Piazza Puccini concert / Rotary West, PEN events

The stage of the Mandarin ballroom was transformed magically into a Roman plaza for the “Piazza Puccini” concert which was presented by the Johann Strauss Society of the Philippines headed by Fortune Ledesma, president. White columns and the side view of buildings encircled the plaza from where sopranos Rachelle Gerodias and Italian Anna Carnovali and Italian tenor Franco Becconi made considerable impact as they rendered arias from Puccini’s well-loved operas to mark his 150th birth anniversary.

The PPO under Austrian conductor Ernest Hoetzl accompanied Madama Butterfly’s humming chorus (Act 11). Followed E lucevan le stelle from Tosca (Becconi), the duet Mario, Mario also from Tosca (the Italian singers), Un bel di vedremo from M. Butterfly (Gerodias), O mio babbino caro from Giana Schicchi (Carnovali), Chella mi creda from La Fanciulla (Becconi), Vissi d’ arte from Tosca (Carnovali), Signore ascolta from Turandot (Gerodias), Mi chiamano Mimi (Carnovali) and the duet O suave fanciulla from La Boheme (Gerodias and Becconi).

Bel canto reigned supreme, regaling the audience as the singers’ voices, in varying degrees, soared and rang (with Gerodias having the edge) to infuse life, vigor, vibrancy and artistic expression to the arias of the great opera composer.

Ledesma, over-all chair of “Piazza Puccini,” and Italian Ambassador Rubens Anna Fedele gave opening remarks. Heading the audience were Austrian Ambassador Herbert Jaeger, Spanish Ambassador Luis and Soledad Arias, UK Ambassador Peter and Jill Beckingham, Israeli Ambassador Zvi and Limor Vapni and Mandarin GM Helmut Gaisberger.

Cognoscenti tenor George and Kristine Yang, Eddie and Dellie Yap, Amando Doronila, Tata Poblador and Rita Tan must have been particularly entranced with the climactic film clip of the late legendary Luciano Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma from Turandot.

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The Rotary Club of Makati West, one of the country’s oldest and largest clubs, and currently headed by Roberto “Bobby” Cecilio O. Lim as president, will hold a one-day sculpture exhibit and sale at the Mandarin Ballroom on Dec. 4, from 10:30 am to 9 pm. Washington Sycip and NCCA executive director Cecile G. Alvarez will cut the ceremonial ribbon and open the exhibit. This will feature the works of artists here listed alphabetically: Napoleon Abueva, Michael Cacnio, Ed Castrillo, Seb Chua, Merlito Gepte, Juan Imao, Jose Mendoza, Antonio Mondejar, Tito Obor, Ramon Orlina, Glenn Pagaduan, Ernesto Patricio, Impy Pilapil, Dan Raralio, Antonino Raymundo, Ronel Roces, Juvenal Sanso, Rinald Sotto, Francisco Verano, Priscillano Vicaldo Jr. and Reginaldo Yuson.

Proceeds from the exhibit-sale will build homes for the homeless, provide free heart surgery for indigent children and free treatment for hemangioma patients and provide artificial limbs for those in need of prosthesis.

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Fr. Rolando V. de la Rosa, OP, UST rector and former Commission on Higher Education chair, will deliver the annual Rizal Lecture at 12 noon on Dec. 6, at the CCP. At this 51st PEN Writers Congress, he will be introduced by dramatist-historian Jose Victor Torres. Susie Tan will read the PEN charter; CCP president Nes Jardin will give brief remarks.

The literary sessions are “Struggle/People’s Literature”, chair: Rolando Tolentino; “Gender issues in Literature”, chair: Shirley Lua; “Critical issues/ Special Topics”, chair: Critic and PEN chair Elmer A. Ordoñez.

National Artist and PEN chairman F. Sionil Jose will preside at the plenary session. Playwright Nick Pichay will oversee the election of officers. Lito Zulueta will deliver the opening remarks, Erma Cuizon will introduce keynote speaker Dr. Resil B. Mojares.

PEN books edited by Jose Torres, Elmer Ordoñez, Marjorie Evasco, Susie Tan and Lilia Ramos de Leon, the “House of Jacob” by Ester Daroy will be launched.