Pianist O. Salonga: Awesome! / Ballerina Maniya returns

Oliver Salonga’s piano recital at Bahay Kalinaw in UP, Diliman, under the auspices of Music News, began with Haydn’s Sonata no. 58 in C Major.

The sparkling piece was made more so by Salonga’s brisk, clear, ringing tones. In Schumann’s Fantasiestucke, except for the first piece (Das Abends) and the last (Ende von Lied) which were both quiet, lambent and serene, the six others reflected widely diverse moods and emotions — restless, passionate, fiery, unrestrained, with the seventh, Traumes Wirren, seemingly suggesting flight or escape Salonga’s power and sensitivity conveyed the heights and depths of Schumann’s feelings — the composer’s romantic essence at its most eloquent.

Beethoven’s Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major was a stunning demonstration of extremely contrasting dynamics — from the most “pounding” fortissimos to the softest, gentlest pianissimos. The movements' rich, thoroughly worked-out contrapuntal devices brilliantly surfaced in the pianist’s interpretation, bringing to mind a musicologist’s definition of Beethoven’s sonatas as “symphonies for a solo instrument”.

Liszt has been audaciously and, perhaps, unfairly described as “the most tremendous musical failure of the nineteenth century”, possibly because of his characteristically bombastic, windy, showy and often shallow style. His works, therefore, are not as frequently rendered as those of Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven, Mendelssohn or Schumann. But if a pianist wants to prove his virtuosity to listeners, he will likely choose to play Liszt.

Accordingly, Salonga closed his recital with Liszt’s Sonata Quasi Fantasia for which the composer completely drew from his arsenal of every conceivable pyro-technical device. The Sonata demonstrated indeed the pianist’s virtuosity, with Liszt demanding incredibly powerful chordal passages as well as the most rapid, rippling runs on the entire keyboard. Salonga was astounding. Awesome.

Audience appreciation consisted of rousing applause and vocal clamor. The encore was similarly virtuosic, treated in the modern, contemporary manner, namely, Samnel Barber’s Sonata in E flat, Fuga allegro con spiritu, last movement.

The venue, at least to this reviewer, introduced an intimate, pleasant, ideal place for not-so-large audience. Perhaps something can be done to the “whirring” sound of the air-condition unit and the slightly audible noise a pedal of the baby grand piano made whenever the pianist used it.

There is time to remedy the two minor distractions for the forthcoming Bahay Kalinaw concerts featuring international cellist Wilfredo C. Pasamba and pianist Mary Anne Espina on July 8 at 6 p.m. in Barber’s Sonata in C Minor and Sonatas by Debussy and Shostakovich; international baritone Andrew Fernando, mezzo-soprano Clarissa Ocampo, flutist Christopher Oracion and Espina on July 22.

Incidentally, tickets are very reasonably priced.

Ballerina Maniya returns

Ballerina Maniya Barredo returns not to dance but to direct Tom Pazik’s “Romeo and Juliet” for Philippine Ballet Theater. Let me recall Maniya’s glory days as a ballerina, these culled from my book “Above the Throng” (1981).

She’s prima ballerina of the Atlanta Ballet, is guest artist for other American companies, and earlier, ballerina for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.

In 1976, upon Alicia Alonso’s invitation, she represented Canada in Cuba’s International Dance Festival where she was the only dancer to receive 20 curtain calls.

Margot Fonteyn has asked Maniya to join the Stars of the World Ballet — a company of international ballet stars including Fonteyn herself — on a five-week tour through Australia, New Zealand, Hongkong, America.

Dance Magazine prominently features Maniya as Atlanta Ballet Company’s principal ballerina.

Dance writes: “Barredo sparks the stage the moment she steps on it, displaying an impeccable technique and a personality that combines the lyrical and the fiery in an enchanting mixture, like a cross between a graceful butterfly and a sassy lightning bug. She is a versatile dancer capable of the pas de deux and dramatic roles.

“Perky, saucy and vivacious, Honey has that special quality about her that commands attention as she pirouettes onto the stage.” In a real sense, Maniya is the precursor of Lisa Macuja Elizalde.

Performance dates of “Romeo and Juliet” at the CCP main theater are July 7 (gala), July 8 and 9, all at 8 p.m., July 10 at 3 p.m.