SSC platinum celebration, Sr. Battig's contribution / Argentine film exhibition

Last July 26, St. Scholastica College held a “Celebration of Life 2012”, a reunion of platinum Scholasticans in their 80s and 90s. Some of the most distinguished SSC alumnae were President Cory Cojuangco Aquino, Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma, the Renaissance woman Leonor Orosa Goquingco, and the brilliant Ester Hilado, now the Benedictine nun Sr. Soledad.

Of the younger ones, there are Eva B. Gonzalez, daughter of former UP President Bienvenido Gonzalez, and Consuelo Tan. Eva taught at the UP H.E. Department, later heading it, if I recall correctly.

The primary and singular distinction of SSC is its pioneering introduction of formal music education in the country through Sr. Baptista Battig, student of Ludwig Deppe, then the last living pupil of Liszt.

Born in 1870, Sr. Battig marked her centennial in the Philippines in 1970. She had just began in her native Breslau, Silesia, an auspicious concert career when she answered a call to the religious life. At age 30, she became a nun in the Benedictine Order founded by St. Benedict and his sister St. Scholastica. Sr. Battig was sent to the Philippines in 1907, leaving the Benedictine headquarters in Tutzing, Germany. She was to teach music in this country for the next 35 years.

Her first music classes in Manila were in a modest room in Singalong with a single, second hand, borrowed piano. To demonstrate her theories — beauty of tone being the most important of these — she gave two concerts whose overwhelming success drew countless pupils to her classes which were later held in an impressive building adjoining St. Scholastica College, the St. Cecilia’s Hall.

Much later, as interns we were allowed to leave our study period so we could attend the recitals of the students of Sr. Battig or of her own graduates. The earliest of these were Barbara Cuaycong, Eugenia and Marcela Agoncillo, Blanca Castillo (later Mrs. Dinglasan) all of whom became my piano mentors, Imelda Katigbak (later Mrs. Dayrit) mother of pianists Menchu Padilla and Amelita Guevarra, Pilar Blanco, mother of Ingrid Santamaria. Eugenia Agoncillo gave me valuable pointers on reviewing music performances. Luz Katigbak, who graduated under Marcela Agoncillo’s tutelage lectured to us on music theory and composition, music history and music appreciation.

All music schools in the country directly or indirectly trace their beginnings to Sr. Battig who introduced Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann, Schubert, Brahms, Chopin et al, their works, to quote Celine Olaguer Sarte, forming the backbone and the glory of piano literature. Way back in 1933, as the zealous, pioneering Sr. Battig marked her 25th year of piano teaching in the Philippines, she wrote: “Great is my desire to see the dear children of the East rise in the musical world to the same level as those of the West. May all my earnest endeavor bear fruit and lead to a plentiful harvest; and may my profound desire be realized some day.” There is absolutely no doubt that Sr. Battig’s desire has been more than fulfilled.

Needless to say, I am grateful for the background in music I gained from St. Scholastica College whose music department is now headed by the indefatigable dean, Sr. Mary Placid Abejo who, in turn, with the late Basilio Manalo, established PREDIS which prepared young talents for further studies.

The eminent soprano Camille Lopez Molina is a faculty member of the Voice Department. Naty Crame Rogers, I presume, heads the Drama Department. Well may she continue directing its plays, she being one of our most outstanding actresses. She was striking as Claudia in Nick Joaquin’s “Portrait of the Artist as Filipino” and as Doña Teodora in Leonor Orosa Goquingco’s “Her Son, Jose Rizal”. A role she briefly reprised in last year’s SSC alumnae reunion.

Argentine Cinema Exhibition

A varied selection of recent production and classics of Argentine cinematography will be presented at the Instituto Cervantes. The films and their time of showing follows: August 2, 7 p.m.: El Mural, Hector Oliver, 2010/ August 4, 2 p.m.: Carancho, Pablo Trapero, 2010/ August 11, 2 p.m.: Aballay, El hombre sin Miedo, Fernando Spiner, 2010/ August 18, 2 p.m.: Cortazar, Tristan Bauer, 1984/ August 25, 2 p.m.: Camila, Maria Luisa Bemberg, 1984/ August 30, 6 p.m.: La deuda interna, Miguel Pereira, 1988.

For inquiries, call 526-1482.