Castillo in top form / Salonga amazes again /A note on singer Cosio

Determined to introduce new works to music lovers and thus widen their musical vocabulary, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor Eugene F. Castillo again risked a reduced audience at the CCP main theater last Friday. But he was in his element as he balanced the contemporary Symphony No. 4 by David Diamond with the traditional — Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8 in G Major, playing the composer’s "Ten Biblical Songs" in-between, with baritone Noel Azcona rendering them.

Pacing was brisk and precise in Diamond’s Symphony, the movements clearly defined and differentiated, one from the other, the adagio lyrical, the allegretto and allegro lively and robust.

The solo oboe in the opening allegretto, the violins in the second movement, the brass winds and drums demonstrating "manic exuberance" in the third movement were technically unassailable. They were indeed in the finest form as they acutely responded to the subtle cueing of Conductor Castillo.

The remarkable performance was sustained in the well-loved, highly familiar symphony by Dvorak, the cellos, clarinets, bassoon, horn and solo flute in the opening allegro con brio conveying spirit and fluency. The waltz in the third movement was exquisitely interpreted, reflecting charm, verve and vitality. The orchestra was at expressive in the Biblical songs. So was baritone Azcona, whose dramatization of the text was moving, despite his enunciation which left something to be desired.

In sum, the concert, which left a considerable impact on the audience, deserved the highest praise under Castillo’s baton. A pity attendance was minimal.

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With the best of intentions, I hazard three guesses for this. New work mostly atonal, discourage attendance though I, myself, am in favor of them. Any concert needs a great deal of publicity – or hype – and this seemed sorely lacking prior to last Friday’s. Times are stringent. Finally, the influential man and woman power behind the PPO societies could engage in a vigorous campaign by making personal contacts with members of school and other organizations, and enticing these to attend concerts.

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I first heard pianist Oliver Salonga play when he was only 16, yet he already dazzled with his technical dexterity. Last Sunday, as he performed at the UP Abelardo Hall for the benefit of the Suzuki Society which is hosting a conference in May, the 19-year-old rendered three formidable sonatas: Samuel Barber’s in E-flat minor, Beethoven’s in E-flat Major and Liszt’s in B Minor — turning each into a bravura piece.

By temperament, Oliver tends to be dramatic; he startles listeners with surging chordal thrusts which come suddenly after long, quiet passages, displaying steely fingers for the chords, and nimble ones for the rapid runs and double runs.

Musicologists point to Barber’s sonata as having "harmonic and rhythmic robustness, physical strength combined with a fine-grained lyrical expression". Robustness and physical strength surfaced more than lyricism in Oliver’s interpretation.

The sonata ended with Oliver infusing rousing power into its mighty fugal structure.

The Beethoven sonata was similarly electrifying as the pianist intensified rhythmic drive and precision with dramatic élan.

In Lizst’s sonata, storm and calm continuously alternated, the thunderous chords contrasting with a wide gradation of pianissimos that ended almost, but not quite, inaudibly. The bravura playing was astounding in its virtuosity which seemingly created blizzards at amazing speed, with the great surges of sound subsiding again in an endless cycle. There was a degree of showmanship in Oliver’s manner, and one wondered how Lizst, the great showman himself, would have interpreted his own compositions in those salons overflowing with long-gowned, half-swooning women.

The idee fixé invented by Berlioz and imitated by Lizst kept recurring, the theme being repeated and transformed arrestingly by Oliver again and again until the conclusion of the sonata, while diversifying the theme through touch, dynamics and expression.

It was a tremendous climax to what might be described, on the whole, as an amazing tour de force.

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Yesterday’s deadline prevented me from attending the voice recital of Allan Cosio at the UP Abelardo Hall during which he sang 14 arias from various Verdi operas – a daunting performance in any language. I heard Cosio sing at the residence of Esther Vibal not too long ago, and his powerful, most impressive volume is not possessed by many vocalists. Although he poses no threat to established tenors – not just yet, anyway – his courage, audacity and unflinching determination should make his progress inevitable and should earn him added distinction as a serious, talented, unique singer – besides being an eminent painter.