Rudolf Golez startles anew / Trio plays thrice con brio

In last week’s concert at the Insular Life Theater in Alabang, young virtuoso Rudolf Golez startled the audience anew, this time both as pianist and chamber musician playing with the outstanding Clarion Ensemble founded by flutist David Johnson.

In Chopin’s “Andante Spianate and Grand Polonaise Brillante”, Golez remained unfazed by its swirling rhythms, playing with impetuosity, and creating sparkling tonal colors and refined nuances expressed through a masterful technique combined with artistic sensitivity. And what made Golez’s performance even more impressive was his relaxed, effortless manner in hurdling the most challenging chords and runs.

No one can dance to Liszt’s “Mephisto Waltz No. 1; no artist, audacious and imaginative as he might be, can choreograph to it. The bombastic piece was titled thus because it presumably had for its inspiration and devil himself! Placing his considerable pianistic capacity at the service of art, Golez produced blazing, rhapsodic music, his accentuation and devastatingly swift changes of tempo conveying “diabolic” music. In both pieces, the pianist’s climaxes were incendiary, indeed.

Golez had the dominant role in the opening piece “Septet in D Minor” by Johann N. Hummel, playing with flutist David Johnson, oboeist Renato Resurrecion, violist Jay Allan de la Cruz, cellist Renato Lucas and a double bass player (unnamed in the program). Each instrumentalist being the best in his area of discipline, and each being in the finest fettle, the music flowed harmoniously and homogeneously.

With everyone, totally in tune with everyone else, the ensemble delineated exquisite melodic lines; in content and execution, the unity, the rapport was astounding.

The piece was replete with runs which rippled as Golez’s nimble fingers executed them. Thoroughly in rhythmic accord with the rest of the ensemble, Golez played spirited dialogues with cellist Lucas and violist De la Cruz, both of whom were fully responsive to him.

Comradin Kreutzer’s “Quintet in A Major for Piano, Flute, Clarinet (Ariel Sta. Ana), Viola and Cello reflected again the most organic unity, the ensemble conveying diverse tonal gradations, the sounds endlessly fluctuating.

Audience clamor led to a piece by the Argentinian Piazzolla for an encore, with a French horn augmenting the ensemble.

The concert was one of the most gratifying ever presented by FilFest headed by Vicky F. Zubiri as president. As usual, director Martin Lopez gave the introductory remarks. Russell Brandon served as annotator.

It was likewise gratifying to note that more and more music lovers hie to FilFest concerts in Alabang.

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“Trio con Brio”, the concert featuring top instrumentalists — violinist Joseph Esmilla, pianist Rudolf Golez and cellist Victor Coo — will be held on Aug. 13, Saturday, at the 1,000-capacity Manuela Q. Pastor auditorium in St. Bridget College, Batangas City.

The trio, which will render works by Mendelssohn, Shenfield and Piazzolla, will be presented by Tony Pastor and Lina Racho of Filfest. The concert aims to bring to Batangas city and environs classical music performed by world-class Filipino artists. The 100-member Taipeh Symphony Orchestra will perform on Nov. 2 at the Manuela Q. Pastor auditorium. For tickets, call Marie at Filfest, tel. 585-3823.

“Trio con Brio” will again be heard on Monday, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. in an invitational concert with the same program at Prestige Cars BMW, 2324 Pasong Tamo. It will be under the auspices of the Asian Carmakers Corporation in cooperation with Filfest headed by president Vicky F. Zubiri and Insular Life Philippines.

A third “Trio con Brio” concert at the UP Bahay Kalinaw was earlier announced. The 130-seat venue draws avid music lovers of QC. Obviously, members of each audience will attend the concert nearest their residences.