to be held at the UST Conservatory.

To be featured are international guitarists and local top performers: Agustin Castilla-Avila (Spain) and Angelito Agcaoli on Aug. 24; Ruey Yan (Taiwan) and Joseph Mirandilla on Aug. 25; Meng-Feng Su (Taiwan) and Manuel Cabrera on Aug. 26; the UST Guitar Quartet and the Festival Guitar Orchestra on Aug. 27.

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