Ochanine: Fiery and festive/J. Tagala continues to awe/St. Cecilia’s concert 2012

The Christmas concert presented by the Bel-Air and Salcedo Village Community might be regarded as an informal family affair, with children romping around, waiters walking back and forth taking orders or, with trays aloft, serving members of the audience. Further, the audible honking of automobile horns and the open-air venue tended to diffuse the sounds emanating from the stage.

Maestro Olivier Ochanine wielded the baton over the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra in classic works by Bizet, Saint-Saens, Tchaikovsky — the latter in excerpts from the Nutcracker Ballet Suite — traditional Western and native Christmas songs, among them by R. Cayabyab, and the Radettzky March, with the listeners heartily clapping in certain portions at the conductor’s signal.

Ochanine, who himself announced each number over a loud speaker, was fiery, masterful, authoritative and in full control, the PPO delineating the distinctive characteristics, the nuances of phrasing, the flux in dynamics of each selection. In sum, his was a solid harnessing of orchestral sounds.

Flutist Hercules Santiago and oboeist Renato Resurreccion were the evening’s soloists.

The Ateneo Chamber Singers under Conductor Jonathan M. Velasco rendered the aforementioned Christmas songs, their robust voices creating a truly festive atmosphere to the accompaniment of the ensemble which occasionally over-powered them. Midway, Velasco sang “A White Christmas,” his voice full and firm, his manner spirited.

As the concert ended, the Maestro graciously thanked everyone for his attendance. Barangay Bel-Air president Constancia Lichauco, who presented him with a lei, to the delighted applause of the audience, should be warmly commended for continuing to expose her huge “family” to classic music.

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Before a select audience at the SSC Cory Aquino Hall, former violin prodigy Jimmy Tagala Jr., now 21, was presented at an invitational recital by the Gilopez Kabayao Foundation. With his usual assurance and aplomb, he interpreted formidable works with concert pianist Corazon Pineda Kabayao as assisting artist.

After Vitali’s Chaconne in D Major, there ensued in Brahms’ Sonata in D Minor the most exquisite, most flawless rapport between violinist and pianist, each conveying dexterity, refinement, artistic expression and brio that constituted a perfectly balanced interplay.

Capriccio for Solo Violin by Korean composer Jaejoon  Ryu and Paganini’s Caprices in E and C Major were tremendous works composed primarily to test and demonstrate the player’s skill and virtuosity. They had no melodious lines, no lyrical passages. In all three numbers Jimmy shone brilliantly to the astonishment of his listeners.

Selections by Filipino composers — Mutya ng Pasig by Abelardo-Kabayao and Paruparung Bukid arranged by Kabayao showed the violinist’s remarkable lyricism. Saint-Saens’ Havanaise and Ravel’s Tzigane were likewise composed to demonstrate the player’s virtuosity as they employed the widest range of diverse and dizzying technical devices.

When I first reviewed Jimmy’s performance, I commented that he was a virtuoso-in-the-making. Now I fully believe he is a virtuoso-in-progress.

When I last heard  Corazon Pineda Kabayao in a full piano recital years ago, I wrote: “Displaying marvelous, digital dexterity and singular brio, Corazon Kabayao in her arresting performance reaffirmed her rank as one of the country’s leading pianists.”

After listening to her joint performance with Tagala, I find no reason to revise my opinion.

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After a brief pause, the engaging cultural entrepreneur Martin Lopez announced he would present his annual “Come to the Stable” Christmas program for the benefit of the Vallehermoso Helping Hands charity project in Negros Oriental.

Martin further announced that two foreign artists would be featured. I did not catch their names as I had to leave for another engagement.

I likewise missed St. Cecilia’s Concert 2012 featuring members of the St. Scholastica’s Music Alumnae Association in “A Celebration of French Music.” Many of my favorite composers are French, Saint-Saens, Bizet, Ravel, Debussy, among them. But I had to forego the concert owing to another commitment.