Superb Israeli duo in Nat’l Day rites / Iloilo music fete on!

Last year, Israel’s Percaduo, the pair of percussionists named Adi and Tomer – they’re only in their twenties – gave an incomparably fascinating exhibition of their skill and musicianship at the CCP Little Theater. In January of this year, the equally young Tel-Aviv Trio of pianist Jonathan Aner, violinist Martin Givol and his cellist brother Ira, likewise left their audience awestruck at the Mandarin’s Captain’s Bar.

Last week, the piano duo consisting of Sivan Silver, 27, and Gil Garburg, 28, highlighted the celebration of Israel’s 55th year of Independence at the Inter-Con Ballroom.

With three exceptional performances in a row, and most probably with more to come, Israel appears to bring to our shores only the best of its musical artists. The "exports" further prove its determination, despite the ominous turbulence it endlessly faces, to share with the world its passion for the arts.

The young, attractive duo was so strikingly brilliant, that this listener felt it would have been a "crime" to miss a single note of the renditions – from the opening piece, Borodin’s Polovetsian Dances from Prince Igor, to the closing, Ravel’s La Valse.

One quickly noted that dances predominated in the program; besides the Polovetsian Dances, La Valse and the delightful avant-garde piece from A.U. Boskovich’s Semitic Suite, the duo chose for encores – these in response to tumultuous audience appreciation – Lecuona’s Malagueña, dances by Brahms and, finally, by Stravinsky who immediately called to mind the ballet Petrouchka.

The choices were understandable. Perhaps even inevitable. Possessed of the vitality, exuberance and intensity of youth, Sivan and Gil incisively conveyed the pounding, propulsive, driving rhythms which, as expressed by the two pianos, were so catching, spirited and fiery, it was difficult for the audience to resist dancing to the music.

Quiet, lyrical passages contrasted dramatically with the virtuosic – the rapid runs and arpeggios limpid, clear, crystalline; the chords powerful. Then, too, the wide palette of stunning tonal colors complemented the rhythms while expressing sentiment and emotion.

Sentiment and emotion were movingly profound in Schubert’s Fantasia in F Minor (this played on one piano as was Malagueña). The exquisitely haunting melody recurring again and again, this so delicately and subtly expressed, finally reverted to a major key as though to affirm the triumph of man’s spirit over anguish, travail and vicissitude.

Throughout, the admirable characteristics would not have surfaced without the duo’s incredibly close ensemble playing. How effortless, how seamless the rapport!

Regrettably, Ambassador Irit Ben-Abba is ending her tenure shortly, but if her successor continues to send such excellent ensembles as the Silver-Garburg Piano Duo, the Tel-Aviv Trio and the Percaduo, we may soon be running out of superlatives.

Iloilo Music Festival

For the first-ever Iloilo Summer Camp and Festival May 21-30, the UST music department, headed by international concertist Raul Sunico as dean, has virtually transferred its headquarters to the West Visayas State University in Jaro, Iloilo. The UST’s best ensembles, top faculty members and students totalling over 215 are currently participating in the cultural event, significantly the UST Symphony Orchestra, UST Symphony Band, Rondalla Ensemble, Jazz Band, Guitar Ensemble, Coro Tomasino, Liturgikon, Chamber Music quartets, flute and trumpet choirs, piano duo, solo piano, duet and vocal ensembles.

Concert venues include churches, cathedrals and university auditoriums. Further, seminars and workshops in solfeggio, choral conducting, guitar and rondallas, Philippine music, rudiments and theory of music, music education, liturgical music, festival chorus, music appreciation and the art of accompaniment are ongoing under Rev. Manuel Maramba and other faculty members: D. Andres, R. Dalubayan, R. Mazo, Jr., R. Reyes, J.P. Namit, A. Salenga, A. Chua, C. Afable, and P. Jimenez.

According to Della G. Jarantilla, president of the Friends of UPV for the Arts, community response to the festival is overwhelming.