Popularizing the classics

GERARD Salonga hopes to tour the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra all over the country. GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

“The music you listen to is your choice, but it should be informed. At times, we dismiss something without giving it a try,” Gerard Salonga told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a recent interview. “Our choices shouldn’t be tainted by prejudice, misinformation or, worse, ignorance.”

For almost two years now, the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra, through its educational outreach program, has held concerts for Filipino students in hopes of sparking interest in classical or symphonic music.

Salonga, musical director and conductor, conceded that the goal is simply for students to at least appreciate this art form.

He related that the ABS-CBN Philharmonic has performed for kindergarten kids to college students from all walks, usually at the Dolphy Theater in the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City or at Aliw Theater in Pasay City.

“I’d like to do at least two concerts every month,” Salonga said. It could open the eyes of young people to the wide scope of human creativity, he stressed. “They’ll see that in this kind of music.”

They could even end up liking this type of  music, he said. “Kids are very easy to teach; we’ve seen some great reactions from them. Ang Pinoy, mabilis tablan ng musika.”

Make or break

Choosing accessible introductory pieces is crucial, Salonga insisted, because the repertoire could make or break a kid’s first impression of orchestral music.

One of the best-received pieces so far, Salonga revealed, is Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Danse Macabre,” about the legend of “Death”—how he rouses the dead from their graves with his fiddle at midnight on Halloween, urging them to dance until the crack of dawn.

Another favorite is Bedrich Smetana’s “The Moldau,” a musical interpretation of the flow of the Vltava River in the Czech Republic.

To enhance the young audiences’ musical experience, Salonga said, the performances incorporate drawings and videos to facilitate narratives. He related, “I explain beforehand what instruments will be used and how they figure in the piece. In ‘Macabre,’ for example, I say that the xylophone signals the dancing skeletons.”

He said they once had actor Xian Lim— who plays the piano and trombone—in a performance of classical music and pop songs rendered with orchestration.

To further enhance the program, Salonga said, the content is continuously being tweaked, depending on the age of the crowd. It would be great, he added, wistfully, if they could bring the orchestra to the provinces. “The entire ensemble would love to tour but, of course, logistics could be an issue.”

Traveling around Asia, Salonga has observed that classical concert audiences in the Philippines’ neighbor-countries are regular working people, more than the rich. “That’s because they are ready to take it,” he said. “I hope Filipinos will soon get to that level.”

Maestro’s hits

The ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra is holding “The Music of Ryan Cayabyab,”  the first in its  “Spotlight Series.” The concert also celebrates Cayabyab’s 60th birth anniversary and will feature the composer’s best-loved songs as interpreted by the 42-piece orchestra and a 70-piece choir.

Among the highlights of the tribute concert are performances by artists whom Cayabyab has written songs for—Mitch Valdes, Celeste Legaspi, Basil Valdez, Ogie Alcasid, Bugoy Drilon, Martin Nievera and Hajji Alejandro.

It is set on May 3, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo. For tickets, call 8919999.

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