13th ‘Romantic Journey’ / Merk’s benefit concert

Last Sunday, Ingrid Sta. Maria and Reynaldo Reyes gave their 13th "Romantic Journey" duo concert which meant, yet again, their interpreting romantic music, this time Rachmaninoff’s 24 Variations on a Theme by Paganini and Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Buencamino’s Mayon Fantasy as played by Ingrid and Santiago’s Souvenir de Filipinas as played by Reynaldo.

Venue was Fuente de Artes (Ingrid’s residence) in Magallanes Village; guest of honor was former First Lady Imelda Marcos, unmatched patron of the arts in her time.

In the duo selections, Ingrid’s role as soloist inevitably made greater impact; Reynaldo, playing the orchestral part, was the gallant and admirably responsive accompanist. Having performed 240 concerts as a duo since January 2001 in 13 bi-annual tours all over the Philippines (and in some Asian and US cities), Ingrid and Reynaldo have become veritable music missionaries, particularly in the hinterlands, while mastering the art of duo-playing, and its required interaction of the closest kind. Each pianist conveyed the finest nuances, but as previously implied, Ingrid had the more challenging passages.

Exquisite melodic themes glowingly surfaced in two of the Variations. Concerto No. 2, deservedly the best-known and loved of Rachmaninoff’s concertos, was premiered on Nov. 9, 1901, with the composer himself as soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic.

Doubtless, he had shaped the concerto to suit his own tremendous power and awesome pianistic skill, and though one might presume Ingrid did not match these, she was far from wanting in either. I was amazed at her immense increase of power since I last heard her, her chordal passages sounding almost like those of a male pianist. Indeed, her sparkling brio awed the listener.

Ingrid’s power was again notable in the descriptive Mayon Fantasy which depicted the volcano’s terrifying eruption, and the calm, tranquil, idyllic scene before and after it, the languid sections being charming arrangements of native folk themes. Folk songs likewise made up Souvenir which Reynaldo rendered with clarity, precision and artistic sensitivity.

An informal potpourri ensued after the lustily applauded concert proper. Tenor Frankie Aseniero, fresh from a highly successful European tour, sang light classics preceded by Jonathan Coo, accomplished pianist turned aspiring tenor. The versatile international concertist Raul Sunico rendered E. Cuenco’s Bato sa Buhangin, Feeling and the song which begins with the words "I want to give" as masterfully as he had played Rachmaninoff’s four concertos in a single evening last 2003.

Mrs. Marcos, an avid aficionada, begged off from singing despite insistent requests, owing to a sore throat.

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I regret missing Friday’s concert wherein pianist Peter Porticos played in F. Santiago Hall Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 3, with Herminigildo Ranera conducting the UST Symphony Orchestra. The second half featured UST Conservatory students and a piano ensemble playing Bartok’s Sonata for Percussion, Lutoslawski’s Paganini’s Variations and Rachmaninoff’s Suite No. 2 for Two Pianos. Pianists were Darren Matias, Karla Tiño, Kobidake Maceda, Jessie Singh and Charisse Dumlao.

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The item on the fund-raising concert for Chin-Chin Gutierrez at Richard Merk’s Bar Bistro was moving, particularly because Richard himself sang with the rest of the popular entertainers. Incidentally, I heard him at the musical program which marked the 25th anniversary of Philippine Yearbook under the auspices of STAR EVP Grace Glory Go and her son Vernon. I was so impressed with Richard’s expressive delivery and powerful voice, might not he have thought of pursuing an operatic career at one time or another?

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On Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. a not-to-be-missed concert will feature duo pianists Reynaldo Reyes and Linda Pio Roda, the latter a graduate of the UST Conservatory and Peabody. They will play sonatas by Bach and Brahms, and Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos. The UST Symphony Orchestra under H. Ranera will assist. Venue is the Philamlife Theater.